What does this stand for?
It's the official symbol for the Paralympic Games! We were able to get tickets for the alpine skiing events that were held at Whistler last Saturday, and we had a great time. As you might expect, the athletes were amazing. I can't describe the impressed and amazed feeling that I got from watching the events. Let me share a bit about some of the American athletes...
Here's Monte Meier - a Minnesotan! It was cool to cheer him on, especially since he grew up skiing at Afton Alps. This was his fifth Paralympic Games.
This is Heath Calhoun, an American soldier who lost both of his legs while serving in the Iraq War in 2007. I loved watching his family - his wife and three children - cheer for him as he raced.
Our favorite event was the visually impaired alpine skiing. They even did the slalom events. It was incredible. In case you're not familiar with the sport, let me explain. Two people go down the mountain at the same time for this event, but they are not competing against each other. Instead one is a guide who is speaking into a mic and telling the other person - the visually impaired person - what to do at exactly every moment. The spectators are actually asked to remain quiet until the skiers have crossed the finish line in order to make sure the skiers can hear their guide. Can you imagine the trust that you'd have to have in a person to follow their every word in that situation, let alone just being willing to go down the hill? The bronze medal winners in one of these events were Rob & Danielle Umstead, an American husband and wife team.
The women's super combined (meaning Super G & Slalom) sitting event resulted in gold and bronze for the United States. I loved how the announcer described it:
"It's an American Oreo with Austrian cream!"
It's the official symbol for the Paralympic Games! We were able to get tickets for the alpine skiing events that were held at Whistler last Saturday, and we had a great time. As you might expect, the athletes were amazing. I can't describe the impressed and amazed feeling that I got from watching the events. Let me share a bit about some of the American athletes...
Here's Monte Meier - a Minnesotan! It was cool to cheer him on, especially since he grew up skiing at Afton Alps. This was his fifth Paralympic Games.
This is Heath Calhoun, an American soldier who lost both of his legs while serving in the Iraq War in 2007. I loved watching his family - his wife and three children - cheer for him as he raced.
Our favorite event was the visually impaired alpine skiing. They even did the slalom events. It was incredible. In case you're not familiar with the sport, let me explain. Two people go down the mountain at the same time for this event, but they are not competing against each other. Instead one is a guide who is speaking into a mic and telling the other person - the visually impaired person - what to do at exactly every moment. The spectators are actually asked to remain quiet until the skiers have crossed the finish line in order to make sure the skiers can hear their guide. Can you imagine the trust that you'd have to have in a person to follow their every word in that situation, let alone just being willing to go down the hill? The bronze medal winners in one of these events were Rob & Danielle Umstead, an American husband and wife team.
The women's super combined (meaning Super G & Slalom) sitting event resulted in gold and bronze for the United States. I loved how the announcer described it:
"It's an American Oreo with Austrian cream!"
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