Advanced Arm Dynamics

Shawn's San Diego Triathlon Challenge 2010 Report

What a fun weekend and awesome event!  It is really quite motivating and you see some extremely dedicated individuals persevering through exceptionally difficult hills and waves. I was able to reach my $2,500 dollar goal for Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Alexandra Paul from the tv show Baywatch, Floyd Landis of Tour de France fame were a few of the participating stars!

They honored several soldiers - Operation Rebound, a few national and international challenged athletes, and some pretty cute kids at the opening ceremonies.

As for the event and our team:

Vivian Yip, an OT from LA Shriner’s CAPP, was our swimmer and she completed her 1.2 mile open water swim in about 33 minutes!  She then decided she wanted to see how much of the run she could complete… turns out she was able to complete the whole thing in 2:30!!

I completed the run and finished around 2:10.  But no knee pain and my legs have not been screaming at me too bad.  My mission is to do this event every year until my body decides otherwise.

BJ was our biker… she basically agreed to do the bike portion after the original biker for our team had to back out… 9 days before the event!  BJ did not train at all, but still completed 35 of the 56 miles… most of it uphill.  She mentioned there was a random “superman” guy on the course, that was biking up and down one gnarly hill in particular checking on some of his teammates… he offered to give her a little push to finish the last part of the hill. BJ is now hooked on this event and vowed to complete the 56 miles next year!

More photos in our gallery...

Thanks again everyone for the donations, kind texts, emails and phone calls before/during/after the event.  If there is anyone out there that would be interested in doing this event one year, let me know… it is amazing weather, beautiful scenery, very inspirational athletes and it is for a good cause!

Regards,
Shawn

CNN Heroes

Hosted by Anderson Cooper, the 2008 CNN Heroes award show took place at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Saturday night. He also presented Liz McCartney of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana the 2008 CNN Hero of the Year award for her dedication to helping survivors of Hurricane Katrina rebuild their homes.

The top 10 CNN Heroes, chosen by a blue-ribbon panel from an initial pool of more than 3,700 viewer nominations, were each honored with a documentary tribute and introduced by a celebrity presenter. Each of the top 10 Heroes receives $25,000.

In alphabetical order, the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2008 are: 

Tad Agoglia, Houston, Texas – Agoglia’s First Response Team provides immediate help to areas hit by natural disasters. In a little over a year, he and his crew have aided thousands of victims at more than 15 sites across the United States, free of charge. 

Yohannes Gebregeorgis, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Moved by the lack of children’s books and low literacy rates in his native Ethiopia, Gebregeorgis established Ethiopia Reads, bringing free public libraries and literacy programs to thousands of Ethiopian children. 

Carolyn LeCroy, Norfolk, Virginia – After serving time in prison, LeCroy started The Messages Project to help children stay connected with their incarcerated parents. She and volunteer camera crews have taped roughly 3,000 messages from inmates to their children. 

Anne Mahlum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – On her daily morning jogs, Mahlum used to run past homeless men. Today, she’s helping to transform lives by running with them, and others as part of her “Back On My Feet” program. 

Liz McCartney, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana – McCartney moved to New Orleans to dedicate herself to helping Hurricane Katrina survivors move back into their homes. Her nonprofit St. Bernard Project has rebuilt the homes of more than 120 families for free. 

Phymean Noun, Toronto, Ontario – Growing up in Cambodia, Noun struggled to complete high school. Today, she offers hundreds of Cambodian children who work in Phnom Penh’s trash dump a way out — through free schooling and job training. 

David Puckett, Savannah, Georgia – Puckett started Positive Image Prosthetics and Orthotics Missions — PIPO — to provide artificial limbs and braces and care to people in southeastern Mexico. Since November 2000 his mission has helped more than 420 people, free of charge.

Maria Ruiz, El Paso, Texas – Several times a week, Ruiz crosses the border into Juarez, Mexico, to bring food, clothing and toys to hundreds of impoverished children and their families. 

Marie Da Silva, Los Angeles, California – Having lost 14 family members to AIDS, the Los Angeles nanny funds a school in her native Malawi — where half a million children have been orphaned by the disease. 

Viola Vaughn, Kaolack, Senegal – The Detroit, Michigan, native moved to Senegal to retire. Instead, a group of failing schoolchildren asked her to help them pass their classes. Today, her “10,000 Girls” program is helping hundreds of girls succeed in school and run their own businesses. 

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Register Now for ACA Lobby Day 2009

As you know, amputees are being refused the insurance benefits that they need to live active and productive lives.  Coverage is variable and inadequate to meet individual needs.  The Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) is committed to tackling these issues head on through legislative remedies as well as playing a role in the larger debate around health care reform.

While the ACA has a great foundation of legislative progress and experience, it s grassroots support that will ensure success.  Mark your calendars for March 10, 2009 for the second annual lobby day in Washington, DC.

REGISTER NOW