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================================================= Adaptive Sports & Recreation May 18, 2005 Vol. 1, Issue 16 ================================================= Stephen Michael Kerr, Publisher stevekerr@ev1.net www.AdaptiveSports.AFreePress.com To subscribe, send a blank email to: 41809-subscribe@zinester.com Copyright 2005, Stephen Michael Kerr. ================================================= Privacy Policy ================================================= Your privacy is very important to me. Your email address will never be sold, shared, or distributed with anyone. You may forward copies of this newsletter to friends and family, and encourage them to subscribe. If you feel you have received this ezine in error, you may unsubscribe at any time; information on how to unsubscribe is at the bottom of this message. Some email programs automatically block or filter group mailings, so you may be missing emails and not know it. To make sure you receive each issue of this ezine, please add the following address to your approved email list: AdaptiveSportsAndRecreation@Zinester.com ================================================= In This Issue ================================================= - From The Publisher - Spotlight: The Paralympic World Cup by Stephen Michael Kerr - Profile: Omahan conquers disability on track BY JOHN MARTIN FEY, WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER - In The News - Keeping Fit: Laughter and Your Health by John Ryan - Helpful Links - On Deck - Contact Information ================================================= From The Publisher ================================================= Welcome to Adaptive Sports & Recreation, delivered to your inbox every other Wednesday. You'll find useful links and fascinating articles about unique sports played by people with many types of disabilities. Whether you're a friend or relative of a disabled individual, an adaptive physical education teacher, or a disabled person looking for ways to lead a more active life, this ezine can provide the information you're looking for. There's even a health and fitness section that anyone, disabled or not, will enjoy. Your feedback is always welcome. Please email me at: stevekerr@ev1.net ********** My new website http://www.adaptivesports.afreepress.com is coming along nicely. There are still some pages that haven't been worked on yet, but you will find many articles from previous issues of ASR. Plus, you have opportunities to comment on those articles, or anything else related to adaptive sports, on the message boards. I'm looking into the possibility of changing the format of ASR just a bit. Instead of having the full-length articles in the newsletter, each issue would contain brief summaries of articles, with a link pointing to the full article. Many of those articles would be on the site; others would be on the sites of the authors or publications they're taken from, as in the case of "Keeping Fit" or many of our athlete profiles. There are several reasons why this is being considered. My site would generate more traffic, which is obviously the goal of any website. This would also enhance other sites the articles are taken from. Plus, it should be easier to select specific articles you wish to read, and click on those articles, rather than wading through full-length pieces to find your favorite features. But as always, I'd like your feedback on this. Feel free to give me your suggestions and comments. Just email me at: stevekerr@ev1.net with "Feedback" in the subject line. Talk to you soon. ------------------------------------------------- Stephen Michael Kerr is the publisher of Adaptive Sports & Recreation, as well as a radio broadcaster and freelance writer in Austin, Texas. Visit his official website: www.AdaptiveSports.AFreePress.com You'll find selected articles from ASR, links, adaptive sports news, and message boards. You can even post your own adaptive sports story or news item. Please support the site by clicking on the Google ads and using the Google search function on each page. ------------------------------------------------- ================================================= Feature Ad ================================================= NewsFlash*SnowPack is an ezine for the athlete in all of us. Filled with health and fitness info, tips, links and recipes, NewsFlash is your source for the latest healthy news. Articles include information about natural pain relief, the latest exercise research, a personal hiking journal, book reviews and so much more. Subscribe today at http://home.netcom.com/~newsflash Or send an email to: newsflash@ix.netcom.com with Subscribe in the subject line. ================================================= Spotlight ================================================= The Paralympic World Cup by Stephen Michael Kerr For the first time since last summer's Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece, disabled athletes from around the world came together once again. This time, 348 athletes from 46 countries gathered in Manchester, Great Britain May 12-15 for the first ever Visa Paralympic World Cup, the largest international multi-sport annual event for disabled athletes. Many of the stars from the 2004 Paralympics were on hand, competing in track and field (also known as athletics), track cycling, swimming, and wheelchair basketball. The Cup was also televised in 156 countries, and was organized by Fast Track Events, sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and hosted by the British Paralympic Association. Funding for the event was provided by UK Sport, the Manchester City Council, and the Northwest Regional Development Agency. In wheelchair basketball, the Great Britain men's team edged Austrailia 58-57 in overtime to win the gold medal, while the French women's team captured the gold in their division with a 55-34 win over Great Britain. In swimming, South Africa's Natalie Du Toit set four world records and took home three gold medals. Great Britain won five golds in the pool, including a world record in the women's SM6 200m IM set by Natalie Jones with a time of 3:17:39. A total of 10 world records were set in track cycling, while Great Britain won a whopping 11 gold medals in the sport. Numerous world records were also achieved in track and field, including the women's F-38 Shot, as Lithuania's Aldona Grigaliuniene set a new mark of 11.61m. "The Paralympic family has been welcomed to Manchester in fine style with the athletes performing to world-class standards," said IPC President Phil Craven. "The Visa Paralympic World Cup is a key event for our sport." For all the results and information about the World Cup, log onto the event's official website: http://www.paralympicworldcup.com/ ** If you have an idea for a spotlight on a particular adaptive sport or organization, send it to: stevekerr@ev1.net with "Spotlight" in the subject line. ================================================= Profile ================================================= Omahan conquers disability on track BY JOHN MARTIN FEY WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER Reprinted with permission from the Omaha World-Herald It didn't take long for Kurt Fiene to realize he was in for a lifetime of vision problems. At an early age, Fiene discovered he had a congenital eye disease that today has him with no sight in one eye and very little in the other. But that hasn't stopped the 43-year-old transplanted Omahan from running impressive times in long-distance races. "I picked up running my senior year in college to lose weight," said Fiene, an Illinois State graduate who moved to Omaha from Elmhurst, Ill., two months ago. Maintaining weight hasn't been a problem for Fiene, who began running competitively in 1984. He runs just about every day and competes in road races whenever he can. Amazingly, Fiene's times improved as he got older. His personal best in the marathon is 2 hours, 56 minutes, coming at Chicago in 2003. "That was the first time I went under 3 hours," he said. "That felt really good." Fiene's sight disability qualifies him as a blind runner. He holds the United States Association of Blind Athletes record for eight kilometers, 29:24 set at the 2003 Shamrock 8K in Chicago. Once settled in at his Omaha home, Fiene began training with Christy Nielsen, perhaps the area's fastest female distance runner. They first met two years ago at Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minn. "It's been really good," said Nielsen, a former star at Creighton. "He keeps you focused. I've always struggled with my hard runs, so it's been really great for that. If one of us takes a step back, he'll say, 'Come on.' "You get the energy off the other person." Nielsen said she admires Fiene as much for his ability to overcome his disability as much as the times he achieves. "I knew he had the talent in the past," Nielsen said, "but I didn't know at (age) 43 if he still had it." Proving he still has it, Fiene ran a blind-record 27:45 at a recent five-mile race at Fremont, Neb. He returned to Elmhurst Sunday and set another record with a 16:51 time in the 5K. Fiene said he doesn't consider his feats that remarkable and tries to be just another competitor at races. Still, there are challenges. "When I'm running, my eyes get blurry after awhile," he said. "After I first start out, I can see people in front of me maybe 40 or 50 feet. It gets worse as I go along." On humid days, his "good" eye clouds up, so Fiene has to use drops. "Some days it gets worse than others," he said. "It's frustrating, but you have to deal with it." When he's not running, Fiene gets around by bicycle, but he prefers pounding the pavement with Nielsen or by himself. Fiene's next goal is to qualify for the European Open Team Championships in Espoo, Finland, next August. He plans to run the Sunburst Marathon at South Bend, Ind., in June, hoping to run the necessary qualifying time of 2:44. Nielsen said she won't be at all surprised if it happens. ** Have an idea for a profile? Just send an email to: stevekerr@ev1.net with "Profile" in the subject line. ================================================= In The News ================================================= This year's Wimbledon is set to feature a wheelchair tennis tournament for the first time in its history. A new men's invitation doubles contest will replace the demonstration matches held since 2001. The four-pair tournament, offering GBP6,000 prize money, will take place over the final weekend on July 2-3. It will involve eight of the world's leading men's wheelchair tennis doubles players with the semi-finals on Saturday and the final on Sunday. ********** ** If you know of an adaptive sports event for this section, send it to: stevekerr@ev1.net and put "News" in the subject line. ================================================= Keeping Fit ================================================= Laughter and your health by: John Ryan Jokes and humor for your health When thinking about alternative medicine, most people picture plants, crystals, needles, maybe some bugs and leeches, but few realize that jokes, humor and comedy are truly medicines, in their own right. It has long been established that optimists live longer than pessimists, but now there is some hard evidence that people with a better sense of humor also have longer and healthier lives. Your "stay healthy" plan should include a joke and a 20-minute comedy show, to go with the broccoli and carrots. There are now various associations and physicians specialized in the so-called therapeutic humor, who are still investigating the roles of laughter in our lives. Perhaps the most obvious of these roles is that related to the social life - jokes often allow people to connect and to bond, and sharing a good laughter is a good method to integrate in a team, to get along with the coworkers, neighbors and so on. This function is vital from the point of view of mental health, since it reduces loneliness and, with it, depression and other problems associated with it. You don't have to be trained in stand-up comedy in order to say something funny, sometimes all you need is a change of perspective or the courage to make fun at your own expense. Humor is an invaluable asset in crisis situations, when it helps us calm down and reduce the levels of stress (and all the negative effects stress has on health). It is often considered that, among patients with very severe diseases, those with an upbeat approach, who are capable of making jokes about their situations, have the best chances to defeat the illness. So far, there have been no scientific studies to prove this, but the patients themselves report feeling better after joining an activity with humorous potential, even if it's just watching a comedy show together with some friends or with other patients. Recent researches suggest that laughter influences more than our mental framework, it actually has a positive effect on the physical aspect as well. It has been widely accepted, for some time, that laughter increases the pain resistance level, but the theory is still not proven. In fact, very few studies have yet been made about the relation between comedy and health, but those existing seem to indicate that a good joke may lower the blood pressure, improve memory and cognitive functions and boost the immune system. Moreover, these results are not short-term only: it seems that a good sense of humor may protect you against heart diseases and alter your biochemical state to a level where the organism produces more antibodies. The lack of research in the field is due to the fact that people have always assumed that laughter is good for your health (along with an apple a day and a breath of fresh air), but little has been done to analyze this in depth. There is also a "bad" humor (same as there is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol). This category includes the approach that makes people feel miserable about themselves, or angry, upset and vengeful, as well as the skeptic and cynic attitude, which is often the front for deep depression and indifference. Jokes directed at other people are also "bad" humor, along with ethnic, racial and sexist jokes, which are born out of frustration, not out of optimism and cheerfulness. Also, people who often make fun of themselves hide a low self esteem, which is only worsened with every funny joke they invent (there is a good reason why clowns and successful comedy actors are often perceived as sad and depressed in their real lives). If you decide to use laughter as a therapeutic method, the first obvious issue is that there are no harmful side effects, and you've got nothing to lose. The second issue is that you can actually improve your sense of humor in time, same as any other skill or ability, by constant training and exposure to jokes and comedy. Next time you go to the movies, buy a ticket for a comedy, no matter how dumb the poster looks. When you read the paper, don't forget to check out their daily cartoon too. Spend ten minutes every day reading jokes, and, when you find some you like, share them with your friends. (And when your boss catches you reading jokes instead of working, tell him it's just therapy, he can't stop your from taking your medication at work, right?) Last but not least, try to find the funny side of the small things that happen every day around you - there is always something absurd or plain stupid going on right near you, which may provide five minutes of good laugher, which, in turn, may unblock some arteries and keep the heart attack far away. About The Author John Ryan is the author of the famous 10-day Free online Quit Smoking Course at www.quitsmokingonline.com In his spare time,he likes to rewrite classic jokes at www.jokes-comedy.com. john@quitsmokingonline.com ================================================= Helpful Links ================================================= Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte, Colorado A nonprofit organization that provides year-round sports activities to people with disabilities and their families. http://www.adaptivesports.org/home.cfm Dwarf Athletic Association of America Formed in 1985 to develop, promote, and provide athletic opportunities to dwarf athletes in the United States. http://www.daaa.org/ The National Beep Baseball Association The governing body of baseball for the blind, a modified form of America's pastime. http://www.nbba.org/ Texas Adaptive Aquatics Provides water skiing opportunities to children and adults with various disabilities. http://www.taasports.org/ ** If you have a link to an adaptive sports organization that you would like listed in this section, email it to: stevekerr@ev1.net with "Helpful Links" in the subject line. ================================================= On Deck ================================================= Here's a peek at what's coming up in the next issue. Last September, Lindsay Nielsen became the first woman amputee to complete an Ironman Triathlon. She shares her thoughts about her triumph in our next "Profile". So you want to start an exercise program, and hire a personal trainer? How do you find the right one for you? Should you even use a personal trainer? If you're seeking the answers to these questions, you don't want to miss Aaron Pott's article in the next "Keeping Fit". ================================================= Contact Information ================================================= Stephen Michael Kerr, Publisher stevekerr@ev1.net 1218 Hughmont Dr. Pflugerville, Tx 78660 www.AdaptiveSports.AFreePress.com There is no charge to subscribe to this ezine. Just send a blank e-mail to: 41809-subscribe@zinester.com To unsubscribe, send a blank e-mail to: 41809-unsubscribe@zinester.com ================================================= Disclaimer ================================================= Although we believe our advertisers to be honest in their practices, we cannot be held responsible for the products or services they offer. Please make sure to check out all opportunities, products, or services before you buy. |
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June01, 2005 - June 1, 2005, Issue 17 >> |
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