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Challenge Magazine Summer 06
 "Perspective",
"DS/USA News",
"News Briefs",
"Names in
the News",
"Sports & Recreation",
"Athlete Profile",
"Extremity
Games 2006" ,
"Chapter News"
, "MarketPlace"
Wounded
Warrior Disabled Sports Project articles:
"Landmark
Year for Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project",
"A Heroes
Welcome in Rockaway", "Soldier
Ride Wraps Up with a Big Splash!", "First Swing
Golf Clinic"
"Team River Runner Hosts Kayaking Events for Wounded
Warriors", "Endeavor
Games Kick Off Mentoring Program"
Adaptive Skiing
Articles:
"Sitting
or Standing, It's Thumbs Up for Waterskiing", "Slalom
Skier Advises, 'You Can Do It' ", "Adaptive Waterskiing
Coaching Manual Aims for the Next Level" |
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 The
Mesa Association of Sports for the Disabled (MASD), in partnership
with the City of Mesa and Mesa Public Schools, hosted the 2006
Desert Challenge Games April 27-April 30th. Competition was
open to athletes ages six and older with a permanent physical
disability. Events including wheelchair basketball, aquatics,
track, field, archery, weightlifting, and bocce ball were held
at Mesa High School and Kino Junior High School Pool. The 2006
event opened new opportunities through free clinics including,
table tennis with local professionals Len and Matthew Winkler,
track with Wendy Gumbert of Blaze Sports of America, and cycling
with Paralympian Greg Hockensmith of Tucson.
 The
Desert Challenge Games hosted 60 registrants over the three
days and an additional 25 participants arrived for the adult
wheelchair basketball competition. Approximately 60 family
members joined the athletes and an additional 30 spectators
were at the event over the weekend. MASD thanks the 160 volunteers
that put in over 800 hours of volunteer work during the Desert
Challenge Games this year. The volunteers are a key implement
to making events like the Desert Challenge Games a success.
The 2006 Desert Challenge Games partnered with the Grand Canyon
State Games for the first time this year. Congratulations
to Adam Schmuki, who received the Grand Canyon State Games
APS Power Player Award due to his exceptional character and
sportsmanship throughout the games. Adam participated in swimming
and track events and qualified for the national tournament
in all 11 of his events. Adam attended the 2006 National Junior
Disabled Sports Championships in Tampa, Fla., in July.
Twenty-four out of the 40 athletes that participated in the
Desert Challenge Games qualified to attend the National level
event in at least one event. Six of the athletes qualified
in more than five events. Junior athletes who successfully
met the qualifying times in one or more events continued to
the 2006 National Junior Disabled Sports Championships this
July in Tampa. Adult athletes who successfully met the qualifying
times in one or more events continued to the US Paralympic
Track and Field National Championships in July in Atlanta.
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| The
National Ability Center’s Cycling Club, The NAC Wheelers,
will travel to West Yellowstone for the annual fall Old Faithful
Ride Oct. 6-8. The adaptive cyclists and their family members
and friends, along with trained Ability Center volunteers,
will take on the 30-mile ride from Old Faithful to the town
of West Yellowstone.
 Members
of all abilities can ride handcycles, adult tricycles, and
tandem bikes over the varied terrain of the park. The West
Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce hosts the annual event, and
this will be the fourth year that the National Ability Center
will bring their club. This integrated ride allows people
to shuttle from town to the geyser, and then ride back. Or,
those daring the 60-mile ride have the option of a full-day
challenge. Cyclists are treated to bison and elk as well as
breathtaking scenery. The excursion is capped off with a dinner
for all participants on Saturday night.
The National Ability Center invites anyone
to join the Cycling Club for the Yellowstone ride this fall.
All equipment, food, and transportation needs can be coordinated
through the club. For more information or to register for
the trip, phone
435-649-3991. Scholarships are available.
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Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports offers daily
programs and fantastic summer adventures – from weekend
outings for the family, to specialty sailing programs and
day camps just for kids. Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports create
and customizes outings for groups or tailored for individual
needs.
In addition to summer sailing on Lake Champlain,
daily programs include canoeing, kayaking, therapeutic horseback
riding, rock climbing, and cycling throughout Vermont. Space
is still available for many adventures.
All programs are scheduled on a reservation
basis – and Vermont’s fall foliage season is not
to be missed. Reservations are taken in advance by phone or
through the Web site. It’s not too early to make plans
for your ultimate winter getaway. For more information on
programs, calendar of events, or on making a reservation call
802-786-4991 or log on to www.vermontadaptive.org.
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IndependenceFirst and the Milwaukee
Recreation Chapter of BlazeSports America provides sports
training and competition programs for youth with physical
disabilities in Milwaukee; providing first time opportunities
for active, year-round sport. Increasing people’s awareness
of sports and fitness activities has become a partnership
effort between IndependenceFirst and Milwaukee Recreation.
Programs currently include: wheelchair basketball (competitive
and recreational), wheelchair softball, wheelchair tennis,
wheelchair street hockey, wheelchair football, wheelchair
ice-hockey, quad-rugby, power-soccer, adaptive bocce ball,
adaptive waterskiing, and adaptive snow skiing and snowboarding.
Through its training programs, annual
seminars, and instructional sports manuals, BlazeSports America
and Milwaukee Recreation are teaching community-based coaches
and recreational providers the basic elements of each of the
sports offered through the program. In weekend sport-specific
clinics, athletes and coaches alike receive a higher level
of training and/or introduction to additional sports. The
result is an ever-expanding number of adapted sports coaches
in this area who, in turn, provide opportunities for persons
with physical disabilities to participate in sports and fitness
activities.
Programs are run year-round, in the
evenings at several schools and community sites in the Milwaukee
area. For further information, contact Kathy at 414-226-8375,
or Jim at 414-647-6043, and visit the Web site at www.independencefirst.org.
IndependenceFirst, is a partner with SEWASP (Southeastern
Wisconsin Adaptive Ski Program), a chapter of DS/USA.
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|  Challenge
New Mexico announces a new Web site, www.challengenewmexico.com.
Organizations that would like to link to
it, or add it as a link, should contact Chris Werhane, executive
director, at
505-998-7621. Challenge New Mexico is located in Santa Fe.
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The Adaptive Sports Center (ASC) is a finalist for a 2006
El Pomar Award for Excellence in the Sports and Recreation
category.
El Pomar’s Awards for Excellence is a unique program
designed to recognize and reward excellent organizations that
are affecting positive changes in the state of Colorado. This
program is unique in that candidate organizations do not apply
for the awards, but are nominated and selected by a distinguished
panel of Coloradoans known as the Awards for Excellence Selection
Commission. The Selection Commission acts independently of
the Foundation to determine the three finalists and winner
in each of the 11 categories. The three finalists in each
category will be featured at this year’s ceremony to
be held on Nov. 29 at the Broadmoor International Center,
where the winners will be announced.
The winner in each category receives a $15,000 award; finalists
each receive $7,500, and The Julie and Spencer Penrose Award
is a $25,000 award given to the overall outstanding nonprofit
organization.
The Awards for Excellence program provides more than just
financial support; being selected as a finalist or winner
raises awareness of the organization throughout Colorado.
Finalists and winners are invited to an annual Awards Presentation
Banquet in November that is attended by more than 1,000 people.
A video highlighting each organization’s programs and
services is shown, allowing award recipients to showcase their
programs and staff, as well as learn about other successful
programs in Colorado. The banquet is televised on Rocky Mountain
PBS and this year will be on Sunday, April 9, at noon.
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| Challenge
• Summer 2006 • Pages 36-38 |
| Back
to Top |
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National
Ability Center Cycling Club Headed for Yellowstone