On Friday February 10^th the BlazeSports staff was welcomed by staff and pupils from Mabry Middle School as part of their Disability Awareness Program.

The BlazeSports staff worked with PE teacher Ms McCall to organize a day of activities which allowed the students to experience a variety of disability sports. These sports included wheelchair racing, wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball and goal ball.   Read more…

Happy Presidents Day, all! While we reflect on the accomplishments (and foibles) of the 43 men who have held the Office of the President of the United States, it’s important to remember that not all of them would meet the definition of “able-bodied.” However, their disabilities did not prevent them from serving their country at the highest level possible. The Ability Center of Greater Toledo has posted a list of presidents who had disabilities during their tenure in the Oval Office. Though the list is heavy on learning disabilities (who knew Woodrow Wilson was dyslexic?), individuals with physical disabilities are also more numerous than I expected.

Some we all know about today, like Franklin Roosevelt’s polio and chair-use (see the picture above). BlazeSports honors President Roosevelt’s memory with our Roosevelt Games for servicemen and women held in Warm Springs, Georgia. However, a few presidential disabilities are less well-known. It might be news to you, for example, that both Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan had hearing impairments, or that JFK faced chronic pain. The whole list is worth a look. While most presidents with disabilities went to great lengths to hide them (the stories of FDR enduring excruciating pain to walk in leg braces are particularly wrenching), but I am looking forward to a day when we have our first openly disabled president. Being in a chair didn’t stop Roosevelt from winning World War II, so why shouldn’t kids with disabilities aspire to big dreams?

Class of 2012 International Tennis Hall of Fame

Randy Snow is the second of the Class of 2012 Inductees to be announced. The remainder of the Class of 2012 will be announced within the month ahead. The Induction Ceremony will be July 14, 2012 in Newport, R.I. –

NEWPORT, R.I., USA, February 16, 2012  — Wheelchair tennis superstar and three-time Paralympic medalist Randy Snow has been elected for induction to the International Tennis Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2012. Snow is the second wheelchair tennis player in history to be honored with induction to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, joining Brad Parks, the pioneering founder of the sport, who was inducted in 2010. In addition to his successful tennis career, Snow was a competitive basketball player and racer. Off the courts, he was an influential leader in the development of Wheelchair Tennis and a tireless advocate for improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. Snow’s Hall of Fame induction will be a posthumous recognition of his achievements and contributions to the sport. He passed away on November 19, 2009 in El Salvador while volunteering at a wheelchair tennis camp. Randy served on the BlazeSports America Board of Directors for many years.

Click for more on Randy Snow’s Induction

We are proud and pleased to learn that Randy Snow, a cherished member of the BlazeSports family, will be amongst the Class of 2012 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Randy served as a Board Member for BlazeSports America until his untimely passing in 2009 at the age of 50. He was also an icon in the world of wheelchair tennis. This honor will make him only the second wheelchair tennis player to join the Hall of Fame. The first–sport pioneer Brad Parks–spoke to The Sports Campus about Randy:

“Randy Snow was simply the best wheelchair player to have ever played the sport. Beyond his athletic success though, he played a major role in building the sport and he inspired so many others to play wheelchair tennis and other sports. [...] It was a privilege for me to play alongside Randy and to call him a friend, and I am thrilled to see him receive the honor of Hall of Fame induction, which is very well deserved.”

All of us at BlazeSports miss Randy dearly. He was a leader, a trailblazer, and a profoundly decent human being. It was his grace and goodness that inspired us to create the S-Now Curriculum for our Leadership Academy shortly after he passed away in order to ensure that another generation of youth with disabilities could be inspired by the message of empowerment that Randy embodied. Ricky Played, the first volume in the BlazeSports Children’s Book Series from TorchRunner Press, was also dedicated to the memory of Randy Snow.

Though our hearts overflowing with pride, we can’t say that we’re terribly surprised. A person as wonderful as Randy is difficult to ignore for too long.

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BlazeSports Resources

BlazeSports Active for Life Guide

Date: February 15, 2012

BlazeSports America Presents Adaptive Sports Demonstrations at Abilities Expo

 February 17-19, 2012         Atlanta, GA

Contact: Jeff Jones at jjones@blazesports.org ; 404-270-2036

BlazeSports America invites you to participate in series of disability sports demonstrations at the Abilities Expo, the nation’s largest event for individuals with disabilities and caregivers. Between Friday, February 17 and Sunday, February 19, 2012, an estimated three thousand visitors—people with disabilities, their families, caregivers, seniors, wounded veterans, and healthcare professionals—will arrive at the Georgia World Congress Center to take part in the Abilities Expo. Admission is free and show hours are Friday 11 am to 5 pm, Saturday 11 am to 5 pm, and Sunday 11 am to 4 pm.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) indicates that more than 54 million Americans (one in five) have a disability and, of those, 35 million reported their disability as severe. Physical activity has numerous benefits for—and may be enjoyed by—all individuals, including and especially individuals with disabilities. In addition to keeping fit, active children with and without disabilities are more likely to thrive academically, socially, and psychologically. Active adults have lower rates of obesity, secondary health risks, and depression than their less active counterparts.

During the Expo, BlazeSports America’s experts and athletes with disabilities will be offering the following four adaptive sports demonstrations:

Friday, February 17, 2012:

12:00pm – 12:30pm  Wheelchair Basketball

2:45pm – 3:15pm        Boccia

Saturday, February 18, 2012:

12:30pm – 1:00pm  Track and Road Racing

1:15pm – 1:45pm      Goal Ball and Beep Baseball

BlazeSports invites all individuals interested in learning more about adaptive sports to join us for the demonstrations. Athletes and staff will be on hand to demonstrate techniques, skills, and equipment for each sport. For the full schedule of adaptive sports demonstrations, please visit: http://www.abilitiesexpo.com/atlanta/pavilions_adaptive.html

About BlazeSports America

BlazeSports America, a national non-profit organization, is the direct legacy organization of the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games. Driven by a desire to provide all children and adults with physical disabilities the chance to play sports and live healthy, active lives, BlazeSports is dedicated to offering programs, education and tools worldwide. BlazeSports provides athletes with training, support and the opportunity to increase independence and improve health. Whether you’re a competitive athlete or just want to learn a new sport, see what BlazeSports has to offer. BlazeSports is also honored to be one of ten national organizations funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) initiative. Through this project, BlazeSports helps communities implement solid prevention policies that will help residents live longer, healthier lives.

About the Abilities Expo

For more than three decades, Abilities Expo has succeeded in improving the lives of Americans with disabilities, their families, caregivers and healthcare professionals. This unique forum features three days of cutting-edge products and services, compelling workshops, fun-for-the-whole-family activities and has become the leading event for the community of people with disabilities (PWDs). More information on the Expo is available online at: http://www.abilitiesexpo.com/atlanta/v.html

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It’s Valentine’s Day, folks, so I’m sure your mind is turning to romance, flowers, candy, and, of course, hearts. So in honor the most cardiac-centric of holidays, we’d like to take this opportunity to offer up some facts on heart health and disability.

• Heart disease and stroke are “among the leading causes of disability in the United States, with more than 3 million people reporting disability from these causes.”
• People with disabilities are more susceptible to preventable secondary health conditions–conditions like heart disease (Capriotti 2006). While this area of research is underinvestigated, individuals with disabilities need to be particularly attuned to maintaining healthy lifestyles.
• The most common form of heart disease is coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD can result in heart attacks, but you can reduce your risk of acquiring it in the first place through leading a healthy lifestyle (getting enough exercise, maintaining a proper weight, etc.) and, if required, taking the necessary medications.
• For more information on how people with disabilities can maintain a healthy lifestyle and thus combat problems like heart disease, check out our newly updated BlazeSports Active for Life Guide [PDF].

So enjoy your Valentine’s Day, but remember, the better you take care of your heart, the more time you’ll have to spend with the person who makes it beat faster!

The 2012 Paralympic Games in London are getting ever closer (I think we’re under 200 days now). However, it’s not too late to participate in the Paralympic Torch Relay that will culminate with the lighting of the cauldron at Olympic Stadium and the dawn of the 14th Paralympiad. Fifteen spots are still up for grabs, with five going to the “most deserving members of the public” and ten to past Paralympians.

Members of the public must fit into at least one of these (pretty vague) categories:

-Inspiring grassroots coach
-Inspiring family member
-Biggest inspiration
-Loyal supporter
-Future Paralympian

If you want to nominate someone, you’ll need to compose a 300-word statement of support (requirements for submission are here).

As for former Paralympians, all you need to do is join this Facebook group. All members will be entered into a draw for one of the ten reserved slots. (Don’t bother trying, non-Paralympians. You have to request to join the group and the IPC checks its records.)

I’m an American. Hence, I know practically nothing about the fine and storied sport of cricket. (Joseph O’Neill’s wonderful, cricket-centric novel Netherland gave me an appreciation for the game’s aesthetics, but no understanding of its rules.) However, this ignorance does nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for the breakthrough series happening this weekend in Dubai.

The Times of India reports that Pakistani and English squads of cricketers with disabilities will be throwing down tomorrow as part of a series in the UAE. As with all kinds of sport, cricket is changing the lives of people with disabilities. “I lost my left hand in an accident,” said Matloob Qureshi of Pakistan’s Punjab Province. “Cricket has changed my life and now I am gearing up to hit big sixes against England.” I don’t know what “big sixes” are, but I’m psyched for Qureshi!

The hope is that this series will set the stage for something larger. Salim Karim, the founder of Pakistan’s team, sees it as the start of a worldwide cricket revolution, saying:

I hope other countries like India, Australia, Sri Lanka and South Africa get inspiration from this series and in the next few years we manage to hold a World Cup for physically challenged teams.

We hope so, too!

SPORTS AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS

A Regional Project for Near East and North Africa

U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) has been ongoing since 1940, the IVLP has built mutual understanding between the U.S. and other nations through professional visits to the U.S. for current and emerging foreign leaders. These visits support the foreign policy goals of the U.S. government, and mirror the visitors’ professional interests. U.S. embassies select over 4,500 participants from around the globe to take part in these visits to the U.S. Through these encounters, the participants gain a greater understanding of the cultural and political influences in U.S. society by experiencing firsthand America’s culture and people. Our distinguished international professionals represent politics, government, the media, non-governmental organizations, education, public health, the arts, business and trade, international security, and various other fields. Currently, over 320 past and present heads of government and state and many other world leaders in the public and private sectors have participated in the IVLP.

Project Objectives:

The Department of State has outlined the following specific objectives for the project:

•  Review the history of female participation in fitness and sports programs through school and community-based programs and perceptual changes about female athletes since the late 1970s;

•  Discuss laws prohibiting gender discrimination in education programs, and policies which promote healthy lifestyles and sports;

•  Examine studies that illustrate that sports and fitness contribute to physical, mental, and emotional well being; and

•  Explore the diversity of lifelong sports and wellness programs offered by extracurricular programs, recreational facilities, educational institutions, health clubs, and medical facilities.

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Algeria – Mr. Abdelkrim MEDJHOUM - Program Director, Algerian National Basketball Federation

Bahrain – Mr. Tareq Juma Salem BELAL - Swimming Instructor, St. Christopher’s School

Egypt – Ms. Wesam Mohamed OSMAN - Physical Education Teacher, El Masrya Language School

Iraq – Dr. Wasan Hanoon Ali AL-SAEDI - Professor, College of Physical Education, Baghdad University

Jordan – Mr. Fadi Ibrahim Mohammad ALJAZZAZI - Teacher’s Club Supervisor, Ministry of Education

Jordan – Ms. Nehad Mohammad Tomah MAKHADMEH - Physical Education Teacher, Al Ramtha Educational Directorate

Oman – Ms. Suada Salim AL ISMAILI - Director of Women’s Sports, Ministry of Sports Affairs