TAN – The Afro News

Terry Fox Terry Fox Canada’s Iconic National Heroes

Until you are face to face it is hard to believe what these paralympians can do – just imagine yourself going down the alpine slopes getting clocked at 74.5647284 miles per hour.  OK for the metric individuals up to 120 kilometers per hour.

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Canada’s Ice Sledge Hockey Team

Ice Sledge Hockey (ISH) requires extreme atheletic abilities and is very exciting to watch live.  The best website to go to is http://www.paralympics.ca where it is possible to download PODCASTS of interviews and LIVE FEED of various sports by going to the News and Events and go to Paralympic Sports TV AND go to Canada’s National Sledge Team and the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games site:  www.hockeycanada.ca.

The GOLD metal game is on March 20^th at UBC Thunderbird Stadium.  It is a fast paced high-energy game that requires immense coordination and balance as the Paralympian is sitting on a double bladed sharp skate, has two sticks in each hand to use for both throwing the puck that they in fact can pass under their sledge AND on the ends of the sticks is a spike they can dig into the ice to move forward.  Each period of the game is 15 minutes long rather than 20 minutes. Up at Whistler Village there is a demonstration booth where you can sit in a Sledge and try to score a goal.  Not so easy!

VIVIAN FOREST WINS ANOTHER METAL FOR CANADA WITH GUIDE LINDSAY DEBOU– FINISHING WITH A BRONZE IN THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED GIANT SLALOM COMPETITION.  After this race Vivian required medical attention due to an earlier groin injury but this amazing athlete powered through pain which she describes on scale of 1 to 10; an 8! Forest said: “Going through all that pain was very difficult”  As far as she is concerned this third place finish is GOLDEN to her.  Jean-Francois Rapatel, the alpine team leader characterized Forest as “one tough cookie”.

Every evening up at Whistler at the Dubh Linn Gate – Irish Pub – in the Pan Pacific Hotel Mountain Side is the official Paralympian Hang-Out that gives you a chance to meet Athletes and individuals that make it all happen. Beyond 2010 Games Whistler Adaptive Sports Program http://www.whistleradaptive.com is an non-for-profit organization with a mandate is to provide year-around Alpine recreational programs for people of all ages with disabilities locally with a global reach.  So far, the Dubh Line Gate has raised over $3,000.00.  St. Patrick’s Day yesterday the place was really hopping.  The Steak and Guiness Pie was hardy, tasty and filling.!

LAUREN WOOLSTENCROFT wins her SECOND WOMEN’S GOLD on Canadian soil in the Alpine Skiing – GIANT Slalom – Standing.

Remember there is a METAL CEREMONY FOR EVERY METAL WINNER OF THE DAY IN WHISLER WHICH IS FREE AND IS FOLLOWED WITH LIVE MUSIC.  CTV HAS FINALLY AGREED TO BROADCAST THE CLOSING CEREMONIES ACROSS CANADA.

LAUREN WOOLSTENCROFT wins our first WOMEN’S GOLD

Canadians across Canada are frustrated that CTV is not providing live broadcasts of our Paralympic Athletes.  An option is to go to www.paralympic.ca to obtain live feeds, click onto News and Events and then scroll down to Paralympic Sports TV or CTV.  Also this site has a lot of information on our 55 Canadian Athletes.

1. BRIAN McKEEVER and his brother Guide – ROBIN McKEEVER wins our first GOLD metal on Canadian soil in the 20KM – Cross-Country Skiing – Visually Impaired.  Club:  Foothills Nordic Ski Club in Calgary.  Winter Paralympic career highlights:  2002 Salt Lake City, USA brought home 2 GOLDS (10KM and 5KM Cross-Country) and 1 SILVER 20KM Cross-Country – Visually Impaired.  2006 Torino, Italy brought home 2 GOLDS (10KM and 5KM – Cross-Country – Visually Impaired); 1 SILVER 20KM Cross-Country – Visually Impaired and 1 BRONZ 7.5KM Biathlon – Visually Impaired.  Brian is the first in history to qualify both in the 2010 Olympics and the Paralympics. FOUR MORE RACES TO COMPLETE!
2. LAUREN WOOLSTENCROFT wins our first WOMEN’S GOLD on Canadian soil in the Alpine Skiing – Slalom – Standing.  In 2006, Lauren was honored by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athlete of the Year.  Lauren was born without legs below the knee and without her left arm below the elbow and has competed in both World Championships and Paralympic Winter Games commencing in 2002 in Salt Lake City.  She adds to her GOLD metal count of 8 another GOLD today. This young lady lives in North Vancouver. The venue for ticket holders for Alpine Skiing is at the Creekside, Whistler.
3. KAROLINA WISNIEWSKA wins a BRONZE in Alpine Skiing, Slalom – Standing. In 2007 Karolina was inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame, she was the first Paralypian to receive this honour. Karolina suffers from cerebral palsy and in 2004 sustained a major hip injury that forced her to retire but three years later returned to competing.  Athletic highlights:  Paralympic Winter Games (1998, Nagano, Japan 2 Silver in Giant Slalom and Super-G); (2002, Salt Lake City 2 Silver in Slalom and Giant Slalom) and in 2009 competed in both World Champions and World Cups