Adaptive Sports and Recreation Breakdown: Late July 2012

The goal of the "Breakdown" is to feature the best of the web from the recent past as it relates to adaptive sports competitions, Paralympic information, disability sport, videos, news, information and more.

For submissions of video, sports reporting, articles, pictures and anything adaptive sports news worthy please send submissions for consideration to adaptivesportandrecreation@gmail.com

Competition Results:

National Junior Disability Championships:

The National Junior Disability Championships took place this week in Mesa Arizona, USA. This annual event is hosted by Wheelchair and Ambulatory Sports USA and the 2012 local partner Arizona Disabled Sports . Youth from all over the world attend to compete in athletics, archery, power lifting, swimming, table tennis and more.

British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championship: 

Dutchwoman Esther Vergeer have not been beaten in wheelchair tennis is 9 years. She claimed her 12th British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championship title this week.

What is Goalball?

Canada has the win in Goalball! (includes video)

Canada beats Japan to win the fourth International Goal Ball Classic in Alabama. This exciting sport is a blast to play, highly competitive and all spectators need to keep extra quite so the player can hear the bells in the ball.

Paralympics:

London 2012 Smart Phone App:

The official London 2012 App for Smart Phones has been released for the Olympic and the Paralympics.  This app was designed with the sports fan in mind and includes useful information on venues, schedules, scores and more.  

Everything you need to know about the Paralympics, but were afraid to ask

The UK newspaper the Guardian has published a short article answering some hot questions about the Paralympics that some people might be afraid to ask. Where did the name Paralympics come from? How hard do Paralympians train? How should I behave around Paralympians? Find answers to these questions.

Channel 4 "Meet the Super Humans" commercial makes a big impression (includes video)

Channel 4 has a good thing going.  They created a TV spot called "Meet the Super Humans" about the 2012 British Paralmypic Team that has gone viral on the Internet.  This is a short article about the making of the piece which includes a high definition clip of the ad.  Watch it once and you will have to watch it again.

Wheelchair Rugby (AKA Murderball) schedule for London 2012

The International Paralympic Committee has released the schedule for the London 2012 Wheelchair Rugby Match ups. The tickets are scarce so plan on watching this on TV and tell your friends.

Eye Candy:

Erik Weihenmayer, the first person with a visual impairment 

to climb the seven summits runs class 3 white water

Challenged Athletes Foundation interview (includes video)

Blake Leeper, who is sponsored by the Challenged Athletes Foundation , is on his way to the London 2012 Paralympics. The Fox 5 news team interviews him.

Ce-Ce Mazyck, a wounded warrior, introduces us to 

the art and technique of javelin 

South Sudanese Wheelchair Basket Ball Team

These individuals have over come the ravages of war in a developing national.  The wheelchair basketball team from South Sudan is hoping for a Paralympic berth.

Nike: Find your Greatness

Features some adaptive athletes

Humans:

Oksana Masters posing in the Bodies Issue of ESPN magazine

Individuals at the top of their game, fit, toned and naked. Each year ESPN releases the Bodies Issue and it always causes a stir. This year was no exception. Oksana Masters, a Paralympic rower is featured in her birthday suit. You be the judge.

Athletes Prosthetic Arm Stolen

Arnaud Assoumani, who one a gold medal in Beijing 2008, has gotten his gold arm back.  French police saved the day when they returned it after thieves stole it.

Alana Nichols on "Qualified"
First athlete to win a gold medal in the both
the Summer and Winter Paralympics
(Check out the "Gun Rack" at the end)

Hang gliding...good clean fun

Hang gliding is a sport not for the faith of heart. This activity does have it's risks but it also has the reward of soaring like a bird. These individual are stepping up and leaving their disability on the ground.

Education:

Adaptive Archery (includes video)

This very blog "Adaptive Sport and Recreation" published an informative post this week on Adaptive Archery for persons with disabilities. This great pastime can be enjoyed as a recreation or as competition. It sure is making the headlines these days.

Adapt2Achieve Conference

Disabled Sports USA is hosting their Adapt2Achieve Conference in Seattle Washington on August 19-21. Developed with the adaptive sports program in mind this conference will feature train sessions in adaptive archery (see above), adaptive climbing, and nonprofit administrative topics.  CEUs will be offered from ATRA.  Register today!
  

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Thanks for tuning in.

Knowledge is Empowerment!
-RAM

Adaptive Archery for Persons with Disabilities

Archery is an ancient pastime which today is a very popular activity.  Hollywood is bringing this accessible sport and activity to the mainstream with the movies the Avengers, Hunger Games and Brave.  It is practices by athletes, hunters and as a recreation all over the world. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to access adaptive archery as it is a fun way to get active.  As well it is a featured competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. This blog will give anyone interested in archery a taste for how adaptable the sport has become.

The first year that archery was in the Paralympics was 1960 in Rome, Italy 

although it was featured at the Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948.

These young athletes are double and triple amputees

Matt Stutzman "The armless Archer" and a member of the

US Paralympic Team.  Double arm amputee.

Blind and Visually Impaired Archery Competition

Some resources for someone looking to learn more about archery with a disability: 

(Click on the organization to be taken to their websites)

World Archery Federation: (click on the Para-Archery Tab): This federation oversees all international archery including Paralympic level competition.

Archery TV:  The Internet TV station for the World Archery Federation.

United Foundation of Disabled Archers: This organization supports persons with disabilities who desire equal access to bow hunting and outdoor adventures.

USA Archery: National Governing Body which oversees archery in the United States. Includes Paralympic information.

140 Athletes will shoot in nine medal events at the London 2012 Paralympics

The event will take place at the Royal Artillery Barracks

The Physically Challenged Bowhunters of America: The name says it all. Another organization to assist persons with disabilities to get outside and hunt.

History of Archery: The history of archery as told by Wikipeda.

Disabled Archery USA: Grass roots organization which provides information on training, equipment selection, rules and many other aspects of adaptive archery

London 2012 Paralympics Archery: The official site for archery at the London Games.  View schedules, rules and more.

International Paralympic Committee Archery: The IPC oversees all international competitions and rules around the sport of archery. This is a good starting point for international visitors.

Youth shooting archery from a wheelchair

The Boss is the name for the target on an archery range.

British Paralympic Athlete Danielle Brown
is the current women's world archer champion


Arrows for Paralympic competition are made of carbon graphite.

Archer Antonio Rebollo lighting the 1992 Olympic Flame

Paralympian Matt Stutzman breaking the 

Guinness Book of World Records for longest accurate archery shot.

There are introductory archery clinics for persons with disabilities around the United States and around the world.  This accessible activity is inexpensive to get into and a lot of fun.  What are you waiting for?  Find your local archery club or fish and game club today and get out there.  

Knowledge is Empowerment!

-RAM