Nashville Lightning Wheelchair Basketball Tournment
Franklin, TN 37067, USA
ADAPT AND OVERCOME
Slide Show from Sweat 4 a vet
'Sweat for a Vet' Hopes to Beat Last Year's Total of $75,000
"Sweat for a Vet" is a 3-hour cycle fundraiser for wounded warriors.
Last year, participants raised $75,000!
Debbie Miller, president of "Project Visibility" and the organizer of "Sweat for a Vet," and Michael Paul, who is participating in the event, joined us with more.
Read more: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/mornings/sweat-for-a-vet-hopes-to-beat-last-years-total-of-75000-111111#ixzz1dQtRaLEe
Sweat for a Vet
| DATE: | Saturday November 12th, 2011 |
| TIME: | 9:30 am - 12:30 pm EST |
| PLACE: | Tysons Sport&Health plus SWEAT-a-Thons across the nation and around the world!... http://www.sweatforavet.org/ http://sweatforavet.kintera.org/faf/help/helpEventInfo.asp?ievent=461232&lis=1&kntae461232=0C6666F09D104C9F8D5D792D21340DF7 SWEAT for a VET is a 3-Hour cardio (indoor cycling, rowing, Kranking, and whatever!) inclusive fitness fundraising event benefiting Wounded Warriors and is hosted by Project VisAbility with Sport&Health Clubs. 100% of the money raised through Project VisAbility on behalf of SWEAT for a VET will go directly to that program. After the cost of running the event itself, all remaining funds will be allocated to the regions in which money was raised at hosted SWEAT-a-thons, and will be used to buy equipment for VA hospitals and other facilities serving wounded warriors in the US, and to host training camps for individuals with physical challenges outside the US. Primary event will be held at Tysons Sport & Health in McLean, VA, with all other Sport & Health locations, plus clubs around the globe, participating via video link at hosted SWEAT-a-thons. Visit www.sportandhealth.com for their location information. |
2011 US OPEN
http://tennislink.usta.com/Tou
| Org Website: | www.confluencesports.org |
2011 Music City Classic Tennis Tournament
Living life to the fullest
"Man, because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived."
New Chapter in My Life
Cody Unser’s Great Adventure and Medical Study Underway in Grand Cayman
Adaptive scuba medical study measures the effects of diving on paralyzed veterans.
The Cody Unser First Step Foundation is diving the reefs of Grand Cayman this week as they pilot their scuba medical study.
The study will conduct trials on 10 paralyzed veterans to measure the neurological, psychological and pulmonary effects of scuba diving. Aspects of the study include: testing, evaluation, and data gathering to scientifically measure the efficacy of scuba diving as an activity-based therapy that benefits people with disabilities. Follow Unser and this courageous group on Cody’s blog .
Scuba’s effects on disabled focus of pilot study in Cayman
The Cayman Islands is at the centre of a pioneering study of the effects of scuba diving on people with disabilities.
The study, approved by the Institutional Review Board, will conduct trials on 10 paralysed veterans to measure the neurological, psychological and pulmonary effects of scuba diving. Aspects of the study include: testing, evaluation, and data gathering to scientifically measure the efficacy of scuba diving as an activity-based therapy that benefits people with disabilities.
The study was inspired by Cody Unser, who became paralysed at age 12 from the chest down due to a rare illness called Transverse Myelitis. Cody’s mother, Shelley, said the family was used to an active lifestyle, whether on personal watercraft or snowmobiles or hanging out at the Indianoplis 500 races with her famous father, driver Al Unser Jr.
“My kids grew up with a lot of adrenaline sports. Her brother got her back in the water and scuba diving saved her life. In 2000 she got her license and in 2002 we started Cody’s Great Scuba Adventures, with the first one down here in Cayman.
“We have built up a veterans’ dive team of instructors who are almost all retired military or [active] military and we coupled with course directors in the Handicapped Scuba Association. If people can’t get their PADI certificate, they can get the HSA.”
Subsequently, the partnership with Paralysed Veterans of America came about as the group is interested in studying the psychological effects of scuba.
Pilot study
The scuba-medical pilot study for disabled veterans was started by medical professionals from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.
“The doctors who are coming have been my daughter’s doctors for 10 years and study rare neurological conditions, so they know a lot about paralysis as well. They got the approval to come down here and with our partners from the Paralysed Veterans of America picked 10 guys from various wars, including Afghanistan and Iraq.
“We normally train everybody ahead of time but because of time and study parameters, we are doing it all in one location so everyone can observe. A lot of these guys are doing it for the first time. We are on boats with Red Sail for three days. They are taking us to Stingray City, and we hope to end with all 10 certified on the USS Kittiwake as their final dive.”
Psychological aspects
Researchers, brain mappers, neuro-psychiatrists and other specialists have come down, said former Navy SEAL Al Kovak, vice president of Paralysed Veterans of America.
“The researchers are looking at the psychological and neurological effects of scuba. I don’t know what the outcomes will be, but as far as the psychological [aspects are concerned], I know it is going to be successful. Any kind of sport, scuba or recreational thing is always going to have good effects.
“You don’t want to sit around the house watching TV all the time. Guys who have traumatic injuries like these are often susceptible to depression, but doing sports like these really gets the endorphins flowing and makes you feel good when you’re done,” he said.
Not that it was difficult to convince people to become involved with the study, conceded Mr. Kovac.
“We handpicked 10 vets and I wanted to make sure these were the guys with the right background to do something like this. When I tell these guys, ‘Do you want to go to Cayman to learn how to scuba’, they don’t believe me.”
The Department of Tourism, in association with the Cody Unser foundation, Red Sail Sports and St. Matthew’s University are involved in helping the team of spinal cord injury researchers, veterans, paralympic athletes and Cody Unser herself to learn more about this subject. They will be on island until 12 May to participate in the study.
Movie screening
On Monday a public screening was held of the movie Cody: The First Steps, narrated by Glenn Close. The documentary is about the life and times of Cody during her undergraduate year at the University of Redlands, California, where she created her own major called Biopolitics.
The film won six awards at festivals across the US and was shown on Public Broadcasting stations there.
The screening in Cayman and elsewhere is meant to raise the awareness about living life with a disability and the importance of sport and physical activity for everyone.
The study was inspired by Cody Unser.
By: Joe Shooman | joe@cfp.ky
Neuropsychological Effects that SCUBA Diving has on Spinal Cord Injury Patients
I will be part of the research study being done by John Hopkins Medicine.
This research is being done to look at the effects of SCUBA diving on mood and physical function in people with spinal cord injury.
This will be a small pilot study. If findings are promising, larger future studies will be conducted.
SCUBA diving has recently become a more popular activity amongst paraplegics because it allows mobility-impaired people to move without assistive devices in a gravity-free environment. We want to learn more about the effects that SCUBA diving has to offer people with spinal cord injury. We will assess this mainly through a series of surveys and examinations before and after SCUBA diving.
People with a history of spinal cord injury and their able-bodied partners who will be SCUBA diving with The Cody Unser First Step Foundation (CUFSF) may join.
The information we collect in this study may help others in the future by allowing us to learn more about the effects of SCUBA on spinal cord injury patients.
Something That Works - CrossFit
CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program. The first CrossFit affiliated gym opened in Santa Cruz in 1995, and since then some have suggested this is no longer a fitness fad. It is commonly used by municipalities, such as police and fire departments, and is also used by the military. CrossFit, as defined by Greg Glassman, founder and CEO, is a program that consists of constantly varied functional movement performed at a high intensity. CrossFit’s first fitness standard addresses ten general physical skills. These include cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. CrossFit tests your competency in all of these areas, and creates a platform to measure workload performed over time with the added aspect of competition, which is the second fitness standard utilized in this program. The third and final CrossFit standard addresses the ability to use the three metabolic (phospogen, glycolitic, and oxidative) pathways equally, and to focus on training that emphasizes these metabolic engines. CrossFit combines weightlifting, sprinting, and gymnastics. Competitors from around the world have competed in the annual CrossFit Games since 2007.
To learn more about CrossFit, go to: http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/what-crossfit.html.
A successful fitness program should consider the personal characteristics of the individual and his or her environment. If you don’t like team sports, signing-up for wheelchair basketball may not be the best idea, but I would encourage you to try it at least once, and then decide for yourself. I have to admit that I did not follow my own advice for this month’s column. My enemy was time and the clock was ticking. My deadline was fast approaching, and I had not yet made it to the CrossFit gym in my area. So what did I do? I reached out to Debbie Miller, an avid CrossFitter and President of Project Visibility (http://www.projectvisability.org ). I asked her to put me in contact with a CrossFit trainer. She connected me with Michael Paul. Before I spoke with Michael, I viewed the YouTube clip of Michael during his Mission Continues Fellowship ( http://www.missioncontinues.org/). He was being trained by Kyle Maynard, author of No Excuses http://www.kyle-maynard.com, to become a Certified CrossFit Trainer. View the link below, and you will see why I immediately wanted to find out more about the inclusivity and adaptability of the CrossFit program.
Michael Paul training for CrossFit Certification at Camp Pendleton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79wxkLmF9e0
It is not often that you see fitness trends address varying levels of abilities, and it is even less common to see fitness professionals with disabilities being incorporated into the culture of the program. One note of caution: CrossFit is not for everyone. If you search the term, one of the popular articles that appears is “How Not to Get Hurt Doing CrossFit.” It could be considered by some as an elite athlete workout that is a bit on the extreme side. I am certainly not suggesting that anyone reading this article with or without a disability should immediately go out and try CrossFit. Instead, I would simply like to present the program and allow you to decide if it sounds right for you. CrossFit athletes run, row, jump rope, climb rope, and carry odd-shaped objects. They frequently move large loads quickly over short distances, and use powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting techniques. CrossFit athletes also use various fitness modalities and methods, such as dumbbells, gymnastics rings, pull-up bars, kettlebells, and many bodyweight exercises. As you will see from Michael Paul’s experience, it can work for an individual with a disability quite well. “It’s amazing what CrossFit has done for my core strength,” Michael says.
From Michael Paul’s bio, you quickly learn that he was born an athlete into a proud military family that has a strong belief in honor and serving. He used his athletic abilities in the Army to secure a job working in an elite unit attached to the military intelligence as a recon soldier. He served during the Gulf War, and specialized in airborne, air assault, and special ops warfare. He went to Ranger school, SERE school, Close Quarter Combat School, and various other training schools that put his athletic prowess to the test.
After the military, Michael decided to go to college using the GI Bill while working as a personal trainer, kickboxing instructor, and later, a massage therapist. Although out of the military, he still had the desire for adventure, seeking activities in recreation and sport. However, on September 29, 2002, Michael had a skydiving accident, which resulted in a lower level (L1) spinal cord injury. He could have decided to hang up his athletic passions, but instead he decided to take up competitive wheelchair tennis within the same year of his accident. According to Michael, his life was definitely not over. He made a firm resolution to use his abilities to the same extent that he did prior to his injury.
Michael’s love and passion for sports never diminished. Shortly after his accident, he took up competitive wheelchair tennis, in which he trained for 3 years and ranked third in the U.S. for Men’s A division. In the last few years, Michael has added mono-skiing to his list, and became a member of the Aspen Competition Ski Team in Aspen, Colorado. Also, he became a ski racer for Challenge Aspen, which was sponsored by Challenged Athletes Foundation Operation Rebound. And just last year, Michael participated in his first LA Marathon, and finished in third place in his division. Currently, he is training again for the LA Marathon.
According to Michael, a CrossFit Trainer should be cautious when adapting the program for a person with a disability. But as all good trainers know, any program should be tailored to the individual and his or her needs. Michael’s workout includes adaptive rowing on the Concept II, Kranking on the Krankcycle, shoulder presses, and kettlebell workouts in addition to training for marathons. He believes that his focus on his core strength has helped him in competitive skiing and in everyday functional activities. 
Through his participation in various competitions and races, Michael is very thankful for his past and current sponsors. He would like to mention and highlight the CAF Operation Rebound for ski race sponsorship ski race, the Mission Continues for CrossFit certification, ski instructor certification, and fellowship with the Paralyzed Veterans of America. And lastly, Project Visibility for the training in Krankcycle and Wounded Warriors for supporting his attendance to adaptive sports clinics.
As you can see, Michael is an athlete and loves fitness, adventure, and competition. Besides the physical benefits of living an active lifestyle, he believes that participating in adaptive sports builds confidence, self-esteem, and independence. If this sounds like you, CrossFit might be your next adventure!
http://www.ncpad.org/yourwrites/fact_sheet.php?sheet=880
PVA article
An Airborne Military Intelligence Long Range Recon Team member (1990–1994), Michael Paul served with the 3rd Infantry during the first Gulf War and 101st Airborne Division after, conducting reconnaissance, surveillance, and spy missions. Fast-paced, intense, risky, and demanding, it was well-suited to his personality, he said.
Discharged from the Army in 1994 he went on to earn bachelors and master’s degrees as well as to become a certified fitness trainer and massage therapist. But the current chapter of his life will be spent serving veterans.
Michael recently completed a four-month “internship” in the Long Beach Voc Rehab office. With a master’s degree in counseling from and prior experience as an educator/instructor, career counseling was a natural fit. But when that opportunity did not arise, Michael found another, as a national service officer.
“I’ve been a member since 2003,” he said. “I’ve always been interested in advocating for veterans with spinal cord injury, mentoring, and advocating for disability rights and I found that PVA was a great resource for that.”
Michael joined PVA February 1 and is working to complete NSO candidacy training in the Los Angeles Service Office. “It’s quite a bit of information to intake at once,” he said. “I’ve been learning a lot.”
Michael’s background provides another natural fit for PVA, as he is an accomplished wheelchair athlete, who played professional wheelchair tennis for about five years, is an adaptive ski instructor, and competed on the ski team last year for Wounded Warriors. Currently, he plays on a wheelchair basketball team in , competes in handcycling and triathlons, and is a certified fitness as well as tennis instructor. He also enjoys photography and traveling.
“I’m very active, and offers a lot of opportunities. I think it’s a great chapter in my life where I’ll be able to explore as well as accomplish many things with PVA.”
Strengths Insight Guide Results
Strategic- People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed.
Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
Command- People who are especially talented in the Command theme have presence. They can take
control of a situation and make decisions.
Learner- People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want
to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome,
excites them.
Activator- People who are especially talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning
thoughts into action. They are often impatient.
Input- People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often
they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.
October 2009 Updates
Michael Paul was born in Northeast Ohio in a family that believed in serving their country. His father was a Green Beret, Special Forces for 27 years and served in Vietnam and received a Purple Heart along with many other medals for his services to his country. Michael’s mother is a nurse and is all about helping people. Michael was born with the desire to serve and the motivation to excel in whatever I did. He joined the Army before graduating from Pymatuning Valley high school knowing that he would go to war in 1990. He felt it was his duty as a US citizen growing up in a military family that had a strong belief in honor and serving.
Michael Paul was born very athletic playing almost every sport and was good at all of them. He excelled most in wrestling and martial arts and could have gone to college to play sports but choice a different route. He used his athletic abilities in the Army to secure a job working in an elite unit attached to the military intelligence as a recon soldier. He served during the Gulf War and specialized in Airborne, Air Assault, Special Ops warfare. He went to Ranger school, SERE school, Close Quarter Combat School and various other training schools that was required and suggested to be in the elite unit.
Michael Paul got out of the military once there was peace and didn’t enjoy the garrison lifestyle of the military. He decided to go to college using his GI Bill while working as a personal trainer, kickboxing instructor and later a massage therapist. He was fearless and still had the acquired desire for adrenaline from his military experiences. He continued to stay involved with friends who were still active duty in a recreational level of skydiving. However, on September 29, 2002, his life changed dramatically from a skydiving accident, which resulted in a lower level (L1) spinal cord injury. He rehabilitated himself to be able to walk, but used a wheelchair to minimize the pain and to help get around a lot faster.
Michael could have decided to hang up his athletic passions, but decided to take up competitive wheelchair tennis within the same year of his accident. He was going to use the abilities he had and live life to the fullest. He completed his Bachelors in Mass Communication with a minor in Tennis Coaching & Art from MTSU in 2006. He was apart of developing the collegiate wheelchair tennis program at MTSU. They won the Nationals 4 years in row and the program is still growing across the country giving hope to kids going to college where they can be a part of a program that offers adaptive sports and promotes wellbeing for people with disabilities.
Michael Paul was one of the first Mission Continues fellows in 2006, he taught people with disabilities to ski in Colorado with NSCD and Adaptive Adventure Veterans Program for three weeks in between semesters while in college. He has been a strong supporter since involved with fundraiser events and promoting the Mission Continues.
Michael Paul was ranked 3rd in the US for Men's A division in 2007. Competing has allowed him to travel all over the country playing tennis, basketball, and mono-skiing. He lived in Colorado as a member of the Aspen Competition Ski Team while working on his Masters degree in Human Services and Counseling, which he completed May of 2009.
He did his first Triathlon in May in Austin, Texas to raise awareness of adaptive sports with wounded veterans who are also part of the Challenged Athletes Foundation Operation Rebound. He was able to complete it and get 2nd place in his category. He is constantly training for upcoming races, basketball games and tennis matches.
Now he is helping veterans using his experiences to mentor them into the right direction for recovery from injuries and getting back to a life that they can be proud of through serving others using the talents they are blessed with. The Mission Continues has awarded him a fellowship with the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) to work with the vocational rehabilitation department in helping spinal cord injury veteran to get the training and education to gain employment after their injury. He plans on finding more fellowships for veterans while he is working in the VA in Long Beach.
Michael got CrossFit certified, with other wounded warriors at Camp Pendleton, to fitness train others with disabilities to promote exercising and fitness. This will help build confidence and motivation for them to continue with a mission in life after injuries. After completing his fellowship he plans on taking a full-time position as a counselor.
The Challenged Athletes Foundation hosts a triathlon every year and this year Michael will be joining the Operation Rebound athletes and participate in the 56 mile bike ride. This is a extremely difficult course considering the terrain in the route.
Tennis racquets on Craigslist for sale
A light and maneuverable player's racquet, the Liquidmetal Instinct combines an 11.2 ounce strung weight with a 4 points head light balance. The 100 sq. inch head size provides a stringbed that offers plenty of feel without sacrificing comfort. A good level of power is available, useful when seeking a little extra juice on serves and groundstrokes. The overall power level of the Instinct places it about midway between the power offered by the Liquidmetal Radical Midplus and Oversize. As with other racquets in the Liquidmetal line, the Instinct features Liquidmetal, Twin Tube, Total Sweetspot Construction and Intelligence technologies. Best suited to all court 4.0+ NTRP level players looking for a racquet that's as much at home at the net, as it is at the baseline.
Slightly used demo racquet is strung and will throw in the bag and a new Head grip.
Call me with questions 615-485-1113. http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/spo/1303958909.html
This demo racquet comes with an extra hand grip and the bag.
Call with any questions: 615-485-1113.
TV show opportunity presented to me, should I risk my life to do this?
NO LIMITS
“Murder Ball” meets “Eco Challenge”
When they roll past us in wheelchairs or tap along the sidewalk with sticks, most abled-bodied people have no idea
what kind of competitive fire burns inside the hearts of these disabled athletes. And even when we acknowledge
the achievements of Special- and Para-Olympians, most able-bodied people still can’t appreciate the feats of these
great warriors.
“No Limits” will take you into the wild as five teams of the most talented disabled adventure athletes in the world
are joined by one able-bodied expert each week to brave the elements, push the limits of human endurance,
confront the world’s greatest outdoor challenges and do the things you would never even try – as they compete
for a chance to split $1 million amongst themselves and the foundation of their choice.
THE TEAMS
Five teams of an equal “rating” (similar to “Murder Ball’s” wheelchair rugby ratings), will be comprised of a
paraplegic, an amputee and a blind adventure athlete - all with varying capacities and expertise. For each week’s
competition, our teams will be joined by a world-class able-bodied adventure athlete ias a guest teammate.
THE EPISODES
Each week our teams will climb treacherous peaks, traverse ominous mountain runs, negotiate thundering rapids,
grind through devastating terrain, endure grueling tundra, paddle vast bodies of water and fall from the sky,
HELI-SKIING (March)
Cordova, AK
After flying into Anchorage and boarding a fixed wing propeller plane to the tiny Alaskan fishing town of Cordova,
our teams will transport by helicopter to a mammoth slope of virgin powder - over 100 times the size of the
largest ski resorts in the continental US.
Strapping on their tracking beacons (a skiers’ only hope of survival in the common event of an avalanche in these
parts), each team will race to the bottom of an 8000 foot vertical drop over rock, ice, crevices and hidden gorges.
The run will be split into four sections: One skier will race the first section to be joined by a second teammate at
the second section and so on so that all four teammates cross the finish line together. Each team will separately
run three time-trials and the fastest time wins the competition.
ROAD BIKE RACING (March)
Death Valley, CA or HWY#1 along Big Sur, CA
You’re only as strong as your weakest link and that will certainly be true in this grueling, classic “century” ride of
100 miles through Death Valley (or along the gusty, winding coast of Big Sur).
This challenge requires great endurance and cooperation to cross the finish line together. All teams will compete
head to head. First team to cross all riders past the finish line wins.
SEA KAYAKING (March)
Lake Tahoe or N. California up the Oregon Coast
Whether negotiating the kelp-infested surgee water along the Oregon coast or kayaking through 70 miles of Lake
Tahoe, this challenge is enormously taxing on the upper body and will, again, be a test of endurance and team.
Throughout different stretches of the course, teams will be required to travel certain distances in individual kayaks
and certain distances in tandem kayaks. Factored into the teams’ strategies will be the choice to camp out and
rest, or muscle through to the finish line. First team to cross all riders past the finish line wins.
CAT SKIING (March)
Banff Lake Louise, British Columbia
British Columbia hosts some of the world’s best Cat skiing. Because it takes hours to get to their destination by
Cat, our crew will load up and brave the harsh weather at dusk. Equal in difficulty to Cordova, the added element
of danger is the presence of thick evergreens which dot the landscape, requiring a different type of focus and skill.
Again, The run will be split into four sections: One skier will race the first section to be joined by a second
teammate at the second section and so on so that all four teammates cross the finish line together. Each team will
separately run three time-trials and the fastest time wins the competition.
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING (April)
Sierra Nevada Mountains
During the winter, the passage from Lee Vining Canyon in Mono Lake to Tiago road can only be crossed by ski.
Passing Mammoth and Mona Lakes, the trek will take our teams through some of the most magnificent challenges
that nature has to offer, traversing over 50 miles through the Sierra Nevadas.
Braving the elements through a grueling and epic adventure, our competitors will cross country ski across the
Sierra Mountains, which will require great team support and toughness. Our competitors will need to carry over
100 lbs on their backs over two days, dragging bivee gear behind them on sleds as they cross a 10,000 foot pass
and endure temperatures that can plummet to -20 degrees.
Teams must reach certain checkpoints within a certain time or be penalized. Lowest combined checkpoint time
wins. Choosing where and for how long to camp will factor in to each team’s strategies.
MOUNTAIN BIKING (April)
White Rim Trail, UT or Lake Tahoe or the Santa Monica Mountains
Utah’s picturesque White Rim Trail is comprised of brutal terrain with daunting uphill climbs and reacherous
downhill scales. All teams will compete head-to-head in a mass start. First team to cross all riders past the finish
line wins. (However, we can stagger the race to create more drama if we use this is a later “catch up” episode
where teams have an opportunity to leap frog in the standings).
RIVER RAFTING / WHITE WATER KAYAKS / “RUBBER DUCKY” KAYAKS (April)
Green River, UT or The American River, CA
River “difficulties” are defined in classes which range from class I (still water) through class V (absolute danger).
Our teams will confront all 5 classes in these classic American white-water rivers.
The river will be broken up into sections, where there will be “put outs” along the course. The first and last
sections must be negotiated by the entire team on a river raft and the entire team must finish together. In
sections two and three, the team must elect a disabled teammate to travel in a hard kayak for one section and a
rubber ducky kayak for another.
All teams will compete head-to-head and the first team to cross the finish line wins.
ROCK CLIMBING (April)
Moab, UT or Yosemite or British Columbia
While Yosemite’s glacier-polished granite and difficult cracks pose different challenges than Moab’s loose rock and
weather or British Columbia’s ice mixed with granite, rock climbing requires impeccable timing, communication
and teamwork.
Each team will traverse up and down a mutli-pitch cliff as a unit. The lead climber will place the protection, the
next climber will set the ascenders, the next climber will clean the pitch by pulling out the camming devices and
the paraplegics will pull themselves up the length of the rope. Teams will be timed. Fastest time to ascend and
descend the cliff wins.
WIND SAILING (May)
Primm, NV
We are looking to design a compeition for this fun and exciting sport in which we will set up a relay race in open
playa at the California-Nevada border.
MOUNTAINEERING (May)
Mt. Adams or Mt. Lassen or Mt. Hood or Mt. Shasta
For the finale, mountaineering will require teamwork and individual achievement to win.
Each team will race head-to-head. Teams will start together, racing through the woods in snow where they will
ascend by rope. Three members will continue on to hike deeper with ice axes and cramp-ons (ice picks) on their
feet. Two team members will then rise up steeper above the treeline before one team member will ascend to the
summit of the mountain (while the other three teammates are able to watch live on monitors).
But the race is only half over, as the summiteers must rejoin their team and make it back to the start line. First
team to return to the start line wins.
Got 1st place in tennis tournament
| A Singles | back to top | |||||||||||||||||
| F | Michael Paul d. Greg Hasterok | 6-2; 6-4 | ||||||||||||||||
| SF | Michael Paul d. David Buck | Wo (inj) | ||||||||||||||||
| SF | Greg Hasterok d. (1) Tim Kelley | 7-6; 6-2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Q | David Buck d. (2) Chuck Bennett | 1-6; 6-3; 10-5
| ||||||||||||||||
I finished my 1st Beginner Triathlon
GPS Ultimate Athletics Experience
University of Arizona
Day 1 – Wednesday, May 27th
Time Event Location
4:45pm Shuttle picks-up Marriott
5:00pm Check-in and Welcome Disability Resource Center (DRC)
5:30pm Dinner- Famous Dave’s BBQ DRC B116 and courtyard, lobby
6:30pm Introduction to Wheelchair Track DRC gym
7:30pm Hand cycle tour of campus
9:30pm Shuttle picks-up DRC
Day 2 – Thursday, May 28th
Time Event Location
6:00am- 8:30am Breakfast buffet Marriott
6:00am Shuttle to DRC
6:15am Wheelchair Track practice DRC and off-campus
8:45am Shuttle to DRC
9:00am Introduction to Wheelchair Basketball Rec Center, South Gym
11:00am Break
11:30am Lunch – Jimmy John’s Sandwiches DRC B307
12:00pm Veterans-specific info on Higher Education DRC B307
· UA VETS Initiatives
· GI Bill info
· Admissions
· Financial Aid
· Pima Community College process
2:00pm Meet Congressman Raul Grijalva Rec Center
2:15pm Options:
· Basketball practice 2 Rec Center, South Gym
· Pool Rec Center
· Gym DRC
4:45pm Shuttle to Marriott
5:00pm Break
5:45pm Shuttle to dinner
6:00pm Dinner Sam Hughes Championship Dining
7:30pm Introduction to Wheelchair Tennis Robson Tennis Center
9:30pm Shuttle to Marriott
Day 3 – Friday, May 29th
Time Event Location
6:00am - 8:30am Breakfast buffet Marriott
6:00am Shuttle to DRC for Wheelchair Track
Shuttle to courts for Wheelchair Tennis
6:15am Wheelchair Track 2 practice DRC and off-campus
Wheelchair Tennis practice Robson Tennis Center
8:45am Shuttle to DRC
9:00am Wheelchair Basketball 3 Rec Center, South Gym
Quad Rugby 2
11:00am Break
11:30am Lunch – Silvermine Subs and Salad Bar DRC B307
· Meet UA President, Dr. Robert Shelton
· Keynote address: Dr. Mark Pirtle
12:30pm Health and Wellness DRC B307
· Breathing
· Qi Gong
· Accupuncture
2:00pm Options:
· Basketball practice 4 Rec Center, South Gym
· Pool Rec Center
· Gym DRC
4:45pm Shuttle to Marriott
5:00pm Break
5:30pm Dinner Marriott
7:30pm 7:30pm Go-Karts Southern Arizona Kart Club
9:30pm Shuttle to Marriott
Day 4 – Saturday, May 30th
Time Event Location
6:00am - 8:30am Breakfast buffet Marriott
6:00am Shuttle to DRC for Wheelchair Track
Shuttle to courts for Wheelchair Tennis
6:15am Wheelchair Track practice DRC and off-campus
Wheelchair Tennis practice Robson Tennis Center
8:45am Shuttle to DRC
9:00am Wheelchair Basketball Rec Center, South Gym
11:00am Break
11:30am Lunch – Baggin’s Sandwiches DRC B307
12:30pm Balance and Health
· Imagery with Dr. Peter Giacobbi
· Sleep health with Kristen Archibold
2:30pm Over the Line and Wheelchair Football DRC B307
4:45pm Shuttle to Marriott
5:00pm Break
5:45pm Shuttle to dinner
6:00pm Dinner El Parador, Laffs
9:30pm Shuttle to Marriott
Moving to Playa Vista, CA.
Fund raiser I will be speaking at.
Please join us on April 25th for our first ever Dinner Auction. The Rotary Club of Clayton-Ladue is sponsoring the auction and The Mission Continues is a beneficiary of the funds raised.
Details:
Saturday, April 25th at 6pm
Algonquin Golf Club
340 North Berry Road
Glendale, MO 63122
Individual tickets for the event are $100 and table sponsorships start at $800. We are also happy to receive any donated auction items.
To confirm your attendance or to support the event through a sponsorship or prize donation, please call or email Paul Eisenstein at (314) 588-8805 or peisenstein@missioncontinues.org.
A little bit about me
Therefore, I have been a certified personal trainer, a kickboxing instructor, a licensed massage therapist, massage therapy instructor, a yoga instructor, and a First Aid & CPR Instructor, among many other things.
However, on September 29, 2002, my life changed dramatically. I had a skydiving accident which resulted in a lower level (L1) spinal cord injury. I am able to walk, but I use a wheelchair to minimize the pain and to help me get around a lot faster.
I could have decided to hang up my athletic passions, but I decided to take up competitive wheelchair tennis. After 3 years of improving my game, I was ranked 3rd in the US for Men's A division. Competing has allowed me to travel all over the country playing tennis and, just in the last few years, monoskiing. I was living in CO as a member of the Aspen Competition Ski Team while working on my Masters degree in Human Services and Counseling; expecting to graduate in May. I completed my Bachelors in Mass Communication with a minor in Tennis Coaching & Art from MTSU in 2006.
I enjoy continually evolving on this Earth, and every day I am trying to live life to the fullest. It would be a dream come true to become a candidate for stem cell transplant. My plans are to become a life coach and possibly work at the VA as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, helping others who seek to reach their fullest potential realize...it's not your circumstances that make you great. It's what you choose to do with what you have and give it everything you've got that moves you to success. Peace, love, and happiness to you all.
