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Gold at Paratri Elite Race, London

Tue, 9 Aug 2011 10:07:18 -0700

Was invited by USAT to represent the USA at the Elite Paratriathlon Race in London this last week. This is a fairly important race for European paratriathletes, because people come from all over Europe to compete. We even had a Latvian Tri-4 (arm amputee) Martins Drust, who was making the switch from Paracycling to Paratriathlon.

Hyde Park is a great place to race in London–flat, scenic and lots of spectators. It is also the site of the Olympics 2012 in London. It was an awesome opportunity to race on the same course as the Olympics. Met up with my teammates, Sarah Reinertsen (Tri-2) and Tommy Knapp (Tri-4) as the three representatives from the USA.

After watching the spectacular finish of the elite triathletes fight it out for their Olympic qualification berths for next year, we lined up to get into the transition area as a torrential downpour started. Everything soaked and I was shivering from the cold. All was good once the wetsuit went on, though. I just had to be careful not to wipe out on the wet roads.

This year, my category (Tri-5) was fairly deep and had three non-prosthetic wearers (people with medium leg impairment, but not amputees nor prosthetic wearers) which puts the prosthetic wearers at a serious disadvantage, as our multiple leg swaps and hops out of the water creates a 2 to 3 minute deficit, on average.

My swim was pretty good, compared to other races I’ve done and I was able to get out of the water among the first few men. Having practiced my transition over and over again (to minimize the non-prosthetic wearers’ advantage), I had a pretty good transition to the bike, though once on the bike, my heart rate was higher than what Coach Alan and I had discussed it should be on the bike. I cranked on the bike and jockeyed back and forth with arm amputee, Martins Drust, who is a phenomenal cyclist. In retrospect, I probably should have focused less on overcoming Martins, and instead aimed at a consistent wattage rather than the leg-destroying spikes from trying to overcome other cyclists.

My run, as a result, was pretty lackluster compared to previous performances, but luckily, I was able to maintain my lead and win overall. I was even penalized 15 seconds due to having dismounted after the dismount line. Had to wait in a penalty box right before the finish line as I watched my competitors start to gain on me. Once released, I sprinted to the finish for the win.

Sarah Reinertsen, one of the top Tri-2 (above-knee amputee) women in the world also kicked some butt. She walked away with a Gold medal while our other teammate, Tommy Knapp took Bronze. All in all, our mini-squad did pretty well.

Beijing is next and this is for all the marbles. The race in London served as a qualifier for us and we all qualified. Stick around and hopefully there will be some good reports from Beijing in September.

ME GANÉ EL ORO EN LONDRES
La carrera Elite de paratriatlon en londres me fue bastante bien. Tomé primer lugar a pesar de un penal que me dieron de 15 segundos por haber desmontado la bici en frente de la linea de desmonte. Ahora, nos dirigimos al campeonato mundial de paratriatlón en Beijing este Septiembre.

Heading to London

Mon, 1 Aug 2011 11:41:18 -0700

Was asked by USA Triathlon to represent Team USA in London this year at one of the more important Paratriathlon events in Europe. I’ll be competing in a packed field with 50 other paratriathletes from around the world. This will serve as my qualifier for the upcoming World Championships in Beijing this fall. Looking forward to it and will post an update when I’m there.

PARA LONDRES VAMOS
Tuve el honor de ser invitado por USA Triathlon (la federación de triatlón estadounidense) a representar a los EEUU en una de las competencias mas importante de Paratriatlón en europa. Competiré con mas de 50 otros paratriatletas para poder calificar para el mundial en Beijing (peking) en Septiembre. Les actualizaré cuando llegue a Londres.

1st @ Carlsbad

Mon, 1 Aug 2011 11:30:32 -0700

Had a really good race considering not having raced all year and recovering from some injury / overtraining issues. Took first in the Challenged Division and was 10th in my able-bodied age group. Good tune up for London and for Beijing.

1er lugar en Carlsbad
Tuve una muy buena prueba en el triatlon de Carlsbad a pesar de no haber competido todo el año y el hecho que todavia estoy recuperando de unas heridas. Tome primer lugar en la categoría “Challenged” (atletas con discapacidad) y tomé decimo lugar entre atletas sin discapacidad. Buena preparación para los triatlones de Londres y de Beijing (el mundial).

Back from Haiti

Wed, 9 Mar 2011 07:45:27 -0800

We arrived in Haiti on Saturday morning. Jason, from Project Medishare, picked us up and whisked us directly to the fields to conduct the running clinic. Many of the attendees had been recently fit with prosthetics and were eager to learn more. Ages ranged from 3 to 23. When we arrived to the field, we were instantly mobbed by young Haitians who were hanging out at the field. Blake Leeper, the paralympic sprinter, was a big hit. He instantly bonded with the kids and challenged them to sprints down the field. They all wanted to know about his double running prosthetics (he is a double amputee).

When the clinic started, some of the patients were a little hesitant. One young lady told me she was afraid to fall down and would just watch. Eventually, after seeing all the other amputees laughing and trying the drills, she was motivated to give it a shot. This is one of the benefits of these running clinics in that it allows people to let their guard down amongst others in a similar position. Later, she asked me if she could play volleyball as she had done prior to the earthquake. I asked her if she could jump up “like this,” demonstrating the jumping motion, to which she replied “yes.” “Well, then you can play volleyball.” Our vertical leap might not be as high as it used to be, but volleyball is certainly not out of the question. Sometimes, its a question of just being around other amputees and gaining the confidence to overcome the stigmas and societal expectations of being disabled.

Prior to the earthquake, Haitian society had less exposure to the disabled, particularly amputees. They were often seen as a drag on society and, worse, some saw them as cursed. With that backdrop, this new generation of amputees (thousands strong) suddenly materialized. Challenged Athletes Foundation has used sport to help overcome stigmas, stereotypes and to increase self-esteem among the disabled (some of us have too much self-esteem). This new generation of amputees would benefit from the same empowerment techniques that sports offers. Sports gives people self-esteem, particularly those whose physical abilities have been affected.

That night, there was a press conference to celebrate the opening of the new prosthetic lab (donated by Ossur) and a million dollar donation from Knights of Columbus to outfit every one of Haiti’s amputee children with prosthetics. Still, the events of earlier in the day and our brief tour through the streets of Port-au-Prince weighed heavily on all of us as we contemplated the vastness of the tragic circumstances that Haiti was now in. Little to no trash service, no running water for many, limited medical services and millions of people living in the streets or in tents—the little contribution we each were making seemed like just a drop in a vast ocean of challenge. I felt insignificant and helpless.

Nonetheless, the Haitians were amazing. They showed dignity and strength despite the difficulty they found themselves in. Resourceful, resilient and open. If all Haitians had the same characteristics of the few that we had the pleasure of meeting, there would be hope in this country that lost so many people in a matter of seconds.

On Sunday we went to the soccer fields to watch a friendly match of amputee football. This is a sport, originally made popular in Africa and other lesser developed areas, that allows amputees to play football on crutches and without a prosthesis. It is amazing how nimble these guys were trapping balls, passing and running on crutches. Our resident above-knee amputee and travel companion, John Siciliano bravely took off his leg and joined one of the teams on crutches (which he hadn’t used in years). CAF sponsors the team and is looking to expand the program to create an entire league that can play in international competition.

At any rate, this was just the beginning of what I feel will be a great program to help empower the Haitian disabled to rise above the circumstances, the stigma and the expectations of what the disabled are capable of. I’ll keep you posted, of course.

De Vuelta de Haiti
Por falta de tiempo, esta entrada al blog se va posponer hasta que tenga mas tiempo para traducirlo para mi gente de habla hispana. El viaje, aunque haya sido corto, fue muy interesante y me hizo sentir gran pesadumbre por la tragedia que sufrieron los Haitianos. Para ver fotos y comentarios de mi viaje, hagan clic aquí .

Heading to Haiti

Tue, 1 Mar 2011 21:09:01 -0800

When my friend Roy from the Challenged Athletes Foundation emailed me to ask me if I’d be interested in joining them on a mission to Haiti, I thought it would be an interesting experience and a chance to help out those less fortunate than me. They wanted me to join several other amputee athletes in helping with an amputee running clinic. I’ve done clinics before in the US and they are very helpful in getting amputees to see the forest for the trees when it comes to recovery. For a recent amputee, seeing other amputees who are active despite their injuries is very empowering. Maybe I’d get to practice my French, I thought. What I didn’t realize was that this running clinic was going to be a small part of a herculean effort and a partnership between CAF, Ossur Prosthetics and the Knights of Columbus who together are launching a brand new prosthetics facility for Haitian amputees. A million dollars worth of prosthetic equipment will be provided and they will train and employ Haitians to run the clinic, providing jobs and hope for those many Haitians who were injured during last year’s earthquake.

Being part of this will be a huge honor and also a chance to be inspired by the resilient and determined Haitian people. I’ll post updates on twitter and Facebook while I’m there.

A HAITI ME VOY
Mi amigo, Roy, del Challenged Athlete Foundation, me preguntó si estaba interesado en ir a Haiti para ayudar a los amputados, lesionados Haitianos del terremoto del pasado año. Se trataba de manejar una sesión de capacitación para enseñar a los jovenes amputados como usar una prótesis para ambular y por último, a participar en deportes como el futbol, atletismo y mas. Pensé que esto iba ser interesante, ya que me ha tocado varias veces manejar estas sesiones en los EEUU. Tal vez pueda practicar mi frances, pensé yo.

Lo que no me fije es que esto iba ser solo una pequeña parte de una misión muy significativa donde la CAF, Ossur (compañía de ortopedia y prótesis islandesa) y los Knights de Columbus están donando mas de un millón de dolares en protéticos y construyendo un laboratorio ortopedico avanzado para ayudar a poner en pie los miles de amputados haitianos quienes han perdido miembros en el terremoto. Ser parte de esta misión será un honor y tener una oportunidad de ser inspirado por el espiritu de superación y fuerza de los haitianos.

Los mantendré al tanto en Facebook y Twitter cuando pueda.

Its official!

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:46:15 -0800

Well, the vote in Guangzhou (link) determined, once and for all, that Triathlon (or more accurately, Paratriathlon) is now an official Paralympic sport that will have its debut at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Very exciting and really, just the beginning for the sport of Paratriathlon. With hundreds of competitors around the world, we’ll see an increase in talent, hard work and competition unlike we’ve ever seen. There will be a lot of work required to get programs going in each country... political considerations and major logistical preparations. Its just the beginning! Very exciting and I am proud to be on the committee of USA Triathlon’s Paralympic Development that was very involved in making this happen. Jon Beeson, the head of the committee has been working on this for over a decade and we owe a lot to his hard work.

¡Confirmado!
Por fin votaron en Guangzhou (link) y determinaron que el deporte de triatlón va ser uno de los deportes en los Juegos Paralímpicos de Rio 2016. Muy emocionante y realmente solo el comienzo. Veremos mas atletas y mas talento de alrededor del mundo. Vamos a ver una competencia impresionante. También habrá mucho trabajo que hacer para coordinar, organizar y establecer los pormenores de esta hazaña global. Tengo el honor de ser miembro del comité de desarrollo paralimpico de la USA Triathlon. Nuestro líder, Jon Beeson, ha trabajado para conseguir esta meta de inclusión paralimpico desde hace mas de diez años. Le debemos muchas gracias por su liderazgo y perseverancia.

Triathlon in the Paralympics

Tue, 7 Dec 2010 21:02:25 -0800

Hey all, in the next week, the International Paralympic Committee is voting to decide whether or not to include the sport of triathlon into the Paralympic games. For those of you who don't know, the Paralympics are part of the Olympic program. They occur parallel to the Olympics (the week immediately following each quadrennial event). It features the top disabled athletes around the world in sports such as swimming, track and field, tennis, and more.

The one sport that is not in the Paralympics, is triathlon. After a decade of lobbying and work towards this goal, the tri federations from around the world (USAT, Tri Canada, British Triathlon, etc.) finally submitted an application for inclusion this fall. The vote will be in a week in Beijing. There are also 7 other sports also vying for inclusion who are lobbying hard as well. They can't all be included.

This coalition of international tri federations has put up a Facebook page that is being used to show that there is a widespread support for Paratriathlon in the Paralympics. Currently, we have about 4000 supporters from around the world, which is a strong showing, but we need more. If you wouldn't mind clicking and "liking" this page, it will help send the message that there is support. Also, posting it on your page would be helpful too.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paratriathlon-For-Paralympics/168320876530848

Here's an incredible video that shows all these competitive challenged triathletes competing on the world stage... blind, wheelchair athletes, arm amputees, above knee and below knee amputees. Pretty inspiring video... (and I’m in it too, if briefly).

If you haven't already, please Like the group and Share it on your wall to get this last push.

TRIATLON EN JUEGOS PARALIMPICOS
El comité paralímpico está a punto de votar para incorporación de triatlón en los juegos paralímpicos. Para mostrar que hay un gran apoyo de la comunidad de triatlón internacional se ha puesto una página en Facebook. Si podrían mostrar su apoyo yendo a la página y hacer click en "me gusta" ayudaría mucho a mostrar que el deporte de triatlón es mundialmente apoyado. El voto va ser en Beijing este fin de semana. Si pueden poner un link en sus páginas... sería genial tambien.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paratriathlon-For-Paralympics/168320876530848

Esto ha sido un esfuerzo monumental compuesto de integrantes de las federaciones internacionales de triatlon (los españoles, franceses, los canadienses, britanicos y estadounidenses), la ITU, la IPC (comité paralimpico) el USOC y mucha gente alrededor del planeta. Apoyenlo para que triatlón pueda dar un paso hacia adelante.