LightHouse Paralympic Athlete Off To Beijing
08/14/08
As we gear up for this year’s Olympics excitement, another group of elite competitors whom you won’t see on network television will be arriving in Beijing for the 2008 Paralympic games. The 2008 Paralympics will host four thousand athletes, competing in 19 different sports, including track and field, swimming, cycling, table tennis and goalball, a sport for visually impaired athletes. Charlie Huebner, chief of Paralympics for the U.S. Olympic Committee points out that the Paralympics are no different than the Olympic Games. “They are great athletes in the world who are physically disabled. There are world records and amazing performances,” Huebner says of the competitors. The LightHouse boasts our own Paralympic competitor, Jessie Lorenz, Director of Information and Public Policy, who earned a silver medal in goalball in the Paralympic Games in Athens in 2004. Leading up to Beijing, her focus is on bringing home “the right color medal”.
Jessie will be traveling to Colorado for team processing and one more training camp before departing for Beijing. Opening Ceremonies are September 6 and Jessie's Goalball games are Sept. 7 through the 14. Listen to the games on-line on the Audio Sports Network
Follow Jessie’s Paralympic journey on her blog at www.jessielorenz.com and help us root for her! For more information about the Paralympics, visit the International Paralympic Committee website.
