Met with Aimee Berg after the New York City Triathlon, we had a nice talk (okay, I jabbered about my self for 2 hours) and she wrote the following story. Thanks Aimee!TeamUSA.org
Camps got your BACK!
A funny thing happened on my way home from Youth Camp this year...and NO ONE LAUGHED! I had made my way quite successfully through a week of dancing, climbing, soccer,and gaga (obviously I am horrible at all of them - save for my domination in gaga ball=). I survived all sorts of fun and demanding activities in Ohio only to go down in glory in front of a huge audience of fellow travelers back at SeaTac airport. My backpack was huge and heavy and I was toting my racing chair along - an Ironman-wannabe can't travel without SOME gear.
So, I had just walked in front of all these people to pick my spot while waiting for the underground train. My right toe just grazed the ground and everything was CHRYSTAL CLEAR and in Sl-o-wwW mowwW-t-i-onnn.
This boy was goin' down!
No biggie really, it's a pretty common occurrence for someone without biological knees or feet and only one of them hip thingers. With all the gear though, it was going to be messy - I went down in about 5 different acts...each one more awkward and outstanding than the last. The entire way down I was just thinking about the people's reactions - it's always about the same: 'Oh Dear!' can usually be heard somewhere from one of the more fragile bystanders, then there's some running over and offers of assistance mixed in with 'are you alright' types of really normal things that are completely fine, understandable, and appreciated.
Okay fine, but as I lay nose (honestly) pressed to the hard, shiny floor that had just amplified the fall with the mess of metal legs clanging against it on their way to the ground, I was listening to a man's dress shoes clicking quickly over and I thought:
"Damn - I wish I was back at camp!"
Instead of popping right back up, I just lay there reflecting (and sort of hiding). Just minutes after saying goodbye to the last camper that I traveled home with, I already missed having the company of a fellow amputee to laugh about this with.
I WAS FINE! IT WAS FUNNY!!!
Here, among all these darn normal people, the only thing I could do was get embarrassed.
Within this tale of clumsiness lies the beauty of camp. It is full of kids (and counselors) that can relate. You just don't get that the other 51 weeks of the year and it feels really good to know, somewhere out there, are a bunch of people going through the exact same things as you.
I definitely draw strength from that and I believe the kids do too.
Thank you so much for your support of the Paddy Rossbach Youth Camp. It is every bit WORTHY of your donations and I hope that you will keep supporting it. The second I feel otherwise - I will be honest about it and find another way. We would like to grow this camp. EVERY year, more kids lose a limb to a lawnmower accident alone (over 500!), than are currently able to come to camp.
There is plenty of need and camp fulfills a vital role in kids' well being. We are all grateful for it and for your help.
See you next year CAMPERS!
-AjK
I did it!
Yes, it's a lame title - but I'm not worried. It feels good to set out towards a goal, work through the ups and downs, and pull it off. I am excited exactly because - I did it. I made up my mind back in September to do this race and never did I expect it to go this well. The physical and mental training routine was: work at it, focus, get better, get stronger, be lazy, slack off, regroup, recommit, and repeat. There has been a lot of small failures along the road, I didn't just setup a training schedule, stick to it and go win a race. Life just isn't that easy and it's hardly ever simple. I messed up the whole way through the process, BUT I addressed the issues - some of them on this blog. I was honest with myself about my desires and how much I was doing to achieve them. This time around, I am most proud because I pushed through the setbacks and flaws. I am learning to accept that there are certain things I won't ever get right and some that, if unfixed will cost me my goals.
The only thing that would've made this last week better, is if I could have shared it with my old man. As it all went down, I'm happy and fortunate that my wife, my mother and both my sisters were with me to experience a half Ironman and all the anxiety, adrenaline, fatigue and emotion that makeup an event. Buffalo Springs Lake 70.3 was my first Ironman experience. In my mind, it was epic.
It was hot (high of day = 112) it was windy (20-28mph all race long) and it was long (the bike course was only 56 miles but it felt like 56 after the first 40). I spent most of the race in 2nd place, worried that 1st place was leaving me behind and fearing the moment I would see 3rd place slide into my field of vision and pass me. Well, neither happened and I caught up with 1st place on a steep hill during the run, in our racing wheelchairs. After taking over, there was another big downhill followed by a climb. The temperature was really started to bake and I just wanted it to be over. The next sight made it clear there was plenty more work. There's an intersection after the climb and you make a right. It is flat but straight into the wind. You can see far and all you see is runners on the left and right of the road, most of them walking, all of them spent. It was a grueling trip past a couple aid stations to the turnaround. Once I made that - I was home. It was downwind, I got to see my lead as I passed #2 and I knew I had it. Such a good feeling - about as good as 5hrs of sweat can feel, I suppose. Well, I made it the final miles and startled my family at the finish line. They were expecting to see the other guy first, then start looking for me. Suckers.
Without going on for several paragraphs to explain, my handcycle didn't conform to the rules. At the awards ceremony, it was explained that although my equipment wasn't why I'd won, I would not be on the podium because of the regulations. So, I was extremely excited when, Marc Aten and Jason Fowler acknowledged what I had done by declining the 2nd qualifying spot to the World Ironman Championships in Kona. Which means - the stage is set for the next goal and we're going to Hawaii!
-Andre
Why I tri
andre_duckbillthrill2011
Well, I'm not entirely sure, why I tri - but it might be a good time to explain it to myself. It's a huge drain of time and energy. It's really a battle with yourself and those are not smart to wage without a good reason.
In the time following my accident, a lot of encouragement came by way of suggestions for physical things I should do. Back then I really wasn't that interested in most options. A racing wheelchair, for example, was not something I looked at as a fun challenge. Other things like golf, were tainted by difficulties and my mother's advice to just strap myself to the side of a golf cart. My main focus was to get mobile, regain independence, and carry on with life. I don't think, or expect, anybody (save for a few of my peers) to have any idea just how hard it is for me to walk. It has taken a while to crave other physical challenges.
I bet if Prague, CZ had a more active craigslist community, I would have started training earlier. It wasn't until I returned to the States a couple years ago that I found a piece of equipment cheap enough to buy. It was a racing chair. Thanks to my generous sister (as opposed to the selfish one...wawink) now I have a handcycle and just finished my first solo tri, an olympic distance two weekends ago.
Last September I completed a half-ironman with a teammate who did the cycling leg.
On the morning of the race, I stood there looking at the swim course off La Jolla cove, in the Pacific Ocean. I was pretty sure that I could handle the 1.2 mile loop - but I was far from positive. Looking way out at the big yellow pyramids, I could only think, "that is far". I did it in less time than I was hoping (39 minutes) and it was intense - no disappointments.
I shake my head just thinking about a full Ironman. For those of you who don't know, that's a 2.4mi swim, 112mi bike, topped of with a full marathon - 26.2 miles.
Triathlons, especially long ones are daunting. That's what I like about them. They have bragging rights, they have obstacles. They demand toughness, discipline, and so many other things that make you fight. That feels good. It is an outlet and an exercise, and not just a physical one.
So Kenny Powers isn't trying to be the best at exercise.
That's funny and I get it, triathlon is a lot different than other sports. For one it is no spectator sport. It is definitely a participant sport and the spectators are mainly there to provide support (Thanks Mj!) The internal war of a competition and training is awesome - the insight into self and struggle makes it a satisfyingly hellish experience. I've got a long ways to go and very little to base this all on - but it's growing into something and each achievement so far has propelled me to the next one.
In addition, you get to travel! In 4 weeks, I'm off to Texas with the whole family for a half-Ironman. While Lubbock, TX might not be everybody's ideal destination - there are events in just about every beautiful and interesting place around the globe. If not just yet - there will be soon. How does Nice, FR sound? Or Mallorca, Costa Rica, Sardinia, Croatia, or the Vineman triathlon in Sonoma County. If I do well enough in Texas I qualify for the World Championships in Hawaii and, well, this is how I convince my wife that she may benefit from all this nonsense.
So yeah - I think I've convinced myself to continue the grind. Thank heavens for afternoon coffees, Pandora, the joy of going fast, and my only sponsor (so far...and it is a great one) Platinum Performance!
-AjK
Camp Get Enough Support.
***Please help us make Bianca's Birthday Wish come true. Donate to Youth Camp!
When I go to a swimming pool, I am that different guy. Sitting on the ground after popping off my legs and hopping along on my arms, I cannot help but be self-conscious. I clearly remember the first day, after nearly 3 months (aka- eternity) in the hospital, out and about in my car with hand controls. Straight to the hardware store I went, out to do whatever with my regained independence. There was a moment when I wheeled into the large establishment that it hit me, how I must look. A legless dude, sitting in a wheelchair trying to get along as normally as possible, yet looking can't-help-but-notice peculiar. There was a real sense of pride when I realized it simply didn't bother me enough to keep me from going and doing whatever I needed or wanted to do. There's been a lot of those moments in my life. It feels good and right - to push out concerns of other's perceptions or my own discomfort with who I am. This has absolutely allowed me to enjoy life more.
That's why, when my sister Bianca suggested to me, "Let's volunteer at the Amputee Youth Camp", I was in. Not only did it mean so much to me that she wanted to be involved, but it made perfect sense to me - being an amputee (while escaping this added complication while traversing adolescence) I could understand how much this opportunity could mean to the kids.
Last summer we went to Camp Joy and took part in an absolutely amazing experience that has us both totally committed to this cause and eager to not only go back to camp but to try our best to make sure that all kids with limb loss or limb difference can attend. I wish you all could experience it but I'll just take a shot at providing a glimpse:
Think of me, an adult trying to get a workout at a local pool and worrying about self image and the logistics of it all, coping pretty well but having a good deal of life experience to aide in that effort. Now imagine a 10 year old, at the pool, surrounded by 100 other swimmers that all live their daily lives confronting similar issues in mobility, inhibition, and a whole host of other small and large issues that other people simply aren't aware of. That's one example of what camp offers.
My hope is that every single child who has lost a limb to trauma, disease, or was born with a limb difference, gets to come to this camp to learn, try new things, and share experiences with those who understand. Camp and all travel expenses for the kids are paid for by the Amputee Coalition. The facilities are excellent. I've been to summer camps as a kid and this still felt like camp. While being accessible to every camper, nothing is too easy. Getting around camp takes effort and creativity. The Camp provides an atmosphere for positive growth and gives the children (and volunteers) an amazing outlook for their daily lives. It is truly inspirational; it made me want to live better and do more.
My sister's Birthday is Saturday. She has made it her wish this year to raise $34,000 to help get kids to camp. Please give a little, it will go directly to camp and it will do a lot!