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104 Disabled Athletes Display Prowess at Exciting San Diego Triathlon
By Tina Eichner  The crisp air was filled with anticipation as
countless swimmers assembled on the beach of La Jolla Cove under a
flawless morning sky for the first portion of the 12th Annual San
Diego Triathlon October 30. The eagerly awaited event is the
primary fundraiser for the Challenged Athletes Foundation
(CAF).
Participants, relatives, and friends greeted one another with
hugs and handshakes and posed for photographs as the swimmers
stretched and donned their swim caps.
The race began in two waves: one start for the individual
participants and another for the teams. This reporter stood on the
beach in awe of it all, inspired, moved, and caught up in the
excitement. The race was a perfect first introduction to the
O&P community for this longtime technology journalist. I
learned two valuable lessons that day: that limits are only what we
place upon ourselves and to never wear shoes and socks on the beach
(a fact of which this Colorado gal was not aware).
Before the race, the 104 physically challenged athletes
participating in the event were introduced and their athletic
accomplishments announced, to the applause of hundreds of
participants and supporters. CAF also announced "Operation
Rebound," the foundation's newest program, which brought 11 wounded
soldiers from the Iraq war to La Jolla Cove to participate in the
San Diego Triathlon Challenge.
Top fundraising honors went to Dan Powell, who raised more than
$122,000, reaching a lifetime total of $309,000. Bobby Bostic
raised $82,000, for a lifetime total of $349,000; and Scott
Stackman, a first-time CAF fundraiser, rounded out the top three
with nearly $50,000 raised.
An impressive $159,000 was raised by 175 riders in the
stationary bike spinathon, The Tour de Cove, held in conjunction
with the triathlon.
The next generation of challenged athletes was well
represented, with Rudy Garcia-Tolson, Cameron Clapp, Johnny
O'Neill, Roderick Sewell, and Roy Perkins Jr. showing the way for a
fresh crop of bilateral leg amputees. Rudy even led the bilateral
"posse" on a run around the Cove area, culminating in a wild sprint
across the finish line to the resounding cheers of hundreds of
spectators.
Another buzz heard through the weekend was the opening of
Emmanuel's Gift, the award-winning documentary film about
the life and accomplishments of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, who also was
a participant in the triathlon. On Saturday afternoon Lisa Lax and
Nancy Stern were recognized for their work to bring Emmanuel's
inspiring story of triumph and courage to film. The Ghanian man,
born with a severely deformed right leg, has bicycled his way
across Ghana to change perceptions and politics about people with
disabilities.
Paralympic Committee, Otto Bock Extend Partnership
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and Otto Bock
HealthCare, based in Duderstadt, Germany, have signed a partnership
agreement making Otto Bock a Worldwide Partner of the Paralympic
Movement until the end of 2008 in the product categories of
Therapeutic Medical Devices and Rehabilitation and Mobility
Healthcare Products. IPC President Sir Philip Craven, IPC Chief
Executive Officer Xavier Gonzalez, Dr. Helmut Pfuhl, Otto Bock's
chief marketing officer/strategic business planning, and Joachim
Hamacher, Otto Bock director of corporate communication, signed the
agreement during a signing ceremony and press conference following
an IPC Governing Board meeting in Beijing, China, the week of
November 14.
Craven commented, "With this partnership, Otto Bock and the IPC
have set the direction for a joint future. Both organizations are
committed to the continued growth of the Paralympic Movement.
Athletes train for years to qualify for a competition," he added.
"Equipment problems must not stop them from reaching their goals.
Thus, the IPC and Otto Bock share a passion for excellence, as well
as the desire to support Paralympic athletes in their quest for
sporting achievement, allowing athletes to inspire and excite the
world."
Otto Bock has supported the Paralympic Movement and its athletes
with its products and services for several years.
Amputeam Basketball Raises Hurricane Relief Funds
 In the second installment of the Amputeam
Basketball Challenge, sponsored by Wright & Filippis, Rochester
Hills, Michigan, the Amputeam Spartans took on the Beaumont
Hospital All-Stars. The event was held on October 6 in Royal Oak,
Michigan, with proceeds from the joint venture to benefit the
American Red Cross in its ongoing efforts to assist hurricane
victims. The event raised $3,550 for the Red Cross.
The Amputeam Spartans is a team composed solely of
lower-extremity amputees playing full-court, five on five
basketball with no adaptations to the game. The team was put
together by Brad Shebib, MPT, Wright & Filippis' prosthetic
gait specialist, in an effort to raise awareness of amputee
abilities, foster relationships between Wright & Filippis and
local hospitals, and begin the process of creating amputee
basketball as a full-time Paralympic sport. "We were surprised to
discover that the Paralympics do not have amputee basketball as an
event, even with the popularity of wheelchair basketball," said
Shebib. "We felt this would be a wonderful opportunity to raise the
community awareness that these guys can play--and play well. It is
our goal, long-term, to create a Paralympic team for the United
States."
First Volley Clinics Added
The Orthotic and Prosthetic Assistance Fund Inc. (OPAF) has
scheduled one more First Volley clinic. First Volley is an adaptive
tennis clinic for amputees and orthotic wearers
The clinic is scheduled for Saturday, March 25, 2006, at 5 PM at
Bucks County Racquet Club in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania.
There will be an introduction of participants, group and
one-on-one instruction, and free time to play.
Pre-registration is encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. The
clinics are free of charge to participants and their families.
The First Volley program was launched last August and was the
brainchild of Robin Burton, OPAF executive director, and Darren
Kindred. "We can envision First Volley growing very rapidly to a
national level, as there is a need for excellent adaptive
tennis instruction and a desire by the
O&P community for these kinds of opportunities," said
Burton.
For details contact Burton at rlb@opfund.org or 215.752.5756.
The Mutual Amputee Aid Foundation (MAAF), Redondo Beach,
California, announced its own plans to start up a First Volley
program in southern California in January. The southern California
effort is being organized by MAAF member Phil Tamoush. He can be
reached via e-mail at philip@tamoush.com or by calling
310.540.3921.
Australian Amputee Hockey Players Begin Training
 Amputee standing ice hockey has come "Down Under."
Several players have started training together in Lilydale,
Australia.
The players received the opportunity in November, due to the
collaborative efforts of Ben Cridland, Queensland, Australia, and
Ren Gallet, Victoria, Australia, under the guidance of Mark Pitkin,
PhD, president of the International Standing Ice Hockey Federation
(ISIHF), and Don Wade, chairman of the Canadian Amputee Hockey
Committee (CAHC).
Cridland and Gallet were able to organize rink time, arrange
equipment for another player, and gain access to the coaching staff
of the Lilydale Rats hockey club, Pitkin said.
With more than 20 years of experience between Cridland and
Gallet, Nic Burton, a newcomer to the sport, had plenty of support
for his first full training session. After a full hour of
line-to-line skating, basic horseshoe drills, and puck handling
exercises, Burton was ready for a four-on-four game of shinny.
"Nic was impressive with how quickly he was picking up skills
that would make him the future of Australian Amputee Ice Hockey,"
said Cridland.
With Tim Davies set to join the team as goaltender for the next
training session in December, the Australian Amputee Ice Hockey
Team is on its way to being competitive on the international stage,
according to Pitkin. Davies previously represented Victoria as a
goaltender. Standing Amputee Hockey has been approved and
sanctioned by the Federated Body for Australian Ice Hockey--Ice
Hockey Australia.
For more information, visit www.iha.org.au
Table Of Contents - January 2006
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