Has anyone been watching the summer Paralympics online? You can't see them on T.V, but you can see them on the Internet. Just go to www.youtube.com/ParalympicsportTV?feature=g-u-u. I haven't been watching it as much as I should be, but I hear about what's happening all the time. A man from our town, Jaye Miley is going to the paralympics to do cycling. He is a quadruple amputee, and was born without hands or feet. That doesn't stop him though. He has a custom made bike that he rides with. The handles have extensions on it for his arms to go in to keep him, balanced. He got sponsored by our local Bike Shop to go to the games. I haven't personally talked to him before, but I've seen him around town sometimes. . Shifting gears is done on the righthandle of the bike. He has more grip on that side. There are cleats strapped onto his prostestic leg that attach to the pedals. This young man has got it all figured out. Jaye shows us that you can do anything you want to, even go to the Paralympics, as long as you have the will and determination to see it through! He brings the little town of Invermere a lot of pride. Good luck Jaye. We'll be cheering for you
Yes, the Paralympics are very inspiring. It's a chance for people to overcome there obstacles, and show the world what they are made of. It's true that the Paralympics are not being broad casted on TV. It's not the ideal situation, but I can understand why there not on. The Paralympics are just starting to get popular now. They weren't heard of much before. Not a lot of people know about the Paralympics as much. I'm sure if the Para games keep going, the more and more coverage they will get. It might take a while to get there, but I'm sure the Paralympic will receive more and more coverage each time they happen. The other reason as to why there not , I think is because it takes so much money and effort is put into the Olympic and after the people that get everything ready and make sure it gets coverage must be exhausted. It would be tough for them to do it all over again. The paralympics might not be on T.V now, but are going to get there though. I'm Positive. There on youtube and our local paper. They have different stories about the Paralympics every so often. Paralympians are huge inspirations to people! They show people that they should never give up on there dreams and that anything is possible if you just believe!
In spirit of the Paralympic, I want to do a blog today about adaptive sports and all the stuff that people with diverseabilities can do the get active. It's amazing all the stuff that is coming out fir us to be able to do. People with diversabilities can basically do any sport that you can do. They just have a few adaptions. When I was growing up, I had no idea that I would become this involved in sports, and look at all the sporty stuff I can do now, or could possibly do in the future. Lots of different people with different abilities have been welcomed in to the world of sports It's just AMAZING!
Today I'm going to write about all the different sports that people with diversabilities can do. Some are going to be sports that I have done myself, and others are going to be sports that I've heard about. I've decided I'm not going to do top ten blogs anymore. I'm going to do top eight blogs. It'll be good to reduce the number a bit. My blogs were taking a long time to write. Tens to big a number. I like eight. Eight is my special number. I was born on January eight. I weighted eight pounds. Eight rhyme's with Kate. I like eight. I'll stick with eight. I probably won't write as much because I've blogged about these sports before, but I'll mention them again. That also might make the blog shorter. Alright. Here we go. Here are eight adaptive sports that open up a whole new world for people and show them that anything is possible if they just believe!
1. Sit- Skiing- I've talked lots about sit skiing. It's really gotten big for people with diversabilities. I think I've mentioned Josh Dueck before. He was the first one to do a back flip in a sit ski. That's incredible! He came to our school to talk to us about it. He is an inspiration to everybody. Sit skies were the first sitting positon skies made for people with lower physical limitations. There is the mono ski, which is is seat that only has one seat under it, and then there's a bi-ski with two skies under it. I use the bi-ski. Sit skiing has gotten pretty popular. It gives people freedom. In fact, Josh Dueck calls his sit ski the freedom chair, because it gives him the freedom to the sport he loves even with his challenges. For people who can't walk at all, it makes them feel free to be flying down the hill so fast Our ski program at Panorama has gotten huge. So many more people get the chance to ski now and enjoy our beautiful Panorama Ski Resort which is great. Grace's has started a program in Fernie. She is an official society now. I'd suggest sit skiing to anyone with a diveseability. They will have so much fun on the powder, and skiing will give them the power they never thought they had. I love skiing. I can't wait for the snow to fall again this year ,so I can hit the slopes again.
2. Rowing- I just wrote a blog about rowing. I've explained how adaptive rowing works so I won't get into that. I'm really enjoying going rowing with my friend Dave. I love being in the water. It's so peaceful. Everybody should get a chance to have fun in the water! That's what summer is all about. I am going rowing again tomorrow. I'm really getting into it. Mom looked up on the Internet if it is a Paralympic sport and it is. Mom's encouraging me to get stronger and train for the 2016 games. Ha ha. I guess I better start Practising. Brazil, here I come!
3. Curling- Wheelchair Curling was one of the sports I cover red when I was at the Vancouver 2010 games. I really got into it and thought it was something I could do. People wheel there chairs onto the ice. I think they have special wheels that help them on the ice. Anyway, they get on the ice, and they grab these long sticks they use to push the rock. I think I could do that. I might need a little help moving my manual chair, but I think I could do it. Special O wants to start doing some curling one day. That would be fun. I can be Kate the Curler
4. Basketball- I covered wheelchair basket ball at the Winter games in Kimberly, B.C. in 2007. I loved watching it. The athletes have special chairs that turn fast on the gym floor. Wheelchair Basketball is one of the most popular spectator sports at the Paralympics. You need ttwo teams to pay. There are twelve players on each team, but only five of them go on the court at a time. You are given twenty four seconds to make a goal. If you go over the time limit of time, than the other team gets the goal. You are given one one point for a free throw, 2 points if you get a goal at the 2 point field area goal., and three points if you get outside the three area. Wheelchair Basketball is broken up into four ten minute periods with a fifteen minute interval between the second and third interval and one minute between the firsts, seconds, thirds and fourths. If the game is tied, the players get an extra five minutes, so they can get a winner. These games can have as many periods as they need to break the tie. Wheelchair basketball was invented by a man called Ludwig Guttman. it was invented after World war two. Veterans that came back from war with no legs could participate in basketball. The sport has now become world wide. I might want to try wheelchair basketball. I wonder if I could use my electric chair. The coach of wheelchair basketball in Kimberly has Cerebral Palsy, so if he can do it than so can I. The possibilities are endless.
5. Horseback riding- I told you about my horseback riding adventure and how much I enjoyed it. I'm not scared anymore. Some people specialize in teaching horseback riding to people with diverseabities. It is excellent for people with Cerebral Palsy, because the heat on the horse relaxes the hamstring muscles, which are really tight for us. It's very good exercise. My uncles girlfriend, Karen showed me a picture of someone who goes competes in horseback riding in the Paralympics. She has no arms, but she mounts, grooms and rides her horse all by herself. I'm quite speechless about that! Wow! Talk about determination. If she can ride a horse, than I can too.
6. Wrestling- I was watching a show once, and there was a guy on there who had no arms or legs and was a wrestler. He is so good he can compete at the regular Olympics That is so cool! It goes to show that people with with diversabilities can kick butt to. I'm not sure about wrestling. I wonder what my parents would think of that. Hmmmm.....
7. Sailing- When I was in Hawaii on vacation, I met a guy who started up a adaptive Sailing program in Maui. His name is Jack Oppen. He has Cerebral Palsy. He was really into the program. There is also a adaptive sailing group in B.C. Sailing is one of the few sports that people with diversabilities and people without them can preticipate in together. That's important for us to be integrated with everyone else. it makes us feel like we stand out a little less. It brings everybody together. My uncle loves to go sailing and he wants me to come with him one day. Sailing just might be another thing i might have to add to my bucket list
8. Sledge Hickey- Grace covered this sport at the Paralympics. Athletes of Sledgehocky sit in sleds that look a bit like sit skies. They have two hockey sticks, one two help steer them and one to hit the puck with. These Hockey players play hard! Sledge hockey is just as rough as regular hockey. These guys get smacked up against the sides of the rink and everything. That amazed us when we watched it. Having a diversabiliity is no excuse for taking it easy for them. I'd like to be able to try sledgehockey! It be a fun game to play. I tried skating but I can't balance well on the ice, so regular hockey wouldn't be the sport for me, but with the sled, nothing is stopping me
Over the past few years, I've really been getting into sports. I think adaptive sports will be a part of my life for a long time. I think if we think about it long enough and hard enough, there can be adaptions to every sport. People with diverseabilities can do anything they put their minds to. That's why we want to change the name from disability to diverseability, because we can do everything that you can, we just do them diffrently We may do sports a bit differently,but we can do them. Like the wrestler said, "No Limits. No Excuses!"
No comments:
Post a Comment