Exactly ten days from today is HALLOWEEN - My favorite holiday!! Always has been and probaly always will be. I love the fun factor of it. One day a year, you can get away with dressing up in costumes and go crazy. And plus it always gave me, and still does, the chance to wear one of my dance costumes again.. last year for example, I went to a Hollywood themed party, so I used a can-can dancer type of costume from a performance a few years back and called myself a Moulin Rouge dancer... creative indeed!
I started thinking about a month ago that wheelchair users can have tons of fun with Halloween and use their chair as the ultimate prop!
When I googled Halloween costumes for wheelchair users, I was finding that a lot of sites had said since you already have wheels, use them to your advantage. I came across ideas such as a rock-and-roll drummer (photo above from iltsource.com) and a king or queen on a throne. I'd consider myself a Halloween professional as far as decorations and costumes, so I'm a big stickler for original costumes and something you wouldn't see everyone else in, so these ideas are surely one-of-a-kind if you ask me!
Considering Halloween's on a Saturday this year, enjoy an entire day full of Halloween festivities and don't eat too much candy corn or candy apples!
Happy Halloween to all! Boo!
I'm one of those cool 20-something-year-olds that actually really likes to read. On the beach, or yes, even during a football tailgate. Either way though, I like a good read - ESPN magazine, a book by Nicholas Sparks, or The Star Ledger every morning. I have a library card to my local library and am a Barnes & Noble member. I admit, the reason I became a B&N member to begin with was because I refused to buy books from my college bookstore my freshman year - way too expensive - so I received a discount buying them through B&N and being a member.
But besides the 10% off discount every time I shop, I also regularly receive emails from them. Anything from special 25% off coupons to new items the store is featuring. Recently, an email came through my inbox that I actually opened and not sent it to the trash box right away. It was for the nook - the World's Most Advanced eBook Reader.
(Picture from Barnes & Noble website)
This item really struck me, because of how similar it is to the Kindle Book Reader by Amazon that is featured in our 2009 Holiday Gift Guide for People in Wheelchairs. Sure there are a few differences; like the nook is mostly navigated by touch screen whereas the Kindle has large forward and back buttons - but either way, as both are $259, they are pretty awesome products.
Happy Reading... and Happy Shopping!
Pretty sure anyone who knows me, even in the slighest, knows I'm a huge sports fan. I mean, here on my desk I have a NY Rangers mouse pad and a Miami Dolphins tissue box cover, I traveled to Miami a few months ago just to see the boys play, and the sports section of the newspaper is always a must-read every morning for me within 15 minutes of being awake.
So when I was pitched the idea to work on a new piece for the Foundation about what recreational sports are available in the winter for wheelchair users, you can bet it was right up my alley! I only started my research yesterday, but within a few clicks looking in the Reeve Foundation's Paralysis Resource Center, I had in front of me easily at least 50 links for wheelchair sports. The sports and competition fact sheet from the PRC was a great jumping off point.
Again, I have only just begun to research this topic, so please feel free comment and share any of your favorite winter wheelchair sports!
...oh yea, and check out this story in the Tell Us Your Story of the website about Tom Hernon; a paraplegic who developed a company, Back 2 Sports, to help others get back to life through sports!
Sport away friends!!
Hey Janelle,
Check out Power Soccer http://www.powersoccerusa.net/ . It is indoor soccer for power chair users. There are all kinds of leagues in the Indianapolis area. My husband and I have been to a few games. Fun to watch. A young man that lives down the street from us was just named to Team USA which will compete in the 2011 World Cup.
It is quite hard for me to go a whole 24 hours, let alone an hour, without talking about sports. So as I have been working on this recent piece about winter wheelchair sports, I have found that there are countless athletes out there who partake in both competitive and recreational wheelchair sports. Ironic maybe, but the Paralympics are coming up soon in March in Vancouver. I was just on the website, and couldn't help but to notice the amount of information offered. Take a look at the website, and even better be sure to tune in to the games starting March 12. Along with the Paralympics, check out this skiing video from the Reeve Foundation's Paralysis Resource Center. Feel free to reply to this forum with any other comments about wheelchair winter sports! Suggestions always welcome! Happy day.. and stay warm this winter everyone!
I come from a family who loves their cars and "toys" that can't be bought in Toys 'R Us. So when the guys at American Chopper built the wheelchair motorcycle that was unveiled at the Reeve Foundation's A Magical Evening back in November, I couldn't help but to be drawn to it because of what I have been surrounded by my whole life. My dad has owned one or two motorcycles in his day, but my uncle especially takes a significant liking to his Harleys.
When I saw Pauly Sr. drive out that extremely awesome motorcycle on stage at A Magical Evening, I immediately thought of my uncle, but then was pretty curious of how this machine was made. So when it came time to watch how the custom-built wheelchair motorcycle was created, I was a wee-bit excited! I saw the final product in person, but now it was time to see how it became its being.
Watching the episode, I thought these guys were incredibly dedicated to building the bike for us. There was 11 days of fabrication and 4 days of assembly. And when I saw Pauly Sr. riding it on the highway at the end of the episode, it looked like every second it took to build it was worth it.
Overall, I couldn't say it better than Pauly Sr. did himself, the bike was "unique!"
I urge everyone to watch the episode on how they built the wheelchair chopper. You can catch it on TLC on Thursday, January 14 at 8 pm or Friday, January 15 at 1 am. And if anything you can always do what I did: DVR it and watch it later on, over and over again!While you're at it, tell us about some activities that place zero boundries on your quality of life!
Roll on everyone, roll on!
Though my Dolphins are not in the postseason () I am still an avid football fan and watch all the playoff games.
During the Arizona Cardinals/New Orleans Saints game this weekend, Cardinals quarterback, Kurt Warner, was hit hard enough that it took him out of the game for the rest of the first half. Basically, football players I'm sure know the risk of playing a physical game; they just hope nothing serious ever happens.After Warner was hit, commentator, Tony Siragusa said, "That was the best thing that could have happened. His shoulder pads hit [the ground] first before his head, or that could've been a lot worse." Since working at the Reeve Foundation, I knew what he meant.
Life in general runs a lot of risks, but contact sports all the more so. Speaking of sports, there are a number of active sports for people in wheelchairs. Take a look at the sports and competition page in the Paralysis Resource Center. And don't forget the Olympics and Paralympics are just around the corner!
(photo retrieved from www.vancouver2010.com)
Last week, I had the privilege of hearing one of the Reeve Foundation’s ambassadors, Scott Chesney, come in and speak. He spoke no more than five or ten minutes, but in those minutes, he said some pretty powerful words and I am more than grateful I was able to hear them.
At one point he talked about the Navy. A very dear friend of mine just enlisted and is leaving tomorrow, so I was extremely drawn to Chesney’s words. He talked about when he visits the VA hospitals, he admires the discipline of the individuals and further to “tap into the soldier inside you.” I immediately couldn’t help but to think ‘Does this guy know my friend or something with all he just said?!’
More so now than ever before, issues concerning the military will immediately spark an interest for me. I would like to the say the sincerest thank you to Scott Chesney, my friend whom I couldn't be happier for, and to our country’s brave military.
Be sure to check out the Reeve Foundation’s Military Outreach Campaign in the Paralysis Resource Center. It offers and links for more information for service members and veterans with mobility impairment from a spinal cord injury or a traumatic brain injury.
I was eating breakfast this morning, half asleep, when my brother handed me this flyer that read "EveryBODY Skates New Jersey." After glazing over it quickly while eating my pancakes, he pointed to a picture of boy playing sled hockey and said "This looked awesome!"He was at a New Jersey Devils game last night and was handed the flyer after signing a petition to convince local ice rinks to allocate one hour of ice time per week to Disabled Hockey.The timing worked out well, considering I just wrote the piece about the Winter Sports for People with Paralysis. The story features a section about sled hockey and other winter sports. Take a look at it. And take a look at the Paralympic Games coming up in just a few weeks!
Alrighty - as to be expected I have to write today about Super Bowl XLIV. Hands down, my favorite (unofficial) holiday of the year. The game itself between the Saints and Colts was one of the finest Super Bowls I can recall; it was a game of champions, with great football being played on the field, amazing encouragement from the fans both at the game and watching it in front of their tvs (and on Bourbon Street!), and some really wonderful stories behind it all. Kind of like the Cinderella of football games, if you will.
I honestly could go on for many paragraphs about the game and the aura of it all - but I'll leave it at that I was thrilled that the Saints won; and even more thrilled now because I just looked up the Dolphins schedule for next season!
With the Super Bowl being over, now marks the time to celebrate the next set of big sporting events. No, no, not the Stanley Cup... The most elite class of athletes from all over the world will soon participate in the Olympics and Paralympics! I recently wrote the piece Winter Sports for People in Wheelchairs. The story gives me a new perspective to the Paralympics and really all the opportunities that are available.
The Paralympic website features overviews of the sports being played and even a really interesting video of wheelchair curling. Be sure to tune in to the games starting March 12!
The 2010 Olympic Games are hereeeee! And in less than one month, the Paralympic Games are set to begin!Growing up, I admit, I was never overinterested in Olympics. This year however, I find myself cozying up on my couch and tuning into NBC to watch all the events. Last night, my dad and I watched a few rounds of the luge. Holy wow is all I have to say! I thought it looked pretty thrilling just watching it, then the commentators announced the athlete clocked in at going 82 mph! 82 mph in a car feels fast, I couldn't imagine going 82 in an open sled essentially laying down. I have learned a great deal about the luge since writing a story about Tom Hernon and another about Winter Sports for People in Wheelchairs; but I think my dad's reaction explained it best: "Geezzzzzzz!" was all he could say right after they announced the incredibly fast speed! Take a look at some of the luge videos on the official Olympic website. There are some awesome photos that capture the speed of the athletes too. And stay tuned in, I'll be writing more as both the Olympics and Paralympics continue on!
One of my favorite sections of the newspaper I make sure I read every morning in the sports section (no surprise there!) Certain sports I look forward to reading more than others, and I kept wondering why this past week there wasn't any stories on the NHL. I finally remembered the NHL takes a few weeks off during the Olympic Games since so many players are on Olympic teams.
Last night, one of the more anticipated games took place, USA vs. Canada! A lot of recognizable faces were on the ice; like Martin Brodeur, and one of my favorite players, Chris Drury. The final score was USA, 5 and Canada, 2. Go Team USA! One of the reasons I love hockey so much is because of how aggressive and hard hitting it is. A game full of checking, gloves and jerseys being torn off, and some major penalty box time, is pretty awesome!In 1994, ice sledge hockey was introduced into the Paralympics and is just as demanding as ice hockey. The ice sledge ice hockey page on the Paralympic Games website outlines everything from terms of the game to intense pictures of players in action from the 2006 Games in Torino. Have a look!
Be sure to reply with any of your favorite moments from the Olympic and Paralympic Games!
By now, I figure just about everyone has heard of the movie The Blind Side based on the true story of current NFL player, Michael Oher. I admit, being the huge football fan I am, that I have not seen it yet. However, there is good reason for that. I'm real big on reading a book before seeing the movie. So a few months back, a good friend of mine told me she bought the book version of The Blind Side written by Michael Lewis. That night, I strolled into Barnes & Noble and bought it.
I recently finished the book, so I hope to watch the movie soon. There is an incredible line towards the beginning half of the book that relates football and life. (Picture from www.barnesandnoble.com)
"Football history, like personal history, is cleaner and more orderly in retrospect that it is at the time. It tends to not have crisp beginnings and endings. It progresses an accident at a time."
Aside from it relating to football and life, this quotation relates a great deal to the Olympics that finished up last night, and the Paralympics set to begin in less than two weeks. Despite whatever obstacles and hardships athletes went through to get to where they are now, the afterthought is simply that though none of it came easy; but it was worth it.
Reply back and let us know your thoughts on the 2010 Games!!
