Hi All,
As I sit in my dorm room and type on my computer for the final time this semester, I would like to take a few moments to reflect on the past academic year. I just completed my freshman year of college, two semesters that seemed to fly by, and experienced a great deal of new and exciting things.
I learned a lot, made a lot of new friends, went to a great deal of Penn State football games (including when I flew out to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl), saw the Penn State Men’s Basketball team win on numerous come from behind occasions and buzzer beaters, went to Madison Square Garden (twice) to see Penn State be crowned champions of the National Invitational Tournament, participated in the largest student run philanthropic effort in the world (THON – a 46 hour straight no sitting, no sleeping dance marathon which raised $7.49 million for pediatric cancer research), saw Sarah Palin speak, shook Bill Clinton’s hand, listened to Madeline Albright, started throwing in field events, competed in field events in Myrtle Beach (and will compete in Oklahoma in June in field events and handcycling), played Wheelchair Basketball on a team for the first time, and improved my skiing greatly.
That is a great way to live life – take the lemons that life gives you and make some delicious lemonade. I would have never done a quarter of the aforementioned things had I not followed the above philosophy.
I think I took advantage of almost everything college could throw my way. I hope that I have half of the great opportunities again when I return to Happy Valley in the fall.
College is truly a great thing – not just for the academics, but for all the opportunities and challenges it presents you with. It prepares you for the game of life.
I challenge all of you to take advantage of the opportunities that life throws your way and see how far you can go.
- Tracker
---------------------------------------------
“Many of life’s failures are people who had not realized how close they were to success when they gave up.” - Thomas A Edison
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Quick Update
Hi All,
It has been steamy out here in Happy Valley over the past few days! I am very happy that my dorm is one of the few that has air conditioning!
This weekend, we had our annual Blue & White Weekend where the athletic department hosted a carnival, football scrimmage, and other events. It was a great weekend and very nice to walk into Beaver Stadium for the first time this semester.
I found out that I got 1st Place in the discus and javelin and 2nd Place in the shot put down at Myrtle Beach. I am very satisfied with that as I was not expecting to place at all!
I also found out that I am going to the Endeavor Games in Oklahoma in June for field events as well as a handcycling race! I am looking forward to that!
Finals week is next week here at Penn State, so we are all starting to buckle down and start studying for our many exams! I have two final exams in class on Thursday and Friday, one exam on Monday, and an exam on Tuesday. I hope I do well!
I also have a home field meet on Tuesday after my exam, so after that meet I will officially be a sophomore! It is hard to believe that a quarter of my college career is over. It seems like just yesterday that I decided I was attending Penn State! It is amazing how fast time flies when you are having fun!
I will update you after finals week!
- Tracker
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" You must motivate yourself EVERYDAY!" - Matthew Stasior
It has been steamy out here in Happy Valley over the past few days! I am very happy that my dorm is one of the few that has air conditioning!
This weekend, we had our annual Blue & White Weekend where the athletic department hosted a carnival, football scrimmage, and other events. It was a great weekend and very nice to walk into Beaver Stadium for the first time this semester.
I found out that I got 1st Place in the discus and javelin and 2nd Place in the shot put down at Myrtle Beach. I am very satisfied with that as I was not expecting to place at all!
I also found out that I am going to the Endeavor Games in Oklahoma in June for field events as well as a handcycling race! I am looking forward to that!
Finals week is next week here at Penn State, so we are all starting to buckle down and start studying for our many exams! I have two final exams in class on Thursday and Friday, one exam on Monday, and an exam on Tuesday. I hope I do well!
I also have a home field meet on Tuesday after my exam, so after that meet I will officially be a sophomore! It is hard to believe that a quarter of my college career is over. It seems like just yesterday that I decided I was attending Penn State! It is amazing how fast time flies when you are having fun!
I will update you after finals week!
- Tracker
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" You must motivate yourself EVERYDAY!" - Matthew Stasior
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Southeast Wheelchair Games: Day 3
Hi All,
I am back in Happy Valley this morning after a long drive back from Myrtle Beach. We all had a great time and Maggie won all of her heats easily yesterday.
I made a short video of our competition from all the pictures I took and posted it below:
I hope you all have a great week and will post soon!
- Tracker
----------------------------------------------
"Commitment leads to action. Action brings your dream closer." - Marcia Wieder
I am back in Happy Valley this morning after a long drive back from Myrtle Beach. We all had a great time and Maggie won all of her heats easily yesterday.
I made a short video of our competition from all the pictures I took and posted it below:
I hope you all have a great week and will post soon!
- Tracker
----------------------------------------------
"Commitment leads to action. Action brings your dream closer." - Marcia Wieder
Friday, April 17, 2009
Southeast Wheelchair Games: Day 2
Hi All,
Tonight is our last night before we leave Myrtle Beach. We had a great time at our competitions today and I met a lot of really cool people. Before I tell you about the people I met, I'll tell you how our team did.
I threw the shotput, javelin, and discus today. Because I was expecting to be in a lower class, 32 (not 57), I was forced to throw a shotput that was one kilogram heavier than what I was practicing with. (A 4K instead of a 3K). Despite that setback, my best mark was only .08 meters off from my average 3K mark. My mark for that was 3.84 meters. All things considered, I have to be satisfied with that!
Our javelin that we were practicing with was an old model and was deemed "illegal" because the balance point was too far back. It was not my best javelin day, but I managed a mark around 11 meters.
I probably threw the discus farther than I ever have before - it was a good time to peak! My best discus throw was around 11 and a half meters!
My two teammates that threw, Rohan and Jake, all did very well. Both of them should medal in their respective categories! The more exciting thing for both of them today was the powerlifting competition. Jake's best was 315 pounds (a US Record for his weight class) and Rohan set the American Record (North and South America) with a lift of 350 pounds!
Tomorrow, Maggie will race in a series of track heats and she are already pumped for that.
I met a lot of cool people today like Scott Winkler, one of the Paralympic Athletes that was injured in Iraq who competes in shotput and discus. Scott has a great sense of humor and truly enjoys life! He gave us pointers on how to improve our throwing and hung out with us for the whole day. We also met a Paralympic athlete named Orlando Perez, a Puerto Rican Wheelchair Basketball player, who had a great time. He was enjoying everything and tried throwing everything and powerlifting for he first time just for the fun of it! I also had dinner with Lance Landback, the two time gold medal Paralympic swimmer. He was pretty cool, too.
One of the many things I love about the Paralympics is the unity it has among all athletes - it does not matter how good you are, the Paralympic athletes want to mentor you to your own definition of success. We would not have athletes like Scott Winkler, Orlando Perez, Lance Landback, or Maggie Redden (one of the Penn State athletes) come to an event like this if we were able bodied. They would be too busy training for their own, higher level meets instead of coming out to give us a hand.
Tonight, we had dinner with Orlando, Lance, and a few people that we had never met before. We talked about everything from track and field to skiing to how bad the karaoke singing in the restaurant was. It was a great experience!
I will upload pictures tomorrow and update you on how Maggie does!
- Tracker
--------------------------------------
"It's not what you can't do....it's what you CAN do!" - Anonymous
Tonight is our last night before we leave Myrtle Beach. We had a great time at our competitions today and I met a lot of really cool people. Before I tell you about the people I met, I'll tell you how our team did.
I threw the shotput, javelin, and discus today. Because I was expecting to be in a lower class, 32 (not 57), I was forced to throw a shotput that was one kilogram heavier than what I was practicing with. (A 4K instead of a 3K). Despite that setback, my best mark was only .08 meters off from my average 3K mark. My mark for that was 3.84 meters. All things considered, I have to be satisfied with that!
Our javelin that we were practicing with was an old model and was deemed "illegal" because the balance point was too far back. It was not my best javelin day, but I managed a mark around 11 meters.
I probably threw the discus farther than I ever have before - it was a good time to peak! My best discus throw was around 11 and a half meters!
My two teammates that threw, Rohan and Jake, all did very well. Both of them should medal in their respective categories! The more exciting thing for both of them today was the powerlifting competition. Jake's best was 315 pounds (a US Record for his weight class) and Rohan set the American Record (North and South America) with a lift of 350 pounds!
Tomorrow, Maggie will race in a series of track heats and she are already pumped for that.
I met a lot of cool people today like Scott Winkler, one of the Paralympic Athletes that was injured in Iraq who competes in shotput and discus. Scott has a great sense of humor and truly enjoys life! He gave us pointers on how to improve our throwing and hung out with us for the whole day. We also met a Paralympic athlete named Orlando Perez, a Puerto Rican Wheelchair Basketball player, who had a great time. He was enjoying everything and tried throwing everything and powerlifting for he first time just for the fun of it! I also had dinner with Lance Landback, the two time gold medal Paralympic swimmer. He was pretty cool, too.
One of the many things I love about the Paralympics is the unity it has among all athletes - it does not matter how good you are, the Paralympic athletes want to mentor you to your own definition of success. We would not have athletes like Scott Winkler, Orlando Perez, Lance Landback, or Maggie Redden (one of the Penn State athletes) come to an event like this if we were able bodied. They would be too busy training for their own, higher level meets instead of coming out to give us a hand.
Tonight, we had dinner with Orlando, Lance, and a few people that we had never met before. We talked about everything from track and field to skiing to how bad the karaoke singing in the restaurant was. It was a great experience!
I will upload pictures tomorrow and update you on how Maggie does!
- Tracker
--------------------------------------
"It's not what you can't do....it's what you CAN do!" - Anonymous
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Southeast Wheelchair Games: Day 1
Hi All,
I am writing from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in the Penn State Ability Athletic Team's suite on the 18th floor of a hotel on the beach with a balcony that has a view of the vast Atlantic Ocean.
This is my first time traveling on a trip to a competition and staying overnight and I must say that it is a great experience. We left Happy Valley yesterday at around 4:00 PM and drove a little less than half way before we stopped in Richmond, VA for a bit of a rest. This morning, we drove the final five and a half hours before arriving at Myrtle Beach. It was a very tight squeeze in the van as we had five people, five suitcases, a few backpacks, two wheelchairs, two throwing chairs, and a racing wheelchair.
When I got here, we registered for the competition right away and myself and another new athlete, Jake, had to be classified. Jake's classification was pretty cut and dry because his is an above the knee amputee without any other complications and he was very happy with his classification.
I was classified in a much higher category than I expected (about 15 to 20 classes higher) and tried to appeal it. When I went back down tonight, they were able to move me down one level. They said that my disability, Arthrogryposis, has symtoms that are all over the place and I was very hard to classify. This means that I will have to throw a heavier shotput than I was practicing with and that I will have much stiffer competition than I would have had if I got into the lower class.
Tomorrow, we have our throwing competition at 9:00 AM at a local high school. Myself, Jake, and a double amputee, Rohan, are throwing the javelin, shotput, and discus. Then, tomorrow night Jake and Rohan have a powerlifting competition. On Saturday morning, our final athlete, Maggie, has a series of wheelchair races to participate in.
I will update my blog tomorrow night to let you all know how we do representing the Nittany Lions!
- Tracker
---------------------------------------------------
"We all have our own little quirks. Some of our quirks are just more visible than others." - Anonymous
I am writing from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in the Penn State Ability Athletic Team's suite on the 18th floor of a hotel on the beach with a balcony that has a view of the vast Atlantic Ocean.
This is my first time traveling on a trip to a competition and staying overnight and I must say that it is a great experience. We left Happy Valley yesterday at around 4:00 PM and drove a little less than half way before we stopped in Richmond, VA for a bit of a rest. This morning, we drove the final five and a half hours before arriving at Myrtle Beach. It was a very tight squeeze in the van as we had five people, five suitcases, a few backpacks, two wheelchairs, two throwing chairs, and a racing wheelchair.
When I got here, we registered for the competition right away and myself and another new athlete, Jake, had to be classified. Jake's classification was pretty cut and dry because his is an above the knee amputee without any other complications and he was very happy with his classification.
I was classified in a much higher category than I expected (about 15 to 20 classes higher) and tried to appeal it. When I went back down tonight, they were able to move me down one level. They said that my disability, Arthrogryposis, has symtoms that are all over the place and I was very hard to classify. This means that I will have to throw a heavier shotput than I was practicing with and that I will have much stiffer competition than I would have had if I got into the lower class.
Tomorrow, we have our throwing competition at 9:00 AM at a local high school. Myself, Jake, and a double amputee, Rohan, are throwing the javelin, shotput, and discus. Then, tomorrow night Jake and Rohan have a powerlifting competition. On Saturday morning, our final athlete, Maggie, has a series of wheelchair races to participate in.
I will update my blog tomorrow night to let you all know how we do representing the Nittany Lions!
- Tracker
---------------------------------------------------
"We all have our own little quirks. Some of our quirks are just more visible than others." - Anonymous
Friday, April 10, 2009
My First Track and Field Meet
Hi All,
I am very excited. On Wednesday afternoon, the Penn State Ability Athletics team departs from Happy Valley on a 12 hour drive to Myrtle Beach. This is our biggest meet of the year and I can't wait to get down there.
I will be throwing the javelin, shotput, and discus for this meet. Some of our athletes will be wheelchair racing and weight lifting as well. It should be a fun time had by all!
I will update you when I get back!
Happy Easter and Passover!
- Tracker
---------------------------------------
"Just do it!" - Nike
I am very excited. On Wednesday afternoon, the Penn State Ability Athletics team departs from Happy Valley on a 12 hour drive to Myrtle Beach. This is our biggest meet of the year and I can't wait to get down there.
I will be throwing the javelin, shotput, and discus for this meet. Some of our athletes will be wheelchair racing and weight lifting as well. It should be a fun time had by all!
I will update you when I get back!
Happy Easter and Passover!
- Tracker
---------------------------------------
"Just do it!" - Nike
Sunday, April 5, 2009
WE ARE....NIT CHAMPS!
Hi All,
What a week here in Happy Valley. The Penn State Men's Basketball Team won the first championship of a national tournament in program history. While it was not the NCAA, the NIT still gives students a team to rally behind.
On Tuesday, our team headed to Madison Square Garden to play Notre Dame. Over sixteen busloads of students (myself included) made the five hour voyage from State College to New York City to watch Penn State beat the Irish! We were all excited after we won!
On Thursday, our competition was a bit stiffer. Over 36 busloads of students (myself included again) made the trip to Madison Square Garden to watch Penn State knock off Baylor in a come from behind 69-63 victory to win the NIT Championship! It was such a great experience to watch my team hoist a trophy and cut down the nets in the mecca of all sports, Madison Square Garden!
On top of that, the #40 recruited player for 2010, Taran Buie, brother of our co-captain, Taylor Battle, committed to Penn State after we clinched the NIT championship! We are so excited for what our program may become - Penn State will always be a football school, but basketball is definitely on the rise!
As far as my life is going, I am in the middle of the final stretch of tests before a break before finals week. I have been averaging three to four tests a week and can't wait for the summer to have the burden of school lifted off of my shoulders. College is fun, but is also a lot of work. It is all about maintaining that balance of work and fun - I had my fun last week with Penn State winning the NIT and now it is time to start buckling down for the home stretch of my freshman year!
- Tracker
------------------------------------------------------------
"Numbers, you can beat numbers sometimes. Records can be broken, but legacies, they live forever, and that's what I want to leave with." -- Jamelle Cornley (Penn State Forward; Senior)
What a week here in Happy Valley. The Penn State Men's Basketball Team won the first championship of a national tournament in program history. While it was not the NCAA, the NIT still gives students a team to rally behind.
On Tuesday, our team headed to Madison Square Garden to play Notre Dame. Over sixteen busloads of students (myself included) made the five hour voyage from State College to New York City to watch Penn State beat the Irish! We were all excited after we won!
On Thursday, our competition was a bit stiffer. Over 36 busloads of students (myself included again) made the trip to Madison Square Garden to watch Penn State knock off Baylor in a come from behind 69-63 victory to win the NIT Championship! It was such a great experience to watch my team hoist a trophy and cut down the nets in the mecca of all sports, Madison Square Garden!
On top of that, the #40 recruited player for 2010, Taran Buie, brother of our co-captain, Taylor Battle, committed to Penn State after we clinched the NIT championship! We are so excited for what our program may become - Penn State will always be a football school, but basketball is definitely on the rise!
As far as my life is going, I am in the middle of the final stretch of tests before a break before finals week. I have been averaging three to four tests a week and can't wait for the summer to have the burden of school lifted off of my shoulders. College is fun, but is also a lot of work. It is all about maintaining that balance of work and fun - I had my fun last week with Penn State winning the NIT and now it is time to start buckling down for the home stretch of my freshman year!
- Tracker
------------------------------------------------------------
"Numbers, you can beat numbers sometimes. Records can be broken, but legacies, they live forever, and that's what I want to leave with." -- Jamelle Cornley (Penn State Forward; Senior)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Madison Square Garden...Here We Come!
Hi All,
Just a quick post to let you know that Penn State advanced to the semifinals of the NIT and earned a ticket to Madison Square Garden. We are going crazy here on campus and some of us are making plans to go to the Garden to watch the festivities on next Tuesday night. One of those people is me - I can't wait to see us get announced!
We play the winner of the Kentucky v. Notre Dame game which tips off tomorrow night at 7:00 PM on ESPN 2.
Other than that, life in Happy Valley has been pretty subdued. We are experiencing an early Spring cold spell and are looking forward to warmer weather. I have my first track and field meet on Thursday (it was supposed to be Saturday, but got cancelled due to an expected rain storm).
- Tracker
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"Success doesn't come to you…you go to it."- Marva Collins
Just a quick post to let you know that Penn State advanced to the semifinals of the NIT and earned a ticket to Madison Square Garden. We are going crazy here on campus and some of us are making plans to go to the Garden to watch the festivities on next Tuesday night. One of those people is me - I can't wait to see us get announced!
We play the winner of the Kentucky v. Notre Dame game which tips off tomorrow night at 7:00 PM on ESPN 2.
Other than that, life in Happy Valley has been pretty subdued. We are experiencing an early Spring cold spell and are looking forward to warmer weather. I have my first track and field meet on Thursday (it was supposed to be Saturday, but got cancelled due to an expected rain storm).
- Tracker
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"Success doesn't come to you…you go to it."- Marva Collins
Friday, March 20, 2009
Hartman Race
Hi All,
This past Saturday the Adaptive Sports Foundation hosted the annual Ralph Hartman Tribute Race. It was a great event and fun was had by all! I saw the best conditions that I have ever seen for a Hartman Race and it really allowed everybody to showcase the improvements they made over the course of the season! I finished with a silver medal and am already looking forward to next season!
I am now back in Happy Valley after my Spring Break, so I've been very busy with work as I had to give a speech on Tuesday and a big test on Thursday. Now that the week is over, I can breathe a bit easier and look forward to the weekend.
Unfortunately, the Penn State Men's Basketball Team got robbed of an NCAA berth and wound up with a #2 seed in the NIT as our consolation prize. Some students are extremely disappointed, but I have chosen to move on and enjoy the fact that we have a postseason. Also, a huge plus to being in the NIT instead of the NCAA is the opportunity for home games.
Since we were the #2 seed, we played George Mason at home on Tuesday. George Mason was a #7 seed that gave us a run for our money! We almost lost and, as a matter of fact, trailed for the majority of the second half. With 4.8 seconds left and George Mason up by one, we fouled one of their players who made both of his free throws. Down by three, our star player, Taylor Battle, got the ball and ran down the court and released the ball with under a second left from beyond the arc. The ball went in and the game was sent into overtime! We wound up winning that game and moving on to the second round! It was a great game to be at!
The second game was held last night (Thursday) and was against Rhode Island, a #6 seed that we lost to earlier in the season. Many people blame our loss to Rhode Island as one of the many reasons that we did not get an NCAA berth. The game was marketed as "REVENGE" and it was revenge that we got! We never trailed in the game and won by 11 with a final score of 83-72. We thought it would be a bit closer as one of our captains did not play as he injured his shoulder. Our underclassmen stepped up and the game was a pleasure to watch! I had great seats for the game as I was in the first row of the student section at center court. I was literally right between the two TV announcers and was on TV for the pregame and halftime talks. It was so cool!
We play the winner of Florida and Miami (a game that is on ESPN U at 7:00 PM tonight). Ideally, we want Miami to win because Florida is the #1 seed which would mean we would have to travel. If Miami wins, we get one more home game this season. If we win our next game (whether it be home or away) we are in the final four and play at the Madison Square Garden!
As you can see, ski season may be over, but I am still extremely busy between schoolwork and sporting events! I am already looking forward to ski season next year, but am kind of excited for the warmer weather and baseball season.
I hope everyone had as great of a season as I did!
- Tracker
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"No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow." - Proverb
This past Saturday the Adaptive Sports Foundation hosted the annual Ralph Hartman Tribute Race. It was a great event and fun was had by all! I saw the best conditions that I have ever seen for a Hartman Race and it really allowed everybody to showcase the improvements they made over the course of the season! I finished with a silver medal and am already looking forward to next season!
I am now back in Happy Valley after my Spring Break, so I've been very busy with work as I had to give a speech on Tuesday and a big test on Thursday. Now that the week is over, I can breathe a bit easier and look forward to the weekend.
Unfortunately, the Penn State Men's Basketball Team got robbed of an NCAA berth and wound up with a #2 seed in the NIT as our consolation prize. Some students are extremely disappointed, but I have chosen to move on and enjoy the fact that we have a postseason. Also, a huge plus to being in the NIT instead of the NCAA is the opportunity for home games.
Since we were the #2 seed, we played George Mason at home on Tuesday. George Mason was a #7 seed that gave us a run for our money! We almost lost and, as a matter of fact, trailed for the majority of the second half. With 4.8 seconds left and George Mason up by one, we fouled one of their players who made both of his free throws. Down by three, our star player, Taylor Battle, got the ball and ran down the court and released the ball with under a second left from beyond the arc. The ball went in and the game was sent into overtime! We wound up winning that game and moving on to the second round! It was a great game to be at!
The second game was held last night (Thursday) and was against Rhode Island, a #6 seed that we lost to earlier in the season. Many people blame our loss to Rhode Island as one of the many reasons that we did not get an NCAA berth. The game was marketed as "REVENGE" and it was revenge that we got! We never trailed in the game and won by 11 with a final score of 83-72. We thought it would be a bit closer as one of our captains did not play as he injured his shoulder. Our underclassmen stepped up and the game was a pleasure to watch! I had great seats for the game as I was in the first row of the student section at center court. I was literally right between the two TV announcers and was on TV for the pregame and halftime talks. It was so cool!
We play the winner of Florida and Miami (a game that is on ESPN U at 7:00 PM tonight). Ideally, we want Miami to win because Florida is the #1 seed which would mean we would have to travel. If Miami wins, we get one more home game this season. If we win our next game (whether it be home or away) we are in the final four and play at the Madison Square Garden!
As you can see, ski season may be over, but I am still extremely busy between schoolwork and sporting events! I am already looking forward to ski season next year, but am kind of excited for the warmer weather and baseball season.
I hope everyone had as great of a season as I did!
- Tracker
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"No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow." - Proverb
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Back to Back Races
Hi All,
I have my Spring Break this week - smack dab between two of the ASF Race Team's races. Unfortunately for me, it actually feels like Spring out there and not Winter. The snow is really starting to melt away which makes it very difficult for those of us with outriggers to ski in because it is so thick. Oh well - snow is snow (even if it is melting)!
This past Saturday we had our Michael Gray Memorial Race which is in memory of a Windham Mountain Instructor who passed away a few years ago. While the conditions were variable, the race team made the best of it and we enjoyed our second to last race of the season.
I won the silver medal and ASF Race Team newcomer, Jake Cassidy, won the gold medal in the Physically Disabled category. My father made his racing debut and came up with a lightening fast time of just over 40 seconds. It was certainly a great time had by all!
Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to ski on Sunday because I caught a nasty bug that forced me under the covers for 21 hours straight!
This coming Saturday is the big Ralph Hartman Tribute Race and Pasta Dinner. Over 80 disabled racers usually compete in the race which is for everyone from beginners to experts! I can't wait for this race because it truly represents what the Adaptive Sports Foundation is all about and embraces the DSUSA motto, "If I can do this, I can do anything!"
I will update my blog again after my last tracks of the season, so have a great week!
- Tracker
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"You carry on no matter what are the obstacles. You simply refuse to give up - and, when the going gets tough, you get tougher. And, you win." - Vince Lombardi
I have my Spring Break this week - smack dab between two of the ASF Race Team's races. Unfortunately for me, it actually feels like Spring out there and not Winter. The snow is really starting to melt away which makes it very difficult for those of us with outriggers to ski in because it is so thick. Oh well - snow is snow (even if it is melting)!
This past Saturday we had our Michael Gray Memorial Race which is in memory of a Windham Mountain Instructor who passed away a few years ago. While the conditions were variable, the race team made the best of it and we enjoyed our second to last race of the season.
I won the silver medal and ASF Race Team newcomer, Jake Cassidy, won the gold medal in the Physically Disabled category. My father made his racing debut and came up with a lightening fast time of just over 40 seconds. It was certainly a great time had by all!
Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to ski on Sunday because I caught a nasty bug that forced me under the covers for 21 hours straight!
This coming Saturday is the big Ralph Hartman Tribute Race and Pasta Dinner. Over 80 disabled racers usually compete in the race which is for everyone from beginners to experts! I can't wait for this race because it truly represents what the Adaptive Sports Foundation is all about and embraces the DSUSA motto, "If I can do this, I can do anything!"
I will update my blog again after my last tracks of the season, so have a great week!
- Tracker
---------------------------------------------------------
"You carry on no matter what are the obstacles. You simply refuse to give up - and, when the going gets tough, you get tougher. And, you win." - Vince Lombardi
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Let It Snow!
Hi All,
Just a quick update to tell you about my weekend skiing on the snow (or ice, depending on how you look at it). The rain from last week took a lot of the snow that Windham had and turned it into ice, but anytime you can go skiing is a great time!
I realized how spoiled we were throughout this season when I went to put my skis on outside of the ASF deck on Saturday and stepped onto a complete sheet of ice. That was not going to stop anybody from taking in some of the final tracks of the season, though, and everyone cautiously ventured off the deck onto the ice to pop into their bindings.
We spent the entire weekend getting used to the icy conditions that we were skiing on, but by the Sunday afternoon the race team was back to normal and having a great time! Over the course of the weekend, we practiced turning on glare ice on Wonderama and ventured onto some of the steeper terrain like Whistler (some of the race team members even did Upper Wolverine)!
On Sunday morning, the head coach of the race team, Mary Bozzone, and I were filmed for a special suprise! Keep your eye out over the next few months to see if anything new pops up onto the website! Speaking about suprises, the entire race team is beginning to prepare a few suprises for spectators the weekend of the Hartman Race! It will be very cool!
We have our second to last race on Saturday afternoon, the Michael Gray Memorial Race, and all proceeds go directly to the Adaptive Sports Foundation. The race is open to the public, so if you want to race in it you can download the registration form on ASF's Website!
Apparently, Mother Nature rewarded Windham once again as over 6" of powder were dumped on the mountain on Sunday night! I have my Spring Break next week and can't wait to hit the slopes once again!
Until then, let it snow!
- Tracker
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"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." - Thomas Jefferson
Just a quick update to tell you about my weekend skiing on the snow (or ice, depending on how you look at it). The rain from last week took a lot of the snow that Windham had and turned it into ice, but anytime you can go skiing is a great time!
I realized how spoiled we were throughout this season when I went to put my skis on outside of the ASF deck on Saturday and stepped onto a complete sheet of ice. That was not going to stop anybody from taking in some of the final tracks of the season, though, and everyone cautiously ventured off the deck onto the ice to pop into their bindings.
We spent the entire weekend getting used to the icy conditions that we were skiing on, but by the Sunday afternoon the race team was back to normal and having a great time! Over the course of the weekend, we practiced turning on glare ice on Wonderama and ventured onto some of the steeper terrain like Whistler (some of the race team members even did Upper Wolverine)!
On Sunday morning, the head coach of the race team, Mary Bozzone, and I were filmed for a special suprise! Keep your eye out over the next few months to see if anything new pops up onto the website! Speaking about suprises, the entire race team is beginning to prepare a few suprises for spectators the weekend of the Hartman Race! It will be very cool!
We have our second to last race on Saturday afternoon, the Michael Gray Memorial Race, and all proceeds go directly to the Adaptive Sports Foundation. The race is open to the public, so if you want to race in it you can download the registration form on ASF's Website!
Apparently, Mother Nature rewarded Windham once again as over 6" of powder were dumped on the mountain on Sunday night! I have my Spring Break next week and can't wait to hit the slopes once again!
Until then, let it snow!
- Tracker
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"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." - Thomas Jefferson
Sunday, February 22, 2009
THON 2009
Hi All,
$7,490,133.87.
I have never been so proud as I am right now to be a student at Pennyslvania State University. No. It is not because we are Big Ten Football Champs, the best volleyball school in the nation, or because it is a good academic institution. I am proud because of that number. $7,490,133.87. That is how much money we raised this year for Pediatric Cancer at Penn State in our annual event, THON. A 46 hour straight, no sit, no sleeping dance marathon, 708 students vowed to give up their pillows for two days to help fight off cancer and save the lives of many children. I was one of over 15,000 student volunteers that helped with the event, I was a member of the finance committee. It was our job to count all $7,490,133.87 that was donated to us this year!
All of that money is donated to an organization affiliated with the Hershey Medical Center. The organization's name is the Four Diamonds Fund, a fund that was started over 30 years ago by a father who lost his son, Chris Millard, to cancer. The name, Four Diamonds, comes from a story that his son wrote during his battle with cancer about a knight named Sir Millard whose quest is to find the four diamonds of courage, honesty, strength, and wisdom. The four adjectives were what Chris felt were essential in battling cancer.
THON is an event that I will definitely remember. My committee has been at work for a few months waiting for this weekend to come and now it is over.
This weekend, my committee was on the floor where the dancers were for two four hour shifts. During this time, we met some of the dancers and motivated them to keep standing as well as some of the kids whose lives we helped save. It is truly one of the most memorable, humbling experiences of my life. We had the chance to have water gun fights and bounce a ball around with some of the kids!
Today, I was one of two people out of my 30 person committee that received the "incentive shift" for the final four hours of THON for working extremely hard throughout the year. This is the part that I will remember most about this weekend. For the final few hours, all 220 families in attendance that we "adopt"were introduced and invited on stage. Then, three of the families shared the stories of their child's battle with cancer. They were all very sad, yet uplifting as all the families had recently been told by their doctors that their child was "cancer free!"
After a few more hours, the grand total was announced. We were all expecting it to go down from the $6.6 million we raised last year due to the poor economic conditions. The entire crowd of over 18,000 roared when the final digit, a 7, was held up symbolizing the $7 million mark! It was amazing! When all was finished, we raised a grand total of $7,490,133.87 this year!
From now on, when I hear someone say that one person can't make a difference, I will turn to that person and say Chris Millard did. Chris Millard inspired his father to start a charity in his memory. Chris Millard inspires all 708 dancers to stand for 46 straight hours without sleeping! Chris Millard is just one person, but he made a HUGE difference in the lives of many over the past 30+ years. The fact of the matter is that we all can make a difference - each one of us that helped THON in one way or another significantly impacted a child's life for the better, by helping them beat cancer!
I would like to end with something that is very dear to all involved with THON. Instead of saying "Sincerely" or "Regards" at the end of a letter, we end with something a bit different, a battle cry that we use throughout the year at different events. FTK (For the Kids).
Always FTK,
Tracker
You can find more information on THON by going to www.THON.org
You can see some of the pictures that I took at THON this weekend by Clicking Here
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"One day, we will dance to celebrate!" - a sign I saw at THON this weekend
$7,490,133.87.
I have never been so proud as I am right now to be a student at Pennyslvania State University. No. It is not because we are Big Ten Football Champs, the best volleyball school in the nation, or because it is a good academic institution. I am proud because of that number. $7,490,133.87. That is how much money we raised this year for Pediatric Cancer at Penn State in our annual event, THON. A 46 hour straight, no sit, no sleeping dance marathon, 708 students vowed to give up their pillows for two days to help fight off cancer and save the lives of many children. I was one of over 15,000 student volunteers that helped with the event, I was a member of the finance committee. It was our job to count all $7,490,133.87 that was donated to us this year!
All of that money is donated to an organization affiliated with the Hershey Medical Center. The organization's name is the Four Diamonds Fund, a fund that was started over 30 years ago by a father who lost his son, Chris Millard, to cancer. The name, Four Diamonds, comes from a story that his son wrote during his battle with cancer about a knight named Sir Millard whose quest is to find the four diamonds of courage, honesty, strength, and wisdom. The four adjectives were what Chris felt were essential in battling cancer.
THON is an event that I will definitely remember. My committee has been at work for a few months waiting for this weekend to come and now it is over.
This weekend, my committee was on the floor where the dancers were for two four hour shifts. During this time, we met some of the dancers and motivated them to keep standing as well as some of the kids whose lives we helped save. It is truly one of the most memorable, humbling experiences of my life. We had the chance to have water gun fights and bounce a ball around with some of the kids!
Today, I was one of two people out of my 30 person committee that received the "incentive shift" for the final four hours of THON for working extremely hard throughout the year. This is the part that I will remember most about this weekend. For the final few hours, all 220 families in attendance that we "adopt"were introduced and invited on stage. Then, three of the families shared the stories of their child's battle with cancer. They were all very sad, yet uplifting as all the families had recently been told by their doctors that their child was "cancer free!"
After a few more hours, the grand total was announced. We were all expecting it to go down from the $6.6 million we raised last year due to the poor economic conditions. The entire crowd of over 18,000 roared when the final digit, a 7, was held up symbolizing the $7 million mark! It was amazing! When all was finished, we raised a grand total of $7,490,133.87 this year!
From now on, when I hear someone say that one person can't make a difference, I will turn to that person and say Chris Millard did. Chris Millard inspired his father to start a charity in his memory. Chris Millard inspires all 708 dancers to stand for 46 straight hours without sleeping! Chris Millard is just one person, but he made a HUGE difference in the lives of many over the past 30+ years. The fact of the matter is that we all can make a difference - each one of us that helped THON in one way or another significantly impacted a child's life for the better, by helping them beat cancer!
I would like to end with something that is very dear to all involved with THON. Instead of saying "Sincerely" or "Regards" at the end of a letter, we end with something a bit different, a battle cry that we use throughout the year at different events. FTK (For the Kids).
Always FTK,
Tracker
You can find more information on THON by going to www.THON.org
You can see some of the pictures that I took at THON this weekend by Clicking Here
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"One day, we will dance to celebrate!" - a sign I saw at THON this weekend
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Happy Valentine's Day!
Hi All,
I hope you enjoyed your Valentine's Day and weekend! This weekend, I went home from Happy Valley to enjoy a weekend of beautiful skiing. Although the snow wasn't what it was, the skiing was still phenomenal. I made such an improvement in my skiing this weekend by finding edges on my skis that I did not know even existed! I am now skiing faster and better than I have ever skied before. I learned that I need to push my hips out further and more downhill to create a more effective edge. It felt great!
This weekend is a very big one at Penn State. This is THON weekend. For those of you who do not know what THON is, it is a student run fundraiser for pediatric cancer. Students go out around the Northeast four weekends to go "canning" at supermarkets or street corners. Also, students have a mass letter writing campaign to ask for donations from their friends and family. This weekend, we will be fulfilling a promise to all who donated money to THON by having over 700 students, or dancers, fill our basketball arena, the Bryce Jordan Center, by standing and dancing for 46 hours straight without any sleep breaks. While I am not a dancer, I am on the Finance Committee for THON which basically means that I am one of the people who counts all the money that is donated to us through cash, checks, or IOU's. I can't wait to see how much money we raise this year! Last year we raised $6,615,318.04!
I will definitely keep you posted on how that goes! I can't wait and my head is spinning with all the on-campus activities to help students prepare for the weekend!
Have a great week and let it snow!
- Tracker
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"When cancer is cured, we will dance for joy. Until then, we will dance for life." - Anonymous Dancer from THON
I hope you enjoyed your Valentine's Day and weekend! This weekend, I went home from Happy Valley to enjoy a weekend of beautiful skiing. Although the snow wasn't what it was, the skiing was still phenomenal. I made such an improvement in my skiing this weekend by finding edges on my skis that I did not know even existed! I am now skiing faster and better than I have ever skied before. I learned that I need to push my hips out further and more downhill to create a more effective edge. It felt great!
This weekend is a very big one at Penn State. This is THON weekend. For those of you who do not know what THON is, it is a student run fundraiser for pediatric cancer. Students go out around the Northeast four weekends to go "canning" at supermarkets or street corners. Also, students have a mass letter writing campaign to ask for donations from their friends and family. This weekend, we will be fulfilling a promise to all who donated money to THON by having over 700 students, or dancers, fill our basketball arena, the Bryce Jordan Center, by standing and dancing for 46 hours straight without any sleep breaks. While I am not a dancer, I am on the Finance Committee for THON which basically means that I am one of the people who counts all the money that is donated to us through cash, checks, or IOU's. I can't wait to see how much money we raise this year! Last year we raised $6,615,318.04!
I will definitely keep you posted on how that goes! I can't wait and my head is spinning with all the on-campus activities to help students prepare for the weekend!
Have a great week and let it snow!
- Tracker
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"When cancer is cured, we will dance for joy. Until then, we will dance for life." - Anonymous Dancer from THON
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Congrats to our Special Olympians
Hi Again,
I just want to congratulate our Special Olympian Gold Medal winners! ASF sent Troy Desmond, Patrick Carroll, and Douglas Rogers to the New York State games at West Mountain where they swept the podium. Each of our racers raced on the Slalom and Giant Slalom courses in the intermediate and advanced divisions and took home two gold medals a piece! Congrats to Troy, Patrick, and Douglas!
I am heading back to Windham this weekend to go skiing (hopefully there is still snow)!
I will update again after the weekend!
LET IT SNOW! (We actually need it now!)
- Tracker
------------------------------------------------------
"This is a fantastic opportunity for them.... They are really blossoming here because they are experiencing what freedom of the mind really is. They are experiencing the clothing, the weather, and learning about their health. It is a great opportunity for them to experience this feeling."
—Nasrullah Ibrahimzay, leader of the Special Olympics athletes competing from Afghanistan
I just want to congratulate our Special Olympian Gold Medal winners! ASF sent Troy Desmond, Patrick Carroll, and Douglas Rogers to the New York State games at West Mountain where they swept the podium. Each of our racers raced on the Slalom and Giant Slalom courses in the intermediate and advanced divisions and took home two gold medals a piece! Congrats to Troy, Patrick, and Douglas!
I am heading back to Windham this weekend to go skiing (hopefully there is still snow)!
I will update again after the weekend!
LET IT SNOW! (We actually need it now!)
- Tracker
------------------------------------------------------
"This is a fantastic opportunity for them.... They are really blossoming here because they are experiencing what freedom of the mind really is. They are experiencing the clothing, the weather, and learning about their health. It is a great opportunity for them to experience this feeling."
—Nasrullah Ibrahimzay, leader of the Special Olympics athletes competing from Afghanistan
Monday, February 2, 2009
Diana Golden Level 1 Race
Hi All,
What a weekend! This weekend, the Adaptive Sports Foundation hosted a Level 1 Race through Disabled Sports USA inspired by Diana Golden (the three time Olympic Gold Medalist who only had one leg). It was an amazing event as skiers and snowboarders with both, physical and cognitive, disabilities came together to race. Part of an entire race circuit, the Adaptive Sports Foundation hosts this race each year.
Every year, they bring in a guest clinician who gives a clinic on the Saturday preceding Sunday's race. The past two years Mau Thompson of Adaptive Adventures has given the clinic. While we did not have a race course to work with for the clinic, Mau made the best of it by having us perform different drills as we skied down beginner terrain with the hope of bettering our skiing.
I was able to work on my outrigger usage on Saturday, primarily keeping my elbow "fused" to the side of my body and extending the outrigger with the sole use of my forearm. This enabled me to become a more efficient skier by using better outrigger placement and allowing me to edge more effectively. I see improvement in my skiing already!
On Sunday, we raced on a course that NASTAR set up on skier's right of Wonderama. It was a very well designed course for the adaptive category as it was a giant slalom course that started out with wide gates that gradually got narrower towards the end of the course. This allowed the skier to keep their momentum and have a fast finish!
I had the best two runs in a true racing scenario that I have ever had, but I still have a lot of room for improvement. I need to start turning earlier so I can carry more momentum down the race course. Nevertheless, both of my factored times were just over 40 seconds.
I won the silver medal, something I am very proud of because this was my third Diana Golden race. The first time I raced I won the bronze and the second time I did not medal. In winning the silver medal, I am able to pat myself on the back because I realize that I am always improving!
Everybody did a great job this weekend and I cannot wait for next year's race!
On another note, Penn State's basketball team knocked off #9 Michigan State which significantly beefed up our resume for March Madness and the NCAA tournament! I hope/ cannot wait to see how crazy Happy Valley becomes!
- Tracker
------------------------------------------------------
"Faster and faster until your love of speed overcomes your fear of death". - Anonymous
What a weekend! This weekend, the Adaptive Sports Foundation hosted a Level 1 Race through Disabled Sports USA inspired by Diana Golden (the three time Olympic Gold Medalist who only had one leg). It was an amazing event as skiers and snowboarders with both, physical and cognitive, disabilities came together to race. Part of an entire race circuit, the Adaptive Sports Foundation hosts this race each year.
Every year, they bring in a guest clinician who gives a clinic on the Saturday preceding Sunday's race. The past two years Mau Thompson of Adaptive Adventures has given the clinic. While we did not have a race course to work with for the clinic, Mau made the best of it by having us perform different drills as we skied down beginner terrain with the hope of bettering our skiing.
I was able to work on my outrigger usage on Saturday, primarily keeping my elbow "fused" to the side of my body and extending the outrigger with the sole use of my forearm. This enabled me to become a more efficient skier by using better outrigger placement and allowing me to edge more effectively. I see improvement in my skiing already!
On Sunday, we raced on a course that NASTAR set up on skier's right of Wonderama. It was a very well designed course for the adaptive category as it was a giant slalom course that started out with wide gates that gradually got narrower towards the end of the course. This allowed the skier to keep their momentum and have a fast finish!
I had the best two runs in a true racing scenario that I have ever had, but I still have a lot of room for improvement. I need to start turning earlier so I can carry more momentum down the race course. Nevertheless, both of my factored times were just over 40 seconds.
I won the silver medal, something I am very proud of because this was my third Diana Golden race. The first time I raced I won the bronze and the second time I did not medal. In winning the silver medal, I am able to pat myself on the back because I realize that I am always improving!
Everybody did a great job this weekend and I cannot wait for next year's race!
On another note, Penn State's basketball team knocked off #9 Michigan State which significantly beefed up our resume for March Madness and the NCAA tournament! I hope/ cannot wait to see how crazy Happy Valley becomes!
- Tracker
------------------------------------------------------
"Faster and faster until your love of speed overcomes your fear of death". - Anonymous
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Congratulations
Hi All,
First and foremost, I would like to congratulate all of the ASF racers and sliders that competed in the Special Olympics race this past weekend. All together, ASF collected 22 medals at West Mountain! Good job to all who participated!
I had a busy week this past week. I played in my second Wheelchair Basketball Halftime Show where our team played the "Celebrity Coaches" of Penn State Athletics. We beat them handily and I had two steals. I think everyone had fun!
We also played our first Wheelchair Basketball game this weekend against a real Wheelchair Basketball team. We lost both games in the double header, but learned a lot in the process. The team we played was called the "Pittsburgh Steel Wheelers" gave us a lot of pointers at the end of the game, so we have a lot of practice to do. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the game immensely!
I am coming home this weekend to race in the Diana Golden Level 1 Race at Windham Mountain on February 1st. I am looking forward to this a great deal and cannot wait to hit the snow again!
Talking about snow, it is supposed to snow a lot here in Happy Valley over the course of the next day or two! They are talking about over 6" of snow! I hope that it is snow and not ice because I have a lot of trouble walking in the ice, so LET IT SNOW!
Finally, Christine Southard was generous enough to e-mail me a copy of a speech that I gave to the volunteers at the Adaptive Sports Foundation at their annual organizational meeting this season. You can listen to it below:
Have a great week and LET IT SNOW!
- Tracker
-----------------------------------------
"Never, never, never, never give up" - Winston Churchill
First and foremost, I would like to congratulate all of the ASF racers and sliders that competed in the Special Olympics race this past weekend. All together, ASF collected 22 medals at West Mountain! Good job to all who participated!
I had a busy week this past week. I played in my second Wheelchair Basketball Halftime Show where our team played the "Celebrity Coaches" of Penn State Athletics. We beat them handily and I had two steals. I think everyone had fun!
We also played our first Wheelchair Basketball game this weekend against a real Wheelchair Basketball team. We lost both games in the double header, but learned a lot in the process. The team we played was called the "Pittsburgh Steel Wheelers" gave us a lot of pointers at the end of the game, so we have a lot of practice to do. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the game immensely!
I am coming home this weekend to race in the Diana Golden Level 1 Race at Windham Mountain on February 1st. I am looking forward to this a great deal and cannot wait to hit the snow again!
Talking about snow, it is supposed to snow a lot here in Happy Valley over the course of the next day or two! They are talking about over 6" of snow! I hope that it is snow and not ice because I have a lot of trouble walking in the ice, so LET IT SNOW!
Finally, Christine Southard was generous enough to e-mail me a copy of a speech that I gave to the volunteers at the Adaptive Sports Foundation at their annual organizational meeting this season. You can listen to it below:
Have a great week and LET IT SNOW!
- Tracker
-----------------------------------------
"Never, never, never, never give up" - Winston Churchill
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Nick Santonastasso
Hi All,
I just wanted to share a video that I came across about a 12 year old boy named Nick Santonastasso from New Jersey born with a disability where his limbs did not develop properly. He did not let that stop him though!
Watch the video here:
-Tracker
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Never let anybody tell you what you can't do!"
I just wanted to share a video that I came across about a 12 year old boy named Nick Santonastasso from New Jersey born with a disability where his limbs did not develop properly. He did not let that stop him though!
Watch the video here:
-Tracker
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Never let anybody tell you what you can't do!"
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
New Semester
Hi All,
I started a new semester here at Penn State last Monday and am looking forward to a great few months! It was absolutely freezing in Happy Valley last week with the temperatures not making it out of single digits, but the cold did not seem to get to me as much as it got to my friends (I say it is all the skiing I do)!
This past weekend, I went back home to enjoy the three day weekend and go skiing. I had a really nice time and was able to work out some issues I had with getting off of C-Lift. The skiing was phenomenal, too, and we even got to go down the NASTAR race course a few times. The worst part about the weekend was the subzero temperatures (at one point it was -13)!
Our Wheelchair Basketball team is playing at halftime of this Thursday's Woman's Basketball game, so I am definately looking forward to that. We also are playing a double header on Saturday against the Allied Forces of Scranton - this will be our first game against a real Wheelchair Basketball team (not just the All Star team of Penn State coaches).
I am planning on heading home in two weeks to race in the Diana Golden Race at Windham Mountain on Sunday, February 1 (yes, that is Super Bowl Sunday)!
I will be sure to post sometime next week and let you know how the Wheelchair Basketball games go!
- Tracker
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Glory lies in the attempt to reach one's goal and not in reaching it." -- Mohandas Gandhi
I started a new semester here at Penn State last Monday and am looking forward to a great few months! It was absolutely freezing in Happy Valley last week with the temperatures not making it out of single digits, but the cold did not seem to get to me as much as it got to my friends (I say it is all the skiing I do)!
This past weekend, I went back home to enjoy the three day weekend and go skiing. I had a really nice time and was able to work out some issues I had with getting off of C-Lift. The skiing was phenomenal, too, and we even got to go down the NASTAR race course a few times. The worst part about the weekend was the subzero temperatures (at one point it was -13)!
Our Wheelchair Basketball team is playing at halftime of this Thursday's Woman's Basketball game, so I am definately looking forward to that. We also are playing a double header on Saturday against the Allied Forces of Scranton - this will be our first game against a real Wheelchair Basketball team (not just the All Star team of Penn State coaches).
I am planning on heading home in two weeks to race in the Diana Golden Race at Windham Mountain on Sunday, February 1 (yes, that is Super Bowl Sunday)!
I will be sure to post sometime next week and let you know how the Wheelchair Basketball games go!
- Tracker
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Glory lies in the attempt to reach one's goal and not in reaching it." -- Mohandas Gandhi
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Wounded Warrior Weekend
Hi All,
This weekend was the Wounded Warrior Project Weekend at the Adaptive Sports Foundation. The ASF gave over 20 soldiers who were injured in the line of duty and their families the opportunity to learn how to ski and snowboard with the use of adaptive equipment. They all were truly remarkable and inspiring. The soldiers did not let anything stop them - they all had a great time, too!
Today was also a Powder Day at Windham! Mother Nature dropped just under a foot of powder and the mountain looks better than ever! While it is a bit challenging for a four-tracker to ski in boot deep powder, I still had a great time! It was one of the few times that I fell and felt nothing! It is a beautiful thing!
Finally, I go back to Happy Valley tonight to start my next semester of classes! I cannot wait to see all my friends again. On Friday, I am heading back home to enjoy a nice three day weekend!
Have a great week and I will write soon!
LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! (Yes, even more)
- Tracker
---------------------------------
"A powder day is a fun day!"
This weekend was the Wounded Warrior Project Weekend at the Adaptive Sports Foundation. The ASF gave over 20 soldiers who were injured in the line of duty and their families the opportunity to learn how to ski and snowboard with the use of adaptive equipment. They all were truly remarkable and inspiring. The soldiers did not let anything stop them - they all had a great time, too!
Today was also a Powder Day at Windham! Mother Nature dropped just under a foot of powder and the mountain looks better than ever! While it is a bit challenging for a four-tracker to ski in boot deep powder, I still had a great time! It was one of the few times that I fell and felt nothing! It is a beautiful thing!
Finally, I go back to Happy Valley tonight to start my next semester of classes! I cannot wait to see all my friends again. On Friday, I am heading back home to enjoy a nice three day weekend!
Have a great week and I will write soon!
LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! (Yes, even more)
- Tracker
---------------------------------
"A powder day is a fun day!"
Monday, January 5, 2009
Rose Bowl and Skiing
Hi All,
As I sit in the Adaptive Sports Center, I am absolutely exhausted from skiing three days in a row. After a very crowded Saturday, the mountain emptied out a bit on Sunday and even more on Monday. The skiing this weekend wasn't that bad, either and I think I am constantly improving and skiing the best that I have ever skied.
The mountain was freezing on Saturday, but the race team braved the elements (with a few new members - snowboarders Zach and Taylor) to take advantage of the great conditions! The mountain was too crowded to do any race drills, so we free skied and got a lot of mileage. It was a great day!
On Sunday, the mountain was much less crowded so we worked on edging. We found parts of the mountain a bit icy, but a diamond in the rough on Lower Wiseacres - it was pure powder! I also tackled my first double black diamond trail of the season on Upper Wolverine, but fell twice. I need more practice on steeper terrain!
On Monday, I skied with my father in the morning and took a lesson with Eric in the afternoon. I was so worn out by the end of the afternoon! We did five runs off of A-Lift in under an hour and a half! The snow was very icy and slick, but any day you get out on the mountain is a good day!
Now, let me backtrack for a few seconds to talk about the Rose Bowl. Despite a disappointing Penn State loss, it was an amazing experience all around! I enjoyed feeling like a part of something big - the Penn State family. When I got onto the airplane in JFK, there were Penn State fans! When I arrived in LAX, there were even more Penn State fans! Our hotel should have been called the Penn Stater because it was filled with Penn State fans!
I loved the Rose Parade because the floats were so beautiful and smelled so nice, but my favorite part was the game. I was sitting in the Penn State section, so it was an amazing feeling to be cheering for the same team when everybody else in the stadium was cheering for USC! It was a great experience!
That is about it, so lets all pray for snow (because the mountain can definately use it)!
- Tracker
--------------------------------------
"We are...Penn State!"
As I sit in the Adaptive Sports Center, I am absolutely exhausted from skiing three days in a row. After a very crowded Saturday, the mountain emptied out a bit on Sunday and even more on Monday. The skiing this weekend wasn't that bad, either and I think I am constantly improving and skiing the best that I have ever skied.
The mountain was freezing on Saturday, but the race team braved the elements (with a few new members - snowboarders Zach and Taylor) to take advantage of the great conditions! The mountain was too crowded to do any race drills, so we free skied and got a lot of mileage. It was a great day!
On Sunday, the mountain was much less crowded so we worked on edging. We found parts of the mountain a bit icy, but a diamond in the rough on Lower Wiseacres - it was pure powder! I also tackled my first double black diamond trail of the season on Upper Wolverine, but fell twice. I need more practice on steeper terrain!
On Monday, I skied with my father in the morning and took a lesson with Eric in the afternoon. I was so worn out by the end of the afternoon! We did five runs off of A-Lift in under an hour and a half! The snow was very icy and slick, but any day you get out on the mountain is a good day!
Now, let me backtrack for a few seconds to talk about the Rose Bowl. Despite a disappointing Penn State loss, it was an amazing experience all around! I enjoyed feeling like a part of something big - the Penn State family. When I got onto the airplane in JFK, there were Penn State fans! When I arrived in LAX, there were even more Penn State fans! Our hotel should have been called the Penn Stater because it was filled with Penn State fans!
I loved the Rose Parade because the floats were so beautiful and smelled so nice, but my favorite part was the game. I was sitting in the Penn State section, so it was an amazing feeling to be cheering for the same team when everybody else in the stadium was cheering for USC! It was a great experience!
That is about it, so lets all pray for snow (because the mountain can definately use it)!
- Tracker
--------------------------------------
"We are...Penn State!"
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