JUNE 2005 WhyNot. · For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales...

13
JUNE 18, 2005 WhyNot. MAGAZINE JUNE 2005 Chantal Petitclerc, 2005 Women’s Open Division Winner Ernst vanDyk, 2005 Men’s Open Division Winner

Transcript of JUNE 2005 WhyNot. · For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales...

Page 1: JUNE 2005 WhyNot. · For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales representatives: Envision Inc., Telephone (416) ... a lifeline and the CFPDP has

JUNE 18, 2005

WhyNot.M A G A Z I N E

JUNE 2005

Chantal Petitclerc,2005 Women’s

Open Division Winner

Ernst vanDyk,2005 Men’s Open Division Winner

Page 2: JUNE 2005 WhyNot. · For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales representatives: Envision Inc., Telephone (416) ... a lifeline and the CFPDP has

MESSAGESGreetings from the Rolling Rampage Co-Chairs and race founder

BRING ON THE WORLDThe third annual Rolling Rampage

plays host to some of the planet’s finest athletes

DEMOCRACY IN MOTIONThe field in wheelchair road racing is wide open

TAKING IT TO THE STREETSThe world’s elite wheelers blow away a lot of old ideas

WhyNot.I N T H I S I S S U E

JUNE 2005

M A G A Z I N E

WhyNot. MagazineTHE ROLLING RAMPAGE ISSUEJune, 2005

Published by the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons,731 Runnymede Road, Toronto, Ontario, M6N 3V7 Telephone (416) 760-7351Fax (416) 760-9405 E-Mail: [email protected]: Vim KochharEditors: Lawrence Allen and Bill McOuat Publication Manager: Dorothy PricePublication Coordinator: Joan ChampDesign & Production: The Richmond StudioSales: Envision Inc.Printing: Thompson Printing, Paris, Ontario

For information about advertising rates, pleasecontact our Advertising Sales representatives:Envision Inc., Telephone (416) 259-5677.

The reproduction of articles from WhyNot.Magazine, with the exception of copyright material, is welcome provided the source isacknowledged. Additional copies of WhyNot.Magazine are available from the Publisher at acost of $2.50 each plus shipping and handling.

COVER: Photographs by Devon Dunbar.

3

8Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled PersonsThe Canadian Foundation for PhysicallyDisabled Persons, a charitable organizationfounded in 1985, assists people with physi-cal disabilities to live fuller lives. Its missionis to create awareness in the public, businesscommunities and government of the abilitiesof persons with disabilities and their needs inthe areas of housing, employment, educa-tion, accessibility, sports and recreation andresearch. In the past twenty years, theFoundation has raised substantial funds,which it has distributed to a wide variety oforganizations and events. These include theTerry Fox Hall of Fame, the Eternal Flame ofHope, the Rotary Cheshire Home, theCanadian Helen Keller Centre, the annualGreat Valentine Gala (in cooperation withthe Rotary Club of Toronto-Don Valley), theKing Clancy Awards, the Corporate Awards,the WhyNot Marathon, the first CanadianMarathon for the Paralympics and JeffAdams’ CN Tower climb.

4

9

2005 ROLLING RAMPAGE COMMITTEE

Vim KochharChair, CFPDPBrian MacPhersonDirector General,Canadian Paralympic CommitteeBeverly IvanyPast President Rotary Club, Toronto Don ValleyPawel Zbieranowski1K Relay Co-ordinatorFaye BlackwoodAthletics Coach

Robin MednickSr. Associate, Cdn. Urban InstituteJanice MartinDisability Program, U of TDebbie LowExecutive Director, Paralympics Ont.Michael ClarkeChair 10K Road RaceBrian McLeanEvent Manager

Richard E. RotmanMedia Co-ordinatorRobyn ParashyniakAthlete &Volunteer Co-ordinatorDebbie WrightIndependent Living Educator,BellwoodsSteven DezsoRotaract, Toronto Don ValleyJoanna MiedzikBloorview MacMillan Children's Centre

Page 3: JUNE 2005 WhyNot. · For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales representatives: Envision Inc., Telephone (416) ... a lifeline and the CFPDP has

The On-Line Source for Healthy Lifestyles for Today’s Amputees

www.activelivingmagazine.com

And for even more healthy living info, Sign-Up for e-News,A FREE MONTHLY ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER FROM ACTIVE LIVING MAGAZINE.

› Hot Topics› Article Library› Industry News› Peer Support› Sports & Recreation› Health› Fitness› Opinions› Product Manufacturers› Prosthetic

& Orthotic Components› Subscription

Information› Reliable Resources› Useful Links

A Library of Activity at Your Fingertips!

Active Living ON-LINE

ALL NEW!

EASYTO USE!

EASYTO READ!

04050_ALM_v13/1_layout 1/24/05 9:56 PM Page 49

Page 4: JUNE 2005 WhyNot. · For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales representatives: Envision Inc., Telephone (416) ... a lifeline and the CFPDP has

3June 2005 WhyNot.

What an exciting experience thisyear’s rolling rampage was. Whereelse could we see our outstandingparalympic athletes from Canadaand other nations racing flat-outaround Queen’s Park, and feel therush of air as they blew past to thefinish line. And then there werethe numbers of children, youngpeople, and families going aroundthe track, following the spirit of anexcellence in sport and also learn-ing that success and progress ispossible every day in every life, nomatter how young or old. It is agreat feeling! Also there was a veryreal sense of common cause amongthe growing number of devotedfans, including people who arecommitted to the broader issues ofdisabled sport, and eager to pledgetime and resources for a sharedpurpose that really matters.

I want to commend Vim Kochharand the Canadian Foundation forPhysically Disabled Persons, theCanadian Paralympic Committeeand the Rotary Club of Toronto-DonValley for three years of developingthis great event, and the Hon-ourable Alvin Curling, speaker ofthe Legislative Assembly of Ontariofor hosting the celebration. Theircombined message of the joy anddetermination in the human effortto overcome adversity touches allof us. Warmest regards and I’ll seeyou at the track next year!

The Honourable Joyce FairbairnSenate of CanadaRolling Rampage, Honorary Co-Chair

If there was ever any questionabout the value or validity of para-lympic sports in the minds ofCanadians, those objections havelong since been laid to rest. Thisnation has been blessed to producesome of the greatest paralympicathletes in the world and modernday champions like ChantalPetitclerc and Jeff Adams are garnering a level of public recogni-tion and appreciation their predecessors could only dream of. With the advent of Toronto’sRolling Rampage, Canadians canfinally watch these incredible athletes take on the world righthere in their own backyard andthat has to spell great things forthe future of paralympic sport inthis country.

The reach and impact of the paralympic movement is growingbecause athletes with a disabilityhave proven they are powerful,compelling competitors and marquee international events likethe Rolling Rampage will surelybuild on that success. I’d like tothank the Rampage’s generoussponsors, volunteers and charitablepartners along with everyone at theCanadian Foundation for PhysicallyDisabled Persons, the CanadianParalympic Committee and theRotary Club of Toronto-Don Valleyfor taking up the paralympic dreamand helping to make it a reality.

Thank you one and all.

The Honourable Consiglio Di NinoSenate of CanadaRolling Rampage, Honorary Co-Chair

Here at the Canadian Foundationfor Physically Disabled Persons wehave always been great believers in the power of sport to heal andinspire. For many people with disabilities sports and other recreational opportunities can be a lifeline and the CFPDP has contributed substantially to programs targeting their sometimesvery specific requirements. Like the rest of the population, a significant percentage of peoplewith disabilities are activelyinvolved in sports and, inevitably, a special few exceed beyond all nor-mal hopes and expectations. Eliteevents like the Rolling Rampageafford these exceptional people the opportunity to pursue theirlegitimate aspirations and sharetheir gift with the wider world.

I want to pay special tribute to the Rolling Rampage’s officialsponsors, Scotiabank, Pfizer and the Ontario Trillium Foundation,whose faith and generosity havebeen so important to the growthand success of this event. Corporateand community support andinvolvement are essential to thecontinued success of paralympicsport and I commend our sponsorsfor their visionary leadership andcommitment.

I also want to thank our RollingRampage partners, the CanadianParalympic Committee and theRotary Club of Toronto-Don Valleyand all of the Rampage’s many par-ticipating organizations for helpingus make this great undertaking areality. Thank you one and all.

Vim Kochhar,President and CEO,Vimal Group of CompaniesChairperson,Canadian Foundation forPhysically Disabled Persons

Page 5: JUNE 2005 WhyNot. · For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales representatives: Envision Inc., Telephone (416) ... a lifeline and the CFPDP has

4WhyNot. June 2005

t was much more than just anexhilarating day of world classcompetition. With ten of theworld’s finest athletes on hand tocompete for a share of one of thelargest prize purses in wheelchair

sports, Toronto’s third annual RollingRampage served notice of its arrival as atrue international showcase of Paralympicsport.Canada’s premier international 10Kwheelchair road race was let loose indowntown Toronto June 18, sounding theopening salvo for two-and-a-half weeks ofparalympic wheeling on the prestigiousAmerica Series circuit, culminating July4th with the historic Peachtree Road Racein Atlanta.

With racers vying for $35,000 in prizemoney, the field put the hammer down onthis scenic 1.4K loop around Queen’s Park,wowing spectators as well as viewers coastto coast who caught the highlights laterthat day on CBC Sports Saturday.

Three of the Rampage’s four divisionswere decided in the final yards of the race.In the Men’s Open division, South Africanstar Ernst van Dyk claimed his thirdRampage title in 21:53.9, nosing out leg-endary Paralympian and hometownfavourite Jeff Adams by just 5/100ths of asecond with inches to go to the wire. Thirdwent to international tour vet-eran Saul Mendoza of Mexicowith Athens double goldmedallist Kurt Fearnley ofAustralia taking fourth in hisRolling Rampage debut.

In a homegrown thriller inthe Women’s Open division,two-time Rampage women’schamp Diane Roy lost out inthe dramatic final stretch tofellow Quebecer and first-timeRampage entrant ChantalPetitclerc (25:00.0), Canada’sFemale Athlete of the Year.

Italy’s Francesca Porcellato came third.Thomas Geierspichler, of Austria

(24:44.5), also nailed down three-timeRampage title status in the Men’s Quaddivision after a nip and tuck seven lap bat-tle with Spain’s Santiago Sanz.Saskatchewan’s Clayton Gerein finished astrong third.

In a Rampage first, junior division hon-ours went to three women, Jessica Matassa(25:04.4), Shelly Woods of Great Britain,and Melanie Hawtin, respectively. (SeeDemocracy in Motion, page 7)

With 11 nations represented, thisyear’s race marked the most internationalRampage to date. And organizers antici-pate the race’s global profile is sure toreceive a further boost next year with theAmerica Series’ inclusion in the newlyestablished World Series, which signifi-cantly extends North America’s linkageswith the European circuit and internation-al athletic organizations.

At 34, the six-time world championAdams has been wheeling at the top of hisgame this spring, placing fourth in the L.A.tour stop, second in London, England, andthird at the World Cup in Manchester.Hopes were high that this might be theToronto resident’s year to win his homeevent following a photo-finish with van Dyk

in the inaugural Rampage and a disap-pointing fifth last year when he collidedwith another racer in the back stretch ofthe final lap. With the boisterous crowdcheering his every stroke, Adams put on afurious finishing kick with 150 yards to goto break from the pack, only to see van Dyk– a five-time Boston Marathon champion –take up the challenge, and edge him out ina final push at the finish.

“It was a bit of a heartbreaker,” Adamstold WhyNot after the race. “I knew cominginto a downhill finish I had to have a bit ofa gap, so I attacked coming off the turnand hit my sprint really, really well. But itjust ended up being one of those dayswhere five hundredths of a second madethe difference – and I happened to be onthe wrong end of it.”

The last lap of the race was extraordi-narily fast for the lead pack, according toAdams. “It was a full lap sprint. We hit thetop of the hill at about 28, or 29 kilometresper hour. We hit 37, or 38 at the bottom ofthe hill. We held 33 all the way around, andwe hit 39 again at the finish -- so therewere no breaks in that last lap, it was justguns out, everybody doing it.”

Heading into the race, said Adams, itwas impossible to call. In an elite fieldwhere any one of four or five racers might

prevail, he said “It can all comedown to whether you miss onestroke or look the wrong way.Wins and losses are often deter-mined by tiny mistakes that makea big difference.”

And when the leaders chooseto make their move can be every-thing.

“Some of the guys can puttogether a really good full 1Ksprint. Other guys have a couple ofhundred meters in them,” heexplained. “It depends on yourtraining. It depends on your body

Toronto’s 3rd annual Rolling Rampage introduces sports fansacross the country to some of the fastest wheelers on the planet

I

Phot

ogra

phs:

Devo

n Du

nbar

BRING ON THE WORLD

Page 6: JUNE 2005 WhyNot. · For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales representatives: Envision Inc., Telephone (416) ... a lifeline and the CFPDP has

5June 2005 WhyNot.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Petro Canada; Phil Churton, Howard McIntyre, Jon Hamilton and Steven Keith, CFPDP ; Dorothy Price TOP: Men’s Open 10KWheelchair Race World’s Best Wheelchair Racers left to right; Josh Cassidy, Port Elgin, Mark Ledo, Maple, Michel Filteau, Quebec, Curtis Tom,Mississauga, Jeff Adams, Toronto, Kurt Fearnley, Australia, Ernst van Dyk, South Africa and Saul Mendoza, Mexico, two in behind Tushar Patel,England and Aron Anderson, Sweden MIDDLE: 45 skaters participated in the 10K Inline Skating Race BOTTOM: Women’s Open 10KWheelchair Race left to right; Francesca Porcelatto, Italy, Melanie Hawtin, Oakville and Chantal Petitclerc, Quebec

D

Page 7: JUNE 2005 WhyNot. · For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales representatives: Envision Inc., Telephone (416) ... a lifeline and the CFPDP has

6WhyNot. June 2005

TOP LEFT: 1K Wheelchair Relay teams ready to show their muscles. Centre of the group the Hon. George Smitherman. TOP RIGHT: AlexanderWaugh, Chair of Toronto Grant Review Team of Ontario Trillium Foundation, speaking at the Reception at Queen’s Park. MIDDLE: Awards ceremony for the Men’s Open 10K Road Race left to right; Mendoza, (bronze) Fearnley, Zanotti, Ledo, Patel, Filteau, van Dyk, (gold) and Adams(silver) standing,left to right; Hon. Alvin Curling, Wendy Hannam, Senator Joyce Fairbairn and Vim Kochhar, BOTTOM LEFT: Barry Coke, CFPDPBoard Member carries the torch for the Opening Ceremony BOTTOM RIGHT: Winners of the Women’s Open 10K Road Race left to right;Francesca Porcelatto, (bronze) Diane Roy (silver) and Chantal Petitclerc (gold) standing,left to right; Hon. Alvin Curling, Speaker of the LegislativeAssembly, Wendy Hannam, Ex. VP. Scotiabank, Senator Joyce Fairbairn and Vim Kochhar,

Page 8: JUNE 2005 WhyNot. · For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales representatives: Envision Inc., Telephone (416) ... a lifeline and the CFPDP has

type. It depends how much you put intothe front end of the race. There are guyswho are going to try to push from thebeginning. And then there are guys likeme, who are going to sit back and wait forthe sprint. I generally wouldn’t want to gowith more than 500 meters to go, ormaybe 600, where as somebody likeMendoza might want to go with a K to go.”

Three-time Paralympian and Ram-page M.C. Rob Snoek had high praise forthis year’s Men’s and Women’s open divi-sions.

“Just to watch Jeff put it all togetherlike that with 150 yards to go, and thensee Ernst van Dyk respond the way hedid and pull it out with inches to go, itwas an incredible show. There were sixin that pack and that was exciting just tosee that big of a group out front. Thosefront four are arguably the best racers inthe world. I mean, the guy who camefourth, Kurt Fearnley, won two goldmedals in Athens last year in themarathon and the 5000. It just goes toshow how deep the field was, that he wasfourth.”

Snoek said it also spoke well to thedepth of the Canadian team thatQuebecer Michel Filteau finished fifth,hard on the heels of the front four.“Michel has obviously climbed a tier tothe next level, and that was very excit-ing to see.”

Of the Women’s side, Snoekobserved that the addition this year ofquintuple Athens gold medallistChantal Petitclerc has been a hugeboost to the caliber of the women’sopen event. As one of the world’s mostrecognized and admired paralympians,Petitclerc brings real heft to thewomen’s open field, said Snoek, andstacks up well against Diane Roy whohas a growing reputation as one of theworld’s premier distance wheelers.

“Chantal has an incredible sprint,and Diane needed to get out aheadmore in the early laps, and she justcouldn’t do it this time around,” saidSnoek. “Every time they came aroundChantal was right there with her.Because of that it came down to a sprintat the end. Chantal has the best top-endspeed of any woman wheelchair racer inthe world. And Diane knows that. If

she’s not leading with 200 meters to go,unless Chantal gets a flat tire, it’s say-onara.”

After the race, the graciousPetitclerc complimented race organiz-ers and promised she would return nextyear to defend her title.

“I was very happy (with my race). It’sa great course,” she says. “It’s very excit-ing to have so many laps, because peoplecan actually see what’s going on.”

More of a sprinter by temperament,Petitclerc said the relatively flat Queen’sPark course is well suited to her style ofracing. The short, gentle uphill anddownhill stretches mean none of themore experienced distance wheelershave a chance to get away from her andthe downhill finish favours her renownedsprinting ability.

“I knew if I was just able to stay withthe pack for the whole race, then I wouldbe okay for the sprint,” she says.

Although most Canadians would rec-ognize her as a track athlete, Petitclercsaid she has always kept a hand in roadracing, especially late in the seasonwhen she is back home in Quebec.However, this year she’s ratcheting upher road race commitment, and hadsigned on for the four city AmericaSeries tour.

Petitclerc said the Canadian womenare becoming a real presence on theinternational paralympic circuit, andthat’s good for the sport here at home.She and Roy clash often in internationalcompetition. If there’s a rivalry develop-ing between the two, said Petitclerc, it’sa healthy one.

“I think the 10K is maybe where wemeet a little bit,” she comments. “I thinkit’s very healthy. I mean, I was alone fora very long time. I’ve been racing for 17years, and it’s just in the last three yearsthat Diane has come along and madesome good competition for me. It hasforced me to turn everything up a notch,and that’s good. And now we haveJessica (Matassa, another Canadian andthe Rampage’s Junior winner, who camein just behind third place finisherPorcellato). She was right there in thepack the whole time, and I think that’svery positive for the Canadian women’steam.”

The Rolling Rampage is not just a forum for elite par-alympic competition. It’s also an all too rare opportu-nity for other athletes with a disability to meet andcompete – an exciting chance to test their mettle inhot pursuit of their own brand of personal excel-lence.

Unlike internationally sanctioned events like theParalympics or Paralympic World Cup where onlyelite, nationally ranked athletes are allowed to com-pete, road racing is typically open to all comers,explains the Rampage’s 10K race chairman MichaelClarke. What that means, says Clarke, is that differentcompetitors come to the event with different expec-tations. While elite wheelers like Jeff Adams andChantal Petitclerc come to the race looking to takehome a share of the prize money, others attendingthe meet may be younger or less seasoned racerslooking for experience on the road to future para-lympic glory or weekend warriors who are just therefor the thrill of testing their wheels against the bestracers in the world.

“Any time you have an athletic event like thiseverybody has their own drama that is playing itselfout on the track. It can be a little confusing but it’sgreat for the development of the sport,” says Clarke.“Saul Mendoza, Jeff Adams, Ernst van Dyk, KurtFearnley, these guys are absolutely the top of thepyramid in wheelchair racing. So being able to racein a race with those guys or just be there to watchthem is something fairly unique. And that motivatesa lot of the local racers.”

Accommodating the different classes of racers ona level playing field sometimes gets a little compli-cated, concedes Clarke. This year, for instance, theRampage offered for the first time a junior division.Because there were only seven entries, young menand women ranging in age from 11 to 19, Clarkedecided to run them together as one division, handi-capping them against the men’s and women’s para-lympic records for 10,000 metres on the track.Because the women clocked in closest to theirrespective record, they claimed the top three posi-tions on the medal podium.

“It’s a little bit like comparing apples and orangesbut it was as close to an even playing field as wecould get,” says Clarke. And without that kind ofnovel accommodation for the racers’ differences,Rampage fans might never have experienced the joyof watching 11 year-old Isaiah Christophe compete inhis first 10K road race, finishing in an awesome 30minutes.

“He’s quite amazing,” remarks Clarke. “A 30minute 10K at 11 years old is extraordinary. There’s ahuge amount of potential in that kid.”

7June 2005 WhyNot.

Democracy in Motion

Page 9: JUNE 2005 WhyNot. · For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales representatives: Envision Inc., Telephone (416) ... a lifeline and the CFPDP has

ThompsonPrinting

Thank YouThe Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled

Persons together with the Rotary Club of

Toronto – Don Valley and the Canadian Paralympic

Committee, organizers of The Rolling Rampage,

wish to acknowledge the participation of the

organizations and corporations below.

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

• ABI Possibilities • Bellwoods Centres for Community Living • Bloorview MacMillan Children’s Centre

• Canadian National Institute for the Blind • Canadian Paraplegic Association, Ontario • Easter Seals

• Equip KIDS International • Harmony Place Support Services • Ontario Wheelchair Sports Association • Paralympics Ontario

• Rotaract Club of Toronto – Don Valley • Rotary Cheshire Homes • Sunny View Public School • Variety Village

Page 10: JUNE 2005 WhyNot. · For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales representatives: Envision Inc., Telephone (416) ... a lifeline and the CFPDP has

Insurer of Industry & Commerce

GCAN provides insurance and riskmanagement solutions for industrialand commercial insureds that range

from Canada’s largest corporations tothe smaller companies that are such akey part of the economy.

Loss control specialists identify andevaluate risks to help meet safety andsecurity concerns, while claims experts

act quickly to return businesses to fulloperation, enabling companies tomaintain service to customers withminimal delay.

GCAN Insurance Company

480 University Avenue

Toronto, Ontario M5G 1V6

Canada

416 598 4651 phone

416 598 5478 fax

Page 11: JUNE 2005 WhyNot. · For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales representatives: Envision Inc., Telephone (416) ... a lifeline and the CFPDP has

10WhyNot. June 2005

Toronto’s Rolling Rampage is anotherproud initiative of the CanadianFoundation for Physically Disabled

Persons, administered in partnership with theCanadian Paralympic Committee and theRotary Club of Toronto Don Valley.

Since it’s inception in 1984 the CFPDP haslaunched and overseen a far-reaching cam-paign of fund raising and support for essentialcommunity services, numerous nationalawareness projects and other major public ini-tiatives aimed at helping people with disabili-ties play a more active and rewarding role inthe life of their communities. Increasing thepublic’s awareness of the demonstrable wealthof talent and accomplishment in the disabilitycommunity has always been a central focus ofthat campaign and Canada’s paralympic ath-letes have played a prominent role in helping the CFPDP drivethat message home. Indeed, Canada’s Paralympians have figuredfront and centre in many CFPDP projects, both as compelling,articulate advocates and as the kind of inspirational role modelsCanadians have always admired. In fact, says CFPDP chairmanand Rolling Rampage founder Vim Kochhar, Canada’sParalympians have probably done more to advance the cause ofpeople with disabilities than most of them will ever know.

“These aren’t people who set themselves up as role modelsbut they are real leaders. I’ve always felt we owe our athletes atremendous debt. What they’ve managed to accomplish, theirincredible character and commitment. They set an example forus all and the Foundation has always tried very hard to honourthat example,” says Kochhar.

It’s that example that inspired and informs CFPDP creationslike the Terry Fox Hall of Fame and 1996’s WhyNot Marathon, an11,000 kilometre national torch relay and tribute to theParalympic dream. And it’s why the CFPDP has been an activecontributor to the development of local and national sports andrecreation programs as well as a loyal sponsor of Canada’sParalympic team. The pursuit of excellence, notes Kochhar, is abirthright and athletes with a disability deserve the same

opportunities as their able-bodied peers.“Over the years this country has produced

some of the most recognized and admired ath-letes in the world – pioneering heroes likeEugene Reimer and Arnold Boldt, Terry Foxand Rick Hansen and modern heroes like JeffAdams and Chantal Petitclerc. These athletesdefy all the old preconceptions about disabili-ty. They’ve broken the disability barrier. Whatthe rest of us need to do is get with the pro-gram and support the kind of opportunitiesthey deserve,” says Kochhar.

Like most CFPDP undertakings, theRolling Rampage was conceived as a means ofaddressing a particular shortfall affecting thedisability community while also providing aplatform for addressing or underscoringbroader issues. Although Canada has long

been recognized as one of the pioneering forces behind the inter-national paralympic movement, serious competitive opportuni-ties in this country for athletes with a disability remain few andfar between and elite international events have been virtuallynon-existent. The CFPDP chairman credits Terry Fox Hall ofFamer and six-time world champion middle distance wheelerJeff Adams with floating the original idea of hosting an annualroad race in the heart of Toronto. And when the idea took hold,says Kochhar, there was no turning back.

“Wheelchair road racing is one of the fastest growing sportsin the world. They’re doing it in cities like Tokyo, Paris, London.Why not Toronto,” wonders Kochhar. “These are fierce competi-tors and they put on a great show. Canada should be right therein the front ranks of the paralympic movement and an event likethe Rolling Rampage might get a lot more Canadians involved.”

The Rampage made its debut in 2003, drawing some of thebiggest names in wheelchair sports. It also caught the eye ofAmerica Series officials, organizers of what has been billed asthe most lucrative tour in wheelchair sports. Series officialsinvited the Rampage aboard for 2004. It was an auspiciousbeginning for the fledgling event and the second Rampage wentoff with a field of over 30 international racers and live national

Taking it to the Streets

Vim Kochhar, Chair, CanadianFoundation for Physically DisabledPersons – who keeps the torch lit.

Elite wheelchair road racing makes for awesome spectatorsport but it also happens to send a powerful message aboutability, says Rolling Rampage founder Vim Kochhar~T

Page 12: JUNE 2005 WhyNot. · For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales representatives: Envision Inc., Telephone (416) ... a lifeline and the CFPDP has

11June 2005 WhyNot.

coverage on CBC Television’s SportsSaturday, the kind of well-earned recog-nition Paralympians have coveted foryears. With the third annual RollingRampage, June 18th, organizers believethe race is establishing itself as a trulyinternational showcase – and that bodeswell for the race’s future, according toInternational Paralympic Committeemember and Rampage volunteer PawelZbieranowski.

“This year we had athletes from 11nations represented and that’s tremen-

dously exciting. It was great to see somany of the stars who just attended theWorld Cup in Manchester and now theyare coming here. That speaks to the qual-ity of our event,” says Zbieranowski, whocoordinated the 1K Wheelchair Relay, theRampage’s entertaining fundraiser andawareness event pitting teams of rankamateur wheelers in heated and oftenhilarious competition.

“I think the relay has a great futuretoo. We had a record number of partici-pants this year, 27 teams, up from 16 last year. We had Petro Canada, Telus, the Canadian Urban Institute. We evenhad Ontario Health Minister GeorgeSmitherman here with a team, and thatmakes it special. It was a lot of fun. It’sgreat fun for the participants and it’sgreat fun for the spectators too.”

ROLL FOR PLEDGES Residents and friends of the Bellwoods Centres for Community Living turned out in force June 18 raising $5,000 in theRolling Rampage Roll for Pledges. Other supporting organizations who rolled out for the cause include Variety Village, Sunny View Public Schooland the Bloorview MacMillan Children’s Centre. To learn more about the Rolling Rampage visit: www.rollingrampage.com

LEFT: 1 K Relay Volunteers left to right; Students, Yoko Murphy, Don Mills C.I., Lauren Kilgour,York Mills C.I., Kaylie Flynn, Don Mills C.I. and Rebecca Ramsey, Don Mills C.I.RIGHT: Jeff May of Windsor, Ontario

Page 13: JUNE 2005 WhyNot. · For information about advertising rates, please contact our Advertising Sales representatives: Envision Inc., Telephone (416) ... a lifeline and the CFPDP has

Reap The Rewards!Get In Touch...

Canada’s Lifestyle Magazine forPeople with Disabilities

Subscribe now... valuable informationand inspiring articles packed into every issue!

For more disability resources,articles, upcoming events,

books and classifieds,visit us online at:

416-923-1885 / [email protected]

“I recently discoveredyour wonderful magazine.How I wish I had had suchan affirming and informativemagazine when my disableddaughter was growing up!Please enroll both of usfor subscriptions.”- Abilities magazine reader

OUTSIDE TORONTO CALL 1-888-700-4476

YOUR ONLINE TRAVEL AND

COMMUNITY RESOURCE

VISIT

www.abilities.ca/agc