Anjali Forber-Pratt

Please support the Paralympic movement and cheer on some of my fellow teammates and friends as they compete in the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games!

The best place to watch the live action is: ParalympicSport.TV
ParalympicSport.TV, the IPC's internet TV channel, will broadcast more than 150 hours from the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from 12-21 March 2010. All Paralympic sports will be covered in the programming, either live or delayed. This coverage will also be made available as Video on Demand (VOD) after the events on ParalympicSport.TV.

NBC Sports and Universal Sports will provide broadcast coverage of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

Coverage on NBC Sports will include a one-hour program recapping the Opening Ceremony on Saturday, March 13 (1-2 p.m. ET) and a two-hour highlights program on Saturday, April 10 (3-5 p.m. ET).

In addition to the coverage on NBC Sports, Universal Sports will broadcast a nightly two-hour show for nine straight nights dedicated to the daily competition of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games starting on Monday, March 15 at 6 p.m. ET (re-air at 11 p.m. ET) and continuing nightly through Tuesday, March 23.

Additionally, UniversalSports.com will offer on-demand re-airs of the Universal Sports television coverage, plus full-length event "rewinds."

The official site of the U.S. Paralympic Team, usparalympics.org, will also offer daily video and news highlights of the competition from Vancouver. To sign up for a daily email with updates from Team USA please go here.

To Review:

NBC Sports
Opening Ceremony highlights - Saturday, March 13, 1-2 p.m.
Paralympics recap - Saturday, April 10, 3-5 p.m.

Universal Sports
Monday, March 15 - Tuesday March 23, 7 p.m. (re-air at 11 p.m.)

ParalympicSport.TV
LIVE ACTION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE GAMES MARCH 12-21

Watching the 2010 Vancouver Games has been so incredibly exciting, and at the same time incredibly difficult to watch. Every day I am glued to the television, in class, (yep, I admit it…and for my professors and classmates reading this, what can I say, I’m just being honest), I am glued to the Official Vancouver Website and various live feeds to get up-to-the-second information---isn’t technology wonderful? My roommate and I have a strong opinion, that the Olympics and Paralympics ought to be a vacation for all of us from all work, scholarly duties to simply sit back and support our countries athletes. The exciting parts are the stories of athleticism, watching dreams come true, and the surprises. The people who nobody believed were a contender just go out there and wow the world. Anything is fair game at the Olympics and Paralympics, despite what the best commentators, reporters, coaches, former athletes may predict—anything is possible.

In conversation last week with some colleagues in my doctorate program, we were talking about the differences between who goes all the way and who doesn’t at this level. I mean look at the times… today in the Men’s Super-G, the difference between gold and silver was a mere .28 of a second. But, get this, the difference between second and third, a mere .03, that’s three hundredths of a second. But it gets better, the difference between third and fourth place, .01. One hundredth of a second. Wow. So, what is the difference between these athletes? Athletically, not much. You all approach the starting gate, or starting line or final match with the same approximate level of athletic ability. The differences lie in who is able to remain focused when it counts, who can tread comfortably on the ambiguous line of risk-taking and execution. Who is “in the zone”. And if those results don’t show that, I don’t know what does. Way to go Team USA, and fellow eastcoast skiers!

The difficult part… every day watching the games makes me miss the mountains and ski racing more than ever. Let’s be clear on one thing: I have no regrets in my life. I do not regret walking away from ski racing in 2002 to come to college here in Illinois. It was the best decision for me at that time, for many reasons. But, it was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made in my life. And, secretly, though not so secretly now after this blog, I want to ski race again.

Things to think about.

While I think all that over, however, I am also gearing up for the start of our track and road racing season!!! I am also wicked excited about this. It is around this time in training when I start to get antsy for that first competition, because when you are stuck inside training all winter long, you just get that bug to get outside and to be in the racing environment. I can’t wait! The craziness of traveling, competing, taking classes and dissertationing (that’s a new one for me this year) are here, and I couldn’t be more ready—I thrive living in the edge of chaos.

Next stop: Tampa, FL for the Gasparilla 15k next weekend! Stay tuned for more!

Wow... what an amazing week out at The Hartford Ski Spectacular. I had not been out to the event since...2001? For those of you not familiar with the event, it is an extraordinary event sponsored by The Hartford and put on by Disabled Sports USA that brings in over 800 individuals --- people with disabilities learning to ski, learning to race, adaptive instructors/coaches, wounded warriors, program coordinators etc. The energy is high and it is the kind of week that sticks with people for a long time, if not for life.

For me, I remember as a kid going to skispec looking up to the Paralympic athletes at the time and realizing that I too could maybe one day be like them. It was a surreal week to come full circle and to be on the other side of the table--not there as a learn to race participant, but rather as a guest with The Hartford and also a representative for the Board of Directors for DSUSA.

The Hartford runs an event within the event that involves bringing in a customer wave and a producer/broker wave. This means clients and employees of the Hartford have the opportunity to see firsthand what it is they are all about. They are a company that walks the talk and this event really shows that. There are business sessions in the morning and then they have the opportunity to ski with us and ask questions and meet other participants throughout the week. It's pretty cool and each athlete has the chance to share their story as well to the group.

The highlights of the week were witnessing those individuals who lost their legs just months ago in the war getting out on the ski hill for the first time, the customers who had never before gone skiing conquering their fears to give it a try, getting others to try monoskiing for the very first time; it was incredible.

On a personal note, it was incredible to be surrounded by so many people who have been there for me since I got involved with disabled sports. So many former instructors, life mentors, friends, coaches, volunteers were there. In particular Kathy & Liz, the two who I lived with for a year while attending the Waterville Valley Ski Academy, they both are involved in some capacity running the whole event. It was just like old times catching up with them. I would not be where I am today without these two incredible people. They were there for me through one of the hardest times in my life, and for that I am forever grateful.

The week was a huge success, I was certainly in my element loving every minute. Now it's back to reality, one more day of the semester then I can finally unpack, perhaps do some Christmas shopping and get ready to spend some time with the family next week.

Day 14

Relationships have never been my strong suit, I guess it's the introvert in me and the fact that I'm very reluctant to trust anybody other than myself. However, relationships with those in need, or with those who lack an advocate or support—those come easy to me. I can walk into a room with a kid who has been labeled as hopeless or abandoned or non-communicative or non-verbal and have meaningful conversation. I can connect to a person who has a lot of dark in their past and just listen. I always found it funny when I worked at Arrowhead that so many of the “challenging” kids would listen to me, and I still think a lot of it is I am short, I am literally on their level so I was not seen as a threat to them, I was seen as one of them.

I am deeply saddened by the fact that I can’t have the same conversations that Michelle and I have about life, about adoption, about world issues with the rest of my world. There are few people in the world who quote unquote "get it". Those of you who do, you know what I mean.

It is a travesty really that there are so many undiscussible conversations out there. Why don't we talk about this stuff? Why is it that people are so happy living in their own happy bubbles and that whatever is out of sight out of mind is not their problem? That bothers me.

Day 15

Goodbyes have never been a strong suit of mine. I suck at them. I hate them. They seem so final. Every summer, I absolutely with 100% certainty needed to spend a portion of the last night on my own with my own thoughts, reflections and to just be sad. I would sneak off to some remote location and stare up at the stars and just have my moment.

In India, I was happy, the whole time. You can tell that from my pictures. Yes, there were challenging moments, difficult conversations and thoughts about life, but that’s life! The crazy thing is that now my brain is operating at warp speed and there are SO many possibilities and opportunities and things to make sense of.

Ganga refused to go to her afternoon school because I was leaving, so she brought me to the airport. She was pretty pouty with me in the car, not so much my friend because I was leaving. On the drive to the airport, I was thinking of the realistic ways of continuing this discovery of India while at home.

I wish it were easier for me to go there, to live there. I don’t really have a vision for what I see India being in my life. I feel stuck between two worlds, one that doesn’t understand me, and one I know so little about and that is so closed off because of being an independent woman and disabled.

How can I help people with disabilities in India?

Things to think about...

Today was a busy day, it involved shopping with Gibi and Bijoy and getting 11 new volunteers oriented to Shishur Sevay!! So many exciting things are happening. It is hard to believe it will be soon time to return home. The new volunteers who came are so excited to work with the kids, to help out with anything that needs doing around the grounds (painting, landscaping etc.) as well as assist with the computers! I’m so excited to have a group of eager volunteers to help me finish the tasks that I have yet to finish and to transition them to teach and use the computer programs! How great is that?

Sorry it's so short, busy busy!

We are getting ready to head out to the village.I've been up for a while, I was catching up with Ian last night. Check out his latest blog here.

I sit here thinking about how I spend my days here in Kolkata. It is much different from the immediate gratification that Ian is able to accomplish in remote villages of India. The progress I am working towards is incremental. It is teaching the massis, the teachers, the parents of other kids with disabilities in India. The thing that baffles me is that the end goal that both Ian and I have is the same, and yet we both are setting out to achieve that goal in two very very different ways. Which one is better? Which one is more sustainable? Which one is more meaningful? The answer: they both are.

The girls I am working with this week are afforded so many opportunities that other kids with disabilities in India are not, and yet they are still limited and hampered by their community, by the culture, by the walls society has put around them. In America, we talk about these walls as well as a hinderance to people with disabilities, but let me tell you, those walls are NOTHING in comparison to what exists here. Everybody is afraid to ask the question of, what happens when/if they finish school? Do they have a life after? Do any of these kids with disabilities ever become adults? Meaning, do they ever become an integral part of society and life? The sad realistic answer is that very few make it.

On a personal note, one of my hopes on this trip was to figure out how India can be a part of who I am. I still don’t have an easy answer to this. What I see here day to day, I want to take these kids with disabilities out of their home country and bring them somewhere else in the world where they can have opportunities. That is not a solution; it’s a bandaid fix that also creates a whole mess of other issues. But for some, they are so limited by their surroundings, it is impossible to thrive in such an environment. I’m still thinking this one through…

I don’t understand the deeply rooted remnants of the caste system. I say this because there ARE people of higher classes who have disabilities. Disability is not linked to socioeconomic status in its entirety. In fact, the former ruler who lived in City Palace was disabled, so then why is there such a huge disconnect? Food for thought…

Change is slow. That makes it frustrating. Sometimes I wonder if what we do each day really does make a difference or if it would be apt to change for the better over time anyway and that maybe we’re just hindering the natural process of discovery. I’d like to think that isn’t true, but sometimes I do wonder. But for now, I’m going to go with the fact that small incremental change is worthwhile. I’d like to think that the smiles and progress that I’ve seen are genuine…I think they are.

Day 7

Power is out again, thank goodness for batteries and generators The girls are all in bed, and I am just sitting quietly thinking about the day. The day started off waking up with the girls at 5 AM, a whole hour later than for online class days, and getting ready for school. I walked with the girls to school and met the headmistress and all the children. I was introduced and talked to the boys and girls about all the possibilities that are out there in the world for them and shared a bit about my story. I will say, the Paralympic/Olympic thing is pretty cool; even though there is a significant language barrier. I learned quite a bit of Hindi in the four days with Ian, but now am surrounded by Bengali so am back to only knowing a couple words, but all the kids know the word Olympics, and when you say that and gesture wheelchair and then teach the new word, Paralympics, your message gets across just fine.

Two of the girls with disabilities are in an inclusion class at the public school. They go to school each morning and benefit greatly from socializing with their peers. How great is that? Here in Kolkata, where so often kids with disabilities are just kept hidden away or are forgotten about, that this is beginning to change. I hope they are allowed to continue on with their classmates as they progress through the grades. Change is happening, it is possible even in places where you would least expect it. On our walk back we acquired some fresh vegetables from various vendors, including one that was about 5 feet tall and apparently the outside of it can give you a rash of some kind so you are not supposed to touch it. I don’t know what it is called, but we had it with our dinner tonight with a bit of coconut, salt, sugar and it was delicious!

This afternoon was a busy one as well. All four girls go to a community run after school AAC program on the other side of town in Salt Lake. I was very enthusiastic about the opportunity to tag along, and am so glad I did. The other children I met there were fantastic and the staff/mothers were so grateful and appreciative just with my being there. I showed the families pictures of wheelchair racing, of my life. They asked tons of questions—all very good ones. They were curious about why I don’t use a power wheelchair, about if the buses are all accessible in America, about driving, about what my wheelchair was made out of, about how to get stronger arms, about the types of therapies I had as a child. They were eager parents wishing and hoping for what is best for their child, just like any parent, but who feels totally lost because of there not being much/any solid, reliable resources here to find out information. I kept hearing throughout the afternoon just how happy they all were that I was there and had answers to so many questions.

You know when your brain starts working in overdrive all the time? That combination of excitement and uncertainty where you keep coming up with all these crazy ridiculous ideas and you just keep sprouting off in new directions and before too long you are 100% overwhelmed by the past five minutes? Yeah...

So much excitement. Bed for now...

Day 4 & 5

My last morning in Udaipur was memorable. Santosh, Pamna and I went out shopping for some jewelery for me. I wanted Santosh’s expertise and bargaining abilities to help me out. We found a beautiful necklace and earrings. I also wanted to get a new Indian nose ring, but I needed to go to the ATM first. Sometimes, that doesn’t work well overseas. Tried three ATMs and it didn’t work, so we decided to head back to Love Nest before going to the airport. Santosh really wanted me to have an Indian nose ring though, and so she gave me hers! It is very Indian. For those of you who have nose-rings, I’m not quite sure how it got in or if I will be able to change it out without help, so I may be asking for assistance!

Ben and I headed through Delhi and on to Kolkata. We arrived late on Monday night. My wheelchair even came --- out with the baggage. Kolkata is much different from Udaipur, the driving is a bit scarier and the population is considerably more dense in Kolkata.

Smiles and laughs, that’s what it’s all about. I arrived late at night on Monday to Shishur Sevay only to be greeted by one of the most radiant smiles you could ever imagine, Ganga, one of the girls here who has cerebral palsy, was so excited that I was coming she waited up. Ganga is the most vocal of the girls with disabilities; she is extremely intelligent and curious. I must admit, I am a bit of a distraction to her when she has her lessons going on because we just want to laugh together.

Ever since Michelle has taken in the girls, she and I have been in constant communication about things to try in terms of speech and language and alternative/augmentative communication. Who knew that speech pathology would still be a part of what I was doing. One of the first tasks I did yesterday was install some AAC software on laptops for the kids with the BIG MAC buttons. I worked with the language teacher and special ed teacher to show them how the big mac buttons work and how to start off with scanning-2 choices and then build to 3 choices and eventually 2 buttons etc. (See, I still remember some things!) For you speechies, I wish you could meet these girls, they are so expressive.
The other big task of yesterday was tracking down a reliable internet connection for my online class. Who knew that could be an all day affair. If you only could see and understand the process that it took to find this solution. I honestly don’t even know how to capture the ridiculousness and the frustrations of the situation, but let’s just go with the solution: I am currently in the basement of the five-star Taj Hotel (that I am not staying at) using their business center that they opened specially for me and had a back alley tour through the kitchens and store rooms to get here. It was literally an all day quest for internet, but mission was accomplished!

I am so excited for the next week to work with the girls! Pictures to come soon!!

We had another exciting day in Udaipur. We went to Seva Mandir to have a debriefing meeting to discuss our visit to the school for the Deaf and school for the Blind.

We all went around and shared our initial thoughts with the visit. My thoughts and impressions some of which I wrote about yesterday was just the overwhelming amount of potential that I see there. The kids have so much curiosity and there are so many little things that can be done and sustained. Other volunteers shared their first impressions of poor cleanliness and the need for the schools/dormitories to feel more homey. The school did very much have an institution feel to it, the walls are bare, not a lot of colors which is rare in India. The other concerns had to do with how segregated the kids are from the rest of the community. They are locked in there, and many locals don’t even know the schools exist in the area. Everybody had such great questions about the typical life for Deaf and Blind individuals in India, what happens when they finish school? Are they taught a trade? What is it like when they go home on holiday? Are they accepted at home? I recommended everybody read the book, Deaf in Delhi, that I read actually the last time I was here. They also expressed concern for the fact that there are no girls at either school who board. At the school for the Deaf there are a few girls who come during the day, but where are the others? They have to be somewhere.

We brainstormed many ideas for programs/activities as well as little things that can be done around the grounds. One of the challenges many of the volunteers face at the school for the blind is not knowing Hindi is a tremendous barrier to communication because all visual cues and gestures are useless. We talked about ways of engaging other senses, tactile and smell. I met one little boy who was exceptionally curious about the textures of my wheelchair. I presented an idea of a sensory garden to capture some of the herbs and spices of India right there on the school grounds. We talked about making sensory books for the kids with different fabrics that can be found throughout the streets. So many possibilities. They want to start a radio program with some of the older kids too as a way to bring music and running an operation to the school, something they can be a part of and also reaching out to the community as it was broadcast.

We talked about the numerous possibilities at the school for the Deaf too. Ideas for dance and theater productions, getting them a video camera to record some of their own mini-videos. Reaching out to other schools for the Deaf in India as well as schools for the Deaf abroad. Using technology to introduce them to Deaf adults in India or abroad; Finding Deaf adults and centers in Rajasthan. Numerous challenges, but a ton of potential nonetheless. It was so exciting to be a part of this, I only wish I could be there to implement some of it. The volunteers also expressed the desire to have a study done, case study and interviews with some of the Deaf and Blind students and their families to find out, what is the typical life of a Deaf child in India—are the same affordances available to them, i.e., marriages, working etc. Nobody seems to know the answers to these questions. How great would it be to find out these answers, another reason to become fluent in Hindi…another new goal.

After leaving Seva Mandir, we had a wonderful rooftop lunch looking over the Monsoon Palaces and hundreds and hundreds of years of history. As we were up there admiring the view, you just have this realization that pictures can give no justice to the beauty of Udaipur. Every place you look is like a full page spread in National Geographic rich with history, colors, and life. \

After lunch we went to City Palace to experience some of the history firsthand. City Palace was incredible. Getting in to City Palace, well that was a little bit more interesting. We arrived via rickshaw and the officials took one look at my wheelchair and said, no. Too many stairs, not possible. We told them, no problem, be carried. The first guy agreed and said okay, free for her, handicapped, others pay. Well, in order for handicapped to get free ticket you have to show proof of disability with a government issued disability card. I don’t have one of those, so we were told to go talk to the guy who signs off on the papers. Ian went in to negotiate with the man, but he did not believe that I had a disability, he thought Ian was trying to scam him. So he said he needed to see me, Ian pointed down the stairs to where I was, he wanted me to come meet him. Ian carried me up. The short version of the argument was that he would sign off for me to go but not my wheelchair. He said no flat places anywhere, not allowed. Ian, having been to City Palace before, knew yes there are stairs but on each level there are plenty of flat places to explore before moving on to the next level. We knew we needed my wheelchair to come with. That was simply not allowed. Other individuals with disabilities began to form a line to also get signed off, the paperwork they had came from the hospital and it counted as their physiotherapy for the day. One man tried to help me, to show me his papers and to ask why I didn’t have any. I explained I was from America, born in India, but no papers. The man was getting quite angry at this point, arguing back and forth with Ian and giving many unhappy looks to me. At one point he said, “handicapped cannot travel from abroad!” It was a brand new thing for him to ever have a person with a disability there at City Palace who was a tourist; even though it is one of the busiest tourist areas around. Wow. He tried convincing us that it was not worth going up, bad view, no fun. After about 15 minutes of yelling and arguing and negotiating, Ian miraculously got a ticket for me AND my wheelchair to enter.

Now, this place is filled with security guards and workers, none of whom had ever seen such a spectacle. Ian reported one security guard who was following me around a little bit and then looks at me and my wheelchair looks around at the stairs, the palace around us and just shakes his head, he was 100% dumbfounded at how I had made it up to that level and just could not wrap his mind around it. Interestingly, as we reached the top, one of the last rulers in the palace in 1955 was “a invalid” and he used a wheelchair, which was on display there, along with an explanation of how because of him ruling, an elevator was installed in the palace, also there on display. Too bad it was on display only. This concept is so interesting that an area that is so anti-disability was able to accept a ruler who was disabled, made accommodations no question, and yet people with disabilities may never know that if they can’t get in the door. Ironic or something.

Again, just a taste of the challenges. I must say I am duly impressed with Ian’s ability to negotiate that one. And I am so grateful that he did, because the Palace truly was breathtaking.

After City Palace, we came back to Love Nest to nap and rest before dinner at Santosh’s house with her children and Raj’s children. On the drive back we stopped for some amazing corn that is cooked over a fire right there on the street and seasoned with lemon and salt. I also saw something out of the corner of my eye, a handcycle! It was relieving to see that some people with disabilities are able to be out and about. We have rented a bus for tomorrow’s excursion. We are going to one of the most beautiful places in the world, a Jain Temple with over 1000 UNIQUE marble columns. I am so excited. We are also taking some of Santosh’s children, and Raj’s children with us, as they would never have the opportunity to do this otherwise. It will be a full day adventure, as it is about 3 hours away by bus. And then on Monday, my Udaipur adventures will be over as I head to Kolkata for the next chapter of the trip.

Until tomorrow…

I journal a lot, I always have. It helps to work things out, to make sense of the struggles and challenges you are facing. But, I have never been much for making these public or blogging. But, I guess there is a first for everything, so here goes. Some thoughts so far…

The Journey

How do you begin to describe something that is so indescribable? The journey alone to India would be enough for some people. Don’t F With the System was our motto in Beijing, but this holds true in many other places in the world. How do you prepare yourself for having to check your dignity and independence at the door? I knew getting on the airplane by myself was a feat in and of itself. You can never have too much patience when traveling to a foreign country, being a woman in a very male dominant culture, and having a visible disability. The examples of this were numerous, some would have been enough for many to cancel the trip, to run back home to a lawyer, or to just break down. Facing oppression and discrimination square on is something I will never see the end of, ever. Nothing can ever fully prepare you for these things. But, knowing that you will need every ounce of patience you have and then some, and knowing in your heart of hearts that this is the right thing for you to be doing, sometimes that’s enough. Sometimes you just have to keep your perspective in check and make the most of the situation.

I don’t know where this courage comes from, I asked myself every day before leading up to this trip why I was going and whether I had it in me to do it or not. I doubted myself every single day, and yet, there was this gut wrenching thing keeping me up at night for the past 7 months that I had to do it, even though I have no clue why. This is something that is so hard to explain about with others, very few people can relate, and that’s okay. It’s not a Bahamas vacation, it’s a real trip—a transformational experience, one that gets at your core whether you want it to or not. One that forces questions of identity, of existence, of purpose in life, one that just has to happen. Just before coming, I had a conversation with an old friend, one who I have known for my entire life, literally. I was born a day after her in Calcutta, we started our lives together as babies in the orphanage and came to the states and grew up having joint birthday parties and the like. We lost touch after she and her family moved away from Boston, but in recent years have reconnected. She recognizes the courage it takes to make a trip like this, and having her admire that was pretty powerful. I cannot wait for our overdue rendezvous in the fall.

I travel a lot, there are certain procedures having a disability that we are all used to. You convince the ticket agent that you should take your own wheelchair to the gate, not an airport wheelchair that you cannot even push yourself. You arrive at the gate and get a gate delivery ticket for your wheelchair, say a little prayer that the country you are traveling to is not going to have a labor strike, that your independence and life as you know it actually makes it to your connection, and ultimately to your destination in one piece. If all goes as planned, I can travel independently around the world. But, when does anything ever go as planned?

The little things, forgetting the fact that an aisle chair works better if the plane is not full of people. Asking to use the aisle chair to use the bathroom, but told that there is a line. Having to explain that unless I get up and into the aislechair and in the same line as everybody else, there will always be a line and I may never get to pee. Educating the world. That’s what I’m talking about. Getting on board the plane in the US for India: check. Better than last year’s trip where that didn’t even happen. I was happy to fly a different airline and things went very smoothly.

Arriving in Mumbai: check. 100% foreign airport to me. Actually landing in Mumbai, it was the scene in Slumdog Millionare where you see the tent city up close, pan out, see more of it, pan out again, more. For as long as you can see, the slums, with the planes traveling right overhead. I was there, living that moment.

The disembarkment of the plane goes relatively smoothly until I am in the aislechair on the jetbridge and my wheelchair is not there. I inquire. I am told, it is raining. That is the reason for not having my own wheelchair, is because it is raining a bit. It is times like this when you make the decision to rely on all those ounces of patience, and to just go with the flow. I inquire as to when I will see my wheelchair, will it be at baggage claim? Will I get it before customs? When will I have my independence back? I get an answer in Hindi that I don’t fully understand, but I think it means that maybe it will be at luggage, to not worry and that this chair is fine…this chair that I cannot push myself. So I get lined up with the other elders and pregnant women who are also using wheelchairs and am just left to wait for an appropriate person to come to push me through this foreign airport.

After some time goes by, I notice I am the only one left in the terminal building, sitting in a chair that I cannot propel myself. This is about the time when you start to wonder, have I been forgotten about? What now? All the other passengers are off the plane and on their way, it is now about midnight in Mumbai international airport and I’m sitting in a wheelchair I cannot propel myself with my carry on luggage decoratively placed like a Christmas tree. Great! Wow, what an opportunity! I just sit patiently, what else is there to do?
After some time goes by, a man comes over speaking in Hindi I presume, and wants to know why nobody has come for me. I wish I knew the answer. He gets a bit irritated, then keeps rapid fire asking me questions I don’t understand. I show him my boarding pass and tell him samaan? Meaning, luggage/baggage claim? Figuring if I got that far I could figure it out. We start on a long journey through the halls of the deserted airport, go through customs. One of my favorite signs, “unaccompanied women, pregnant women, handicapped”.

Go through customs, even though I’m not even the one to hand my passport over, to interact with the customs agent at all, I am parked in a corner while this man handles this. We then go to collect luggage. I see my two checked luggage bags circling on the carosel, no sign of a wheelchair yet. I keep asking, will it be here or somewhere different? Nobody really knows, but I keep trusting it will appear eventually. Sure enough, the last thing to the belt, wheelchair just thrown on the conveyor belt, rear wheels spinning, at least I can relax a little now.

We then go through the process of checking in our bags again. I am stopped because the domestic terminal is not connected to the international terminal. The security guard tells me, no wheelchairs allowed. Too many stairs on bus. I volunteer that I can crawl up the stairs, hand bags to someone and bring chair with me. Nahine Nahine. Meaning, “no no”. Of course not, that would be too easy. My options are to go to the street at 1am in Mumbai and find a taxi to the international terminal or to have man help. Ian’s friend, Ben sporadically decided to come to India too, I saw him when I arrived in my monster wheelchair at customs, but I was wisked away to a different line, after some negotiating, I explained have man help would be a good option and that my friend Ben would help, that going to the street was probably not a good option. Ben had some travel woes, so it took another hour before we connected up, but all was good. Boarded the bus and drove to the other terminal.

They forgot to give my wheelchair security clearance at Mumabai with a special tag with a stamp on it. This will become important later. We went through security, and I asked if my chair needed a tag since every carry on item was getting a purple tag with a stamp. I was told no. We waited overnight in the Mumbai airport sleeping in airport chairs. The hustle and bustle of the airport was beginning to pick up around 5am.

Side story: I spotted a man dressed head to toe in Beijing 2008 official Olympic gear. Those of you who know what I’m talking about, the gray pants with the emblem, the white/blue/grey official shirt, the fanny pack, the hat. He was in a line looking like he was boarding a plane, so I was bummed I wouldn’t get a chance to approach him, but then he turned and left that line. I went up to him to ask if he was in Beijing for the games. I told him I was a Paralympian in wheelchair track. He was so excited. He was in fact there for the games with Weightlifting and Powerlifting. In his home country he does things with body builders. He loved the Birds Nest too.

Fastfoward to the getting on the bus to go find our plane. Ben was told to go through a different line, I needed to wait for man to help. We go to leave and my wheelchair doesn’t have the security tag, big problem. The lady runs back to security to get clearance for my wheelchair, she is mad they didn’t give it to me before. We board this bus, with assistance of course, packed in like sardines and commence on the ride to the plane. We get to the plane, there is an aisle chair, and of course men to carry it on board. In America, we balk at the overprotection of people with disabilities when getting on and off airplanes. Having you be strapped in at least 5 ways, across your lap, criss cross over your shoulders, around your legs and feet. It is an ordeal every time, and 9/10 you don’t win that battle, you just suck it up and get strapped in, or crawl on board the plane monkey style. In India, there are no straps on these aisle chairs, and someimtes the people lifting you are not the same height, meaning it’s a little off balance. Another experience.

Getting on board the final aircraft to Udaipur: check. Getting off the plane was far easier, although I was told that the aisle chair was waiting for me outside, I had to explain that I could not walk when they came and tried to assist me down the aisle and down the stairs. Minor issues.

Came through security and picked up my bags (which both arrived just fine, YAY). And I saw Ian for the first time since May, standing there with his friend, waiting anxiously for our arrival. The journey is ready to begin, as if getting there wasn’t a journey enough!

At the School for the Deaf

It has been about 2 weeks since returning from the games. It's pretty hard to believe. And what a busy two weeks it has been. I came back to IL briefly to drop off equipment and check the mail and then got on a plane again to head home to Massachusetts. I figured going home to rest was in order.

Home was relaxing and it was exciting to talk to folks about my Beijing experiences. To me, the highlights were being out in the Bird's Nest the night of the relay in front of a sold out stadium. To feel the energy and the enthusiasm and to recognize that they were all there for us. That was pretty cool, and so hard to describe to other people.

I was able to spend some time with the 5th graders at Fred Miller elementary school in Holliston where my mother teaches. This is probably my favorite part so far of returning from the Paralympics. To be able to talk to kids and watch them get wide-eyed in amazement and for me to help them to realize that they too can achieve their dreams.

The last night I was home, there was a reception for myself and Andy Wise co-sponsored by Eliot Healthcare Center and the Metrowest Center for Independent Living. It was a wonderful event. I was grateful to reconnect with many old friends, friends of friends and to meet new supporters. A special thanks to Ann Lynch for organizing everything. Another special thing that evening was our state representative, David Linsky came to the event and presented both Andy and I with official certificates from the Commonwealth congratulating us on our athletic success in Beijing and for representing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts so well overseas. It was quite the honor!

Last night, I also went to an event in support of Chicago 2016. At the event I had the opportunity to meet many wonderful people who are devoted to the Olympic and Paralympic movement. On Monday I am headed to the White House to meet the President. Following the Olympic and Paralympic Games, members of the US Team are invited to Washington D.C. to be congratulated in our successes. More to follow soon, stay tuned!

Greetings from Beijing!

I did not fare as well as I had hoped in the 100m final, but that's okay. It's part of sports. You win some, you lose some. Friday just wasn't my day. But, it was an exciting race. Our classification has a new world record now. It is very exciting for the sport that there are so many strong sprinters now in my classification.

Yesterday I spent the day recovering and relaxing with my family. We went out for a Peking Duck dinner. I hit the sack early and got up this morning to tackle the track once again for the 200m prelim. It went very well, I was happy with the result. I finished second in my heat and ended up 4th overall. Tomorrow morning at 10:30 am Beijing time I will race in the 200m final. I'm looking forward to the race and am in great spirits. Will write again soon.