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
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"Faster and faster until your love of speed overcomes your fear of death". - Anonymous
Showing posts with label michigan state. Show all posts
Showing posts with label michigan state. Show all posts
Monday, February 2, 2009
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
Hi All,
I wanted to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! I am so happy to be back in New York after spending almost a full semester at Penn State.
My break started with a bang as Penn State clinched its first Rose Bowl birth since 1994! What a game! We beat Michigan State 49 - 18 and looked extremely good. The weather during the game was freezing, though. The temperature was in the 20's with a wind chill in the teens. It seemed much worse than it actually was because we were not moving - just standing and watching the game. It was worth it, though, because the crowd was very into the game and it was rewarding to celebrate with the crowd after our 42nd point (it sealed the win for us)! I was very happy that my father, brother, and uncle experienced such an amazing game the first time they were at a game in Happy Valley!
After we scored our 42nd point, our mascot, the Nittany Lion, started walking around with a bouquet of roses (pictured left) to symbolize our birth into the Rose Bowl (the most famous of all the college bowl games). I actually sat next to ASF's own Kim Seevers who took this picture! Both of us celebrated together with numerous high fives and utter disbelief as Penn State sealed the deal!
Now I have the task ahead of me of planning my trip out to Pasedena, California to see the Rose Bowl on New Years Day. I can't wait to see our Blue Band turn the corner at the Rose Parade while playing our Alma Mater!
I am going skiing on Friday and Saturday (I hear the snow is phenomenal)! Windham advertised over six inches of powder over the past week! I can't wait to get my first tracks in of the season and hit the snow before I head back to Happy Valley for two weeks of classes and another few days of finals. If I can get through the next two and a half weeks I have two weeks of skiing to look forward to as well as a trip out to Pasedena to see Penn State in the Rose Bowl on New Years Day!
Have a safe and filling Thanksgiving!
Let it snow,
Tracker
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"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving." H.U. Westermayer
I wanted to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! I am so happy to be back in New York after spending almost a full semester at Penn State.
My break started with a bang as Penn State clinched its first Rose Bowl birth since 1994! What a game! We beat Michigan State 49 - 18 and looked extremely good. The weather during the game was freezing, though. The temperature was in the 20's with a wind chill in the teens. It seemed much worse than it actually was because we were not moving - just standing and watching the game. It was worth it, though, because the crowd was very into the game and it was rewarding to celebrate with the crowd after our 42nd point (it sealed the win for us)! I was very happy that my father, brother, and uncle experienced such an amazing game the first time they were at a game in Happy Valley!
After we scored our 42nd point, our mascot, the Nittany Lion, started walking around with a bouquet of roses (pictured left) to symbolize our birth into the Rose Bowl (the most famous of all the college bowl games). I actually sat next to ASF's own Kim Seevers who took this picture! Both of us celebrated together with numerous high fives and utter disbelief as Penn State sealed the deal!Now I have the task ahead of me of planning my trip out to Pasedena, California to see the Rose Bowl on New Years Day. I can't wait to see our Blue Band turn the corner at the Rose Parade while playing our Alma Mater!
I am going skiing on Friday and Saturday (I hear the snow is phenomenal)! Windham advertised over six inches of powder over the past week! I can't wait to get my first tracks in of the season and hit the snow before I head back to Happy Valley for two weeks of classes and another few days of finals. If I can get through the next two and a half weeks I have two weeks of skiing to look forward to as well as a trip out to Pasedena to see Penn State in the Rose Bowl on New Years Day!
Have a safe and filling Thanksgiving!
Let it snow,
Tracker
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving." H.U. Westermayer
Friday, November 21, 2008
It's Snowing in Happy Valley!!!
Hi All,
It is really coming down here in Happy Valley! The snow is so beautiful and makes me want to pop into my bindings and ski to class. We got about an inch already and are expected to get up to two more!
I was down in town today and had to walk back up to my dorm. It was during this time that it hit me that ski season is almost upon us. As I was walking up the hill with snow blowing in my face, I felt like I was on a chairlift that stopped right below a snow gun! I walked into my dorm and the front of my body was completely white from being pelted with snow. When my suitemate asked me if I was okay, I responded with a big "I love it!". All of my friends now think I'm crazy for saying that!
Tomorrow is a big day here in Happy Valley. If our football team wins, we are going to the Rose Bowl - the most famous bowl game in college football! Fans are already lining the streets, cheerleaders handed out stickers that said "Subpar-tans" (we play the Michigan State Spartans tomorrow), and the HUB, our student center for activities, was having a huge party. There was free popcorn and prize raffles, ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd is broadcasting "The Herd" from our food court. and signs lined the tables with words like "BELIEVE" and "Lets add one more..." with an arrow pointing to all the years we won the Big Ten Championship. I can't wait for tomorrow!
We have a pep rally tonight called "Rally in the Valley" to get us all riled up for the game and we are expecting our beloved coach, Joe Pa, to give a speech as well! Before the rally, our #1 ranked women's volleyball team is hosting the first round of the NCAA tournament, so I will go to that as well!
The thing I can't wait for the most is to see my family. I am looking forward to taking them to the football game and showing them what Penn State is all about.
I will leave you with this picture of a statue of Joe Paterno that was taken earlier today by our local paper.
Lets hope it keeps snowing!
- Tracker
---------------------------------------------------------------
"The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event." - Anonymous
It is really coming down here in Happy Valley! The snow is so beautiful and makes me want to pop into my bindings and ski to class. We got about an inch already and are expected to get up to two more!
I was down in town today and had to walk back up to my dorm. It was during this time that it hit me that ski season is almost upon us. As I was walking up the hill with snow blowing in my face, I felt like I was on a chairlift that stopped right below a snow gun! I walked into my dorm and the front of my body was completely white from being pelted with snow. When my suitemate asked me if I was okay, I responded with a big "I love it!". All of my friends now think I'm crazy for saying that!
Tomorrow is a big day here in Happy Valley. If our football team wins, we are going to the Rose Bowl - the most famous bowl game in college football! Fans are already lining the streets, cheerleaders handed out stickers that said "Subpar-tans" (we play the Michigan State Spartans tomorrow), and the HUB, our student center for activities, was having a huge party. There was free popcorn and prize raffles, ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd is broadcasting "The Herd" from our food court. and signs lined the tables with words like "BELIEVE" and "Lets add one more..." with an arrow pointing to all the years we won the Big Ten Championship. I can't wait for tomorrow!
We have a pep rally tonight called "Rally in the Valley" to get us all riled up for the game and we are expecting our beloved coach, Joe Pa, to give a speech as well! Before the rally, our #1 ranked women's volleyball team is hosting the first round of the NCAA tournament, so I will go to that as well!
The thing I can't wait for the most is to see my family. I am looking forward to taking them to the football game and showing them what Penn State is all about.
I will leave you with this picture of a statue of Joe Paterno that was taken earlier today by our local paper.
Lets hope it keeps snowing!
- Tracker
---------------------------------------------------------------
"The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event." - Anonymous
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Wheelchair Basketball Halftime Show
Hey,
I received an e-mail from Windham Mountain today saying that they are opening the mountain early this year - this weekend! I can't believe that it will actually be open, I guess it is the silver lining in the weather being so cold already! While I won't go skiing this weekend because I am going to the final Penn State football game of the season, I will definitely go next weekend (after Thanksgiving) for my first tracks of the season.
Yesterday, I had a chance to play Wheelchair Basketball at halftime of the Penn State Men's Basketball game against the New Jersey Institute of Technology. What an experience! We started by practicing in the basketball team's practice gym (under the stands). I had never seen it before because that gym is not open to the public. It was huge! It had six basketball hoops and was equipped with an electric rebound machine and lots of other things I did not even know existed!
We played the "All Star Team of Assistant Coaches" composed of coaches from a variety of Penn State teams. After a warm-up game in the practice gym we rolled our wheelchairs out to the sideline of the actual basketball court. We had to wait about 10 minutes to go on, but it did not seem that long at all. It was exciting to watch a college basketball game from so close!
When it was our turn to go on, the announcer said all of our names over the loud speaker and what sports we participated in. With the Nittany Lion, our university mascot, as the referee we had a jump ball and started the game. We played for six minutes and I scored a basket and played very good defense. I set about seven picks and our team forced a lot of turnovers. We beat the "All Star Team of Assistant Coaches" by a score of 10 - 2.
It was an amazing experience. The arena was huge and had a big jumbotron above the court. While the stands were empty (there were only about 400 or 500 people in attendance), it was very fun to play in an arena of that size (seating over 15,000 people). The crowd was getting into the game and rooted for our team the whole way. When the other team had to make substitutes, the crowd "boo"ed them and every time we had the ball, the crowd cheered for us and screamed whenever we scored a basket.
I had six friends in attendance who told me that I was on the jumbotron for at least 20 seconds after I scored my basket. They also said that it looked like nobody left the arena during halftime because they wanted to see the game - it is nice to attend a university where all of the athletics are supported by the fans.
One of my friends took a lot of pictures and you can see some of them below:
The team is all lined up and ready to take the court.
After our team makes a basket, we are off to play defense.
This is my basket. I am at the bottom left of the shot and the ball is right above the hoop.
This is the really big jumbotron!
One of my teammates, Rohan, made a shot towards the end of the game.
This is the Nittany Lion, our mascot and referee.
Wheelchair Basketball was a great experience and I am definitely looking forward to our next halftime show sometime in January or February of 2009!
Changing topics a bit, I am really looking forward to this weekend's football game against Michigan State. My brother, father, and uncle are all coming to the game (I bought their tickets today)! Kim Seevers (ASF Operations Director) will also be in attendance to hopefully watch the Nittany Lions clinch the Big Ten Championship for the first time since 2005 and win their first Rose Bowl bid since 1995!
I have no tests until after my Thanksgiving break, so I am looking forward to being able to relax a bit before I go back home on Saturday night.
Lets all hope that this cold spell continues and Windham is able to lay down a nice layer of snow so we can ski good conditions all season long!
- Tracker
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I received an e-mail from Windham Mountain today saying that they are opening the mountain early this year - this weekend! I can't believe that it will actually be open, I guess it is the silver lining in the weather being so cold already! While I won't go skiing this weekend because I am going to the final Penn State football game of the season, I will definitely go next weekend (after Thanksgiving) for my first tracks of the season.
Yesterday, I had a chance to play Wheelchair Basketball at halftime of the Penn State Men's Basketball game against the New Jersey Institute of Technology. What an experience! We started by practicing in the basketball team's practice gym (under the stands). I had never seen it before because that gym is not open to the public. It was huge! It had six basketball hoops and was equipped with an electric rebound machine and lots of other things I did not even know existed!
We played the "All Star Team of Assistant Coaches" composed of coaches from a variety of Penn State teams. After a warm-up game in the practice gym we rolled our wheelchairs out to the sideline of the actual basketball court. We had to wait about 10 minutes to go on, but it did not seem that long at all. It was exciting to watch a college basketball game from so close!
When it was our turn to go on, the announcer said all of our names over the loud speaker and what sports we participated in. With the Nittany Lion, our university mascot, as the referee we had a jump ball and started the game. We played for six minutes and I scored a basket and played very good defense. I set about seven picks and our team forced a lot of turnovers. We beat the "All Star Team of Assistant Coaches" by a score of 10 - 2.
It was an amazing experience. The arena was huge and had a big jumbotron above the court. While the stands were empty (there were only about 400 or 500 people in attendance), it was very fun to play in an arena of that size (seating over 15,000 people). The crowd was getting into the game and rooted for our team the whole way. When the other team had to make substitutes, the crowd "boo"ed them and every time we had the ball, the crowd cheered for us and screamed whenever we scored a basket.
I had six friends in attendance who told me that I was on the jumbotron for at least 20 seconds after I scored my basket. They also said that it looked like nobody left the arena during halftime because they wanted to see the game - it is nice to attend a university where all of the athletics are supported by the fans.
One of my friends took a lot of pictures and you can see some of them below:
The team is all lined up and ready to take the court.
After our team makes a basket, we are off to play defense.
This is my basket. I am at the bottom left of the shot and the ball is right above the hoop.
This is the really big jumbotron!
One of my teammates, Rohan, made a shot towards the end of the game.
This is the Nittany Lion, our mascot and referee.
Wheelchair Basketball was a great experience and I am definitely looking forward to our next halftime show sometime in January or February of 2009!
Changing topics a bit, I am really looking forward to this weekend's football game against Michigan State. My brother, father, and uncle are all coming to the game (I bought their tickets today)! Kim Seevers (ASF Operations Director) will also be in attendance to hopefully watch the Nittany Lions clinch the Big Ten Championship for the first time since 2005 and win their first Rose Bowl bid since 1995!
I have no tests until after my Thanksgiving break, so I am looking forward to being able to relax a bit before I go back home on Saturday night.
Lets all hope that this cold spell continues and Windham is able to lay down a nice layer of snow so we can ski good conditions all season long!
- Tracker
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Everything comes too late for those who only wait." - Elbert Hubbard
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