Closing Ceremonies and Games wrap-up!

I am back in Boston and easily getting over the jet-lag! Now that the Games have ended, we can post any info and pictures. The U.S. Paralympic Swim Team had personal best times in over 90% of our swims and we won the official medal tally (the Gold medal count)! I hope you enjoy the final pictures below!



A display of one of the many gorgeous flower displays in the village.




The is the adorable mascot for the Paralympic Games. Yes, it is a pink cow. Before every finals, 3 of these blow up cows jumped around on deck...and occasionally fell down...and couldn't get back up. After Closing Ceremonies, at least 100 of these cows stormed the floor of the stadium where the wheelchairs were sitting. We had no idea what their purpose was, but they kept running into us and running away. They would also begin to deflate so volunteers would run up to them and herd them off the track to get blown back up...my teammates and I were literally crying we were laughing so hard.


Me warming up in the end lane before prelims of my 50 freestyle.







Parading out for finals! I love the final warm-up outfits.









Waving on the big screen!











The packed 91,000 National Stadium during the Ceremonies and some of the performances.



















A special Thank You to all of you who were interested in my blog!

Now I am back in Boston beginning my search for a 1-year job (please email me if you have any suggestions!) before starting Stanford Law in the fall of '09.

Thank you again for following the 2008 Paralympic Games!

Adventures in the city

Our Lazers have been stowed away and exchanged for street clothes as Team USA took to the streets of Beijing. On the first day, I met up with my mom, my friends Brittany and Garth, and my coach Peggy to take a taxi into Southern Beijing. After a much needed stop at Starbucks, we ventured into a side street where the street vendors were selling scorpions and seahorses (among unidentified meat on a stick) to eat! (see first picture) Despite our intentions to try scorpion, our stomachs changed our minds after seeing them displayed.

Next we were off to the incredible Silk Market where there are 7 floors of packed booths and aggressive sellers accosting you to buy their polo shirts, fake designer dresses and handbags, pearls, jade, make-up, silk and just about any Chinese trinket you can imagine. Once we got the hang of bargaining and the conversion rate, we discovered how inexpensive you could buy everything. So, like good tourists, we stocked up on items and left with almost too many bags to carry.

We took a short break from shopping in the real Chinatown, to have an authentic (and delicious!) Chinese lunch where I even got the hang of chopsticks despite my quad hands. Then it was off to some Beijing neighborhood alleys where we got caught in the rain and had some trouble catching a taxi back to the village.


On day 2 of exploration, we were committed to see more of the culture and less of the shopping. Our first stop was the Temple of Heaven which is an enormous park with scattered temples that were used for worship. We were fascinated by the incredible number of Chinese people who were dancing, kicking a hackey-sack, dancing with a badminton, singing, playing instruments or just walking together. A few times we even had Chinese people come up and start asking me questions (with Brittany translating!) about my favorite Chinese food, how I was injured and how I raced. The temples were gorgeous and since they were on hills (see Garth pushing up a very non-ADA-approved ramp), they gave a view of much of the surrounding city. I could have spent all day exploring there, but we left for lunch at a Peking duck restraunt where I was peer pressured into eating duck brain (tastes like chicken but I almost gagged from the texture). Then it was time for a taxi back to the village to prepare for Closing Ceremonies!

50 backstroke!

I have swum my last event in the Water Cube!  On the final day of competition, I swam my 50 backstroke race with a time in pre-lims that got me back to finals seeded 8th.  At finals, I beat my morning swim and almost broke my old American record in that event with a time of 1:17.97.  It was an incredible honor to represent the U.S. in the finals for the second time.  

Even though the Paralympic Swim program has been going on for 9 days, I think many of us are still in shock that we are finished.  After training for so long, these meets seem to just fly by!  But, I had an incredible time and I am proud of my swims.  Thank you to Becca Agoglia, Steph Morawski and the entire Harvard Women's Swimming and Diving team and alumni for giving me the best training I could imagined.  

Although my work in Beijing is done, we do not leave until the 19th, so the swim team has a few days to go into the city before Closing Ceremonies.  Stay tuned for the conclusion and final photos of the trip!

50 Freestyle...part 2!

I just returned from my first Paralympic Games finals experience! In the last event of the night, I swam a 1:10.55, a best time and a new American Record, which places me 5th in the world. I had some incredible competition from Mexico, Great Britain, Singapore, and, of course, China. I felt prepared going in from all my amazing training at Harvard behind me and I was able to enjoy the moment as my heat was paraded out onto the deck and behind the blocks. What a great race!

Team USA had another fantastic night with old records smashed and multiple medals won. Now, I get a day off before racing my backstroke on the last day. Goodnight (or good morning back home)!

50 Freestyle...part 1!

I have finally raced in the Cube! Going into pre-lims, I was seeded 7th of the 14 S3 swimmers. But after swimming a time of 1:11 something, I am ranked 6th going into finals tonight!! I am happy with the time but I know I can go faster tonight. I needed one swim in the Cube to get all the race jitters out and I am ready to go all out tonight!

After my warm down, I ran upstairs to meet my cheering section. I wheeled into the spectator area to see my mom and 2 friends Brittany and Garth who were wearing "BE" and "TH" t-shirts. After the expected hugs, I was mobbed by Chinese fans who all wanted pictures with an American swimmer. Eventually, I did make it out of the venue and back to the Village where I have been resting up for tonight! More updates to come...

Day 6 of Swimming

One more day until I race my 50 freestyle!! It has been hard waiting so long to compete, but it has been so exciting cheering on my teammates who had earlier events. Pre-lims start at 9am every day, so I will likely race my 50 around 10:30am on Saturday (that's 10:30pm on Friday night for all of you living in the Eastern Time Zone). Then, if my time is in the top 8, I will swim again at finals that night around 6 or 7pm Beijing time.

My backstroke will be on the same pre-lim/finals schedule, but I race that event on Monday the 15th. Team USA has been doing so well in the water, but unfortunately I can't tell you about all the awesome races since I am not an accredited journalist and I don't want to risk the wrath of the International Paralympic Committee, so check out the Universal Sports website for all the updates! I also promise to post all the pictures 3 days after Closing Ceremonies that I am not allowed to post during the Games.

Thank you to all of you who have sent me good luck emails and comments! I love knowing I will have a cheering section back home. A special thanks to all my HWSD teammates for your ongoing support!

A Day in the Life of a Paraympic Swimmer in Beijing on a non-race day

6am - alarm goes off...hit snooze
6:10 - roll out of bed and get dressed with no idea what day of September it is, except we know exactly how many days until we race
6:30 - drink coffee brought to the 2 Ivy League coffee-addicts' room by our incredible team assistant, check email
6:45 - grab an energy bar as I get pushed (taper time!) to the transport mall where we load a bus to the Water Cube
7:15 - arrive at the Cube and head to Team USA's deck space along side the warm-up pool, athletes can be found here napping on a massage table, watching recaps from yesterday's events or generally procrastinating getting into the water
7:30 - make the plunge into the water...and try not to get run over by a certain S3 male (names are not allowed on blogs!) or to get run over by European athletes circle swimming the opposite direction

8:30 - sprints for time...I try to keep them under 1:14 for practice starts
8:45 - get out of the water, shower, and try to find a space to change in the tiny Cube locker room
9:00 - wish all the swimmers good luck who are swimming pre-lims, watch a few heats of pre-lims before loading a bus back to the Village
9:15 until noon - free time begins, includes napping, playing on the computer, skyping home, getting visitors into the Village, shopping in the international zone, or watching t.v. from itunes (gossip girl viewing sessions are common in my suite)
noon - pre-lim swimmers have returned, go to lunch in the athlete cafeteria where we debate whether the free McDonalds is healthier than the cafeteria food, bypass the famous peking duck and opt for salad and chicken

1pm until 3pm - more free time, paint nails (my suite has been named the nail salon due to a certain S6 LP from California living here...see picture of a male's prosthetic foot), play scrabble with the Yale scrabble queen
3:15 - go back to the Cube to loosen in the water before finals start
3:30 - quick swim in the warm-up pool before changing and going upstairs in the stands for finals
5 until 8:30 - cheer for Team USA and watch us dominate in the pool (USA is currently winning the Gold medal count in the pool)!

9pm - back to the Village where we snack, email home (in addition to being the nail salon, my suite is also named the internet cafe since we have the best wireless access...and at least 6 laptops), generally hang out with teammates
10pm - sleeeep

Opening Ceremonies!

The Paralympics have officially commenced! Opening Ceremonies was held Saturday night in the famous Bird's Nest. Unlike past Games where athletes had to be ready by 2pm, we didn't have to go to the Stadium until 6:30pm which gave us plenty of time to workout, rest, and of course, put on our Ralph Lauren outfits (they gave us a directional pamphlet so that we wore all the right clothes...and tied the scarf correctly).


Only 3 of the 6 swimmers in my suite got all dressed up in the Ralph Lauren since many of the athletes who raced the next day watched the Ceremonies on T.V. and got to bed early. So once the 3 of us were ready, we met the rest of the swimmers in front of our building for a full out paparazzi photo shoot: everyone with a camera was armed.




Then, the hurry up and wait portion of the night began. Team USA loaded 12 shuttles to go to the Bird's Nest where we were held in a staging area as the Ceremonies began. All the countries were scattered across the Olympic Green waiting for their country to be marched into the Stadium. The U.S. was 99 out of 148, so there was plenty of time to mingle with other members of Team USA.

Around 9pm, it was our turn. The wheelchairs led the delegation as we went through the Green and down a huge ramp into the floor of the National Stadium. At this point, I realized I was about to wheel into a packed Stadium seating 91,000 cheering fans waving flags of every shape and color. Needless to say it was rather overwhelming as first, the noise, and then, the sight of those 91,000 hit us. At the end of the ramp, we were ushered into the track to make a lap of the Stadium. There was nothing to do but smile, wave, and soak in as much of the experience as possible.

After a lap, we took our seats and the rest of the countries entered. Of course, when China entered last, the place erupted in screams. Finally, the Chinese Team took their seats and the show continued. I highly recommend watching the Ceremonies online since any attempt I make to describe the show will fail miserably. Each performance - from the acrobats gracefully flying through the air to a troupe of deaf dancers to hundreds of adorable young boys jumping around in unison - was breathtaking. In order to bypass the incredible crowds at the end of the night, I left with some of my teammates before the speeches from the Paralympic Committees began. We were made to feel famous even when leaving since the road was lined with hundreds of Chinese volunteers who clapped, waved, and congratulated us as we made our way to the bus back to the Village. At last, back in the Village around midnight, a few more final pictures were taken before getting to bed in preparation for the first day of competition. What a night!

Beijing!

I'm finally in the Paralympic Village! The rooms are huge, the landscaping is gorgeous and the venues are awe-inspiring. Really, I can not say enough about the experience of being here - seeing it on t.v. paled in comparison to experiencing it. Unfortunately, there are strict rules on the pictures we can post, so I won't be able to post pictures of the venues or village until 3 days after Closing Ceremonies.

In wheeling around the village, I have met quite a few U.S. athletes from other sports (Wheelchair basketball, Quad rugby, Tennis, etc); not to mention all the international athletes...including some of my competition. We have pool time in the competition pool of the Water Cube tonight and I can't wait!

For all you swimmers out there, my taper has begun. I don't swim until the 7th and 9th day of competition, so many of my teammates are fully tapered and ready to race on Sunday whereas I have to wait another week. The US Olympic Committee staff has gotten each of us a Razor, Blueseventy, and an FSII. Back in Japan, I swam in the Blueseventy for the first time and I have never felt faster. In practice, I dropped 2.5 seconds off my best 50 free. So, basically, I am just ecstatic to race my competition and see what happens!

Opening Ceremomies are just 2 days away!

Beach day and Okinawa shopping

Yesterday's day at the beach was a gorgeous trip. The weather couldn't have been better as we had lots of sun and a cool breeze.




And as you can see from the picture, I enjoyed relaxing by the South China Sea. The beach day ended with a meet and greet to honor the military veterans on the Swim (our amazing Melissa Stockwell!) and Track and Field Teams.


Today, we had the afternoon to go off base. So Coach Peggy, Casey and I checked out the local Okinawa shopping. Between navigating the streets in a taxi, finding a Japanese 100 Yen store (like a U.S. dollar store), trying on Japanese accessories at a major department store, and being stared at by the island residents, it was a great afternoon adventure!


Tonight is team skit night where the teams are divided between rookies and veterans of the Games - I'm sure it will be something to see!

Despite what this post suggests, we are training very hard here! Most of the team has begun to taper so we are all full of energy in our last few days in Japan.

Paralympics online and on TV!

We have received the official announcement from U.S. Paralympics regarding media broadcasts of the Games. You can follow the Paralympic Games a few different ways...

• Daily video highlights will be online at the official Paralympic website, www.usparalympics.org
  
• Live broadcast will begin on September 6th (Opening Ceremonies) online at www.universalsports.com
• On October 8th, a delayed broadcast will be shown on Universal Sports TV
• NBC will show a special presentation of the Games on October 18th

My events are on day 7 and 9 of the swimming program (September 13 and 15th). And due to International Olympic and Paralympic rules, I am not allowed to post any information about other team members or any photos with official activities appearing in the background since I am not an accredited journalist for the Games. So for any information on Team USA please visit the links above or on the right side on my blog.

Island Photos

Here are a few snapshots of the Japanese island I have been living on for the past few days. The first is of sunset the night we flew in to Kadena.

The second is a local street we drive through on the way to the pool and the third is a far off shot of the Pacific Ocean over the Okinawa skyline.

And finally, a picture of our training pool.

As you can see in the picture, the weather has been mostly sunny with clear skies; although the heat and humidity are significantly more severe than I'm used to in Boston!

To give back to Kadena and Foster military bases, we hosted a practice with the local age group swim club a few nights ago. Together, we played sprint bingo in the pool before eating ice cream and signing autographs for all the club swimmers. The kids were all very excited to swim with us and we all had a blast meeting them.

After I sign off, we are going to Tori Beach for a barbeque and possibly some snorkeling!

Konnichiwa!

Greetings from Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan! We are finally getting over our jet lag from the long flight here. Our plane flew in over the beautiful island right before sunset and we were immediately greeted with a welcoming reception from the military at Kadena Air Force Base. Each athlete from the Paralympic Swim Team and the Track and Field Team was paired with a military "sponsor" who took us to our room (with our luggage) and who assured us that they would get us whatever we needed during our stay.

The military staff has been incredibly friendly on base and the accommodations (and food!) are really great as we prepare for the Games. To swim, we are driven to the nearby Marine Core Base, Foster, which houses a great outdoor 50 meter pool. On the way to Foster, we get to see a bit of the local Okinawa culture. The Japanese writings are everywhere along the street, but there is some English scattered here and there (like at a Starbucks!) since there is supposedly a lot of tourists who visit this part of the island.

We have not been able to venture off the base yet, so our days consist of training, eating, and hanging out with teammates. But this weekend we will probably take a team trip to see more of Japan...and hopefully eat some genuine sushi!


I promise pictures on the next post...

Sayonara!

Olympic Training Center excitement

Our 3 days at the Olympic Training Center (OTC) are almost finished. Day 1 began with a 6am flight to Colorado Springs with a layover in Chicago where I met up with most of the other athletes and coaches flying from the east coast. Once we arrived, our first point of business was team outfitting which was essentially circling a huge room with a shopping cart and filling it with Nike and Ralph Lauren clothes! After trying on all our great new outfits, we had our first team practice (at altitude!) before we all got some much needed sleep. Our 2nd day at the OTC began with a morning swim which was followed by briefings on media training, logistics for the Games, and the magnitude of the Olympic Movement. The rest of the day consisted of autograph signing, head-shots, another workout, and, of course, following the Olympic competitions. Today, we had a bit more time, since our only non-practice commitments were a team photo and a lunch meet-and-great with U.S. Olympic Committee staffers. So, one of my roommates, Casey, and I spent the afternoon enjoying the Colorado sun by laying out by the outdoor pool and watching a visiting synchronized swimming team practice. It is always thrilling to train at the OTC as I think of all the incredible athletes who have lived and trained at these facilities. Since the Olympics are going on now, there have clearly been no Olympian-sightings, but in addition to the Paralympic Swim Team, the Paralympic Women's Sitting Volleyball and the Track and Field Team have arrived to begin their Games trip. I will miss the OTC!

Tomorrow, we have 5am swim practice before taking a 13 hour flight to Japan. So excited to get to Asia!

Photos from Beijing

Just in case you haven't seen them on tv, here are photos of some of the Olympic/Paralympic venues. The "Bird's Nest" is where Opening Ceremonies and track and field will be held.

And the "Cube" is where we will race (and where Michael Phelps just won 8 golds!).

The Countdown...

2 days until my adventures at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games begin! 5 days until I fly with the Swim Team to Japan for a training trip. 15 days until I am in Beijing and 19 days until the Paralympic Opening Ceremonies!

I won't be able to use my cell phone once I leave the country but I will have internet access (and a new digital camera) so I hope to add posts and photos so you can follow along on my trip (since I unfortunately can't stow all of you in my luggage). In a word of warning, this is my first time keeping up a blog, but I will try to update as often as I can while I am in Colorado, Japan, and Beijing. The links to the right are the official Paralympic websites so please visit them often for the latest news on the Paralympic Games.

I also wanted to give a little background on my swimming for those of you who may not know. My competitive swimming career started about 6 years ago when I swam for the Columbian High School swim team in Tiffin, Ohio with Coach Peggy Ewald. The following year, I moved to the east coast and began college at Harvard where I trained with the Harvard Women's Swimming and Diving (HWSD) Team. After 4 years on HWSD, I left with 6 American records set at Blodgett Pool; the most recent being about 1 month ago when I beat my own 50 free record by over 2 seconds. The incredible team and coaches have given me ideal training and preparation for a great meet in Beijing! On the National Paralympic Team I have been able to travel all over the world from Belgium to Brazil to compete for the U.S. Last summer, I was co-captain of the 2007 Para PanAmerican team that competed in Rio de Janeiro and was able to take home 1 bronze, 2 silver, and 1 gold medal. At Trials in April, I qualified for the team in the 50 freestyle and 50 backstroke. Since then I have continued to train at Harvard to prepare for the Games.

Watching the amazing Olympic swimmers shatter record after record in "The Cube" has been incredibly exciting -- especially knowing that I'll be there soon! I hope you enjoy the blog as there will surely be more posts to come!