September 2003 Table of Contents

20 & Counting

While some things change, as the cliché says, some things definitely stay the same. And that even holds true in junior wheelchair sports.

The Search for
Alaska's Holy Grail

Often called the longest, hardest wheelchair race in the world, the Midnight Sun tests those brave enough to challenge its course.

Red, White, and Blue

Rome. Peak tourist season, and you'd never notice one extra American hanging around the Colosseum�unless he happened to be sporting a stars-and-stripes-covered limb that almost commanded salute.

A Grand Display

Energy, spirit, and common threads highlight the 23rd National Veterans Wheelchair Games.

The Shoots Go On

Neither rain, nor wind, nor summer's heat stays trapshooters from their appointed "rounds"�and the PVA National Trapshoot Circuit continues to grow.

In My Opinion

Editor Cliff Crase pays tribute to a "bright light" who shone for many years as a classifier and member of the medical teams for the National Veterans Wheelchair Games and the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic.

Fishing

Who pulled in the big ones on the latest stops of the PVA Bass Tour? Read all about it in this month's issue—along with a report on a Beantown bass bash.

Racing

New Jersey, New York, and Atlanta events draw top racers. Find out who was first across the finish lines, whose times set new records—and which athlete was a flat tire and two tenths of a second away from winning all three races.

Rugby

When most of the country's top wheelchair-rugby athletes gather in the same place, it usually means they're attending tryouts for a national team or are at a major tournament. A select group of 26 USQRA players recently had the unique opportunity to do both, spending five grueling days qualifying for the U.S. National Team going to the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games, then competing in the North America Cup (where the U.S. beat Canada, 29-25).

Scorecard

A fund-raising race in 12-meter yachts and a history-making sea voyage from Los Angeles to Honolulu are at the top of recent sailing news. This month's issue also covers Keith Newerla's win at the 2003 National Disability Sports Alliance Championship for Riders With a Disability, Canada's continued domination on the basketball court at the Roosevelt Invitational, and Joe Dowling's "coup" at a South Dakota 9-ball tournament.

Tennis

Unrelenting weather in the New York metropolitan area couldn't put a damper on the third annual Jana Hunsaker Memorial Wheelchair Tennis Tournament, which featured competitors from the United States, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Peru, Canada, and Great Britain.

Fitness

During the summer we are generally more active and spend more time outside and involved in some type of physical activity. But as the summer comes to an end, remember that exercise is a year-round activity that can enhance your chances for a healthy and active life. This month, columnist Dr. Peter M. Aufsesser offers some steps to year-round good health, including four questions you should ask yoursef before setting up an exercise program.

Players

Ana Acton is a young paraplegic woman whose hobbies include horseback riding and off-road wheelchair mountain biking. Michael Smith is reportedly the only wheelchair-using pilot to fly air attack for the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. Read their stories in this month's issue.

Playbook

Turning POINT's 12th Annual Extravanganza in Dallas was a big hit with all who participated—especially 12-year-old Timothy Nagel, who won a PT Cruiser at the event! Also read about Wheelchair Sports, U.S.A.'s change of location (visit them online at www.wsusa.org); the Dam2Dam Bike Tour, scheduled for September 27 in Wenatchee, Wash.; wheeler Ray Paprota's appearance on the popular TV series Monster Garage; Chicago's first wheelchair-softball field; and Ski For Light's cross-country ski program for adults with mobility impairments.

To order the September 2003 SPORTS 'N SPOKES, Click Here.
To Subscribe, Click Here.