SPORT AWARENESS DAY SPEAKERS and SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Location: Post Center Hospitality Suite on Wednesday, Sept. 26th
10:00am Kathleen Confort Salas: Spaulding Adaptive Sports
Kathleen Comfort Salas is the North Shore Coordinator at Spaulding Adaptive Sports in Salem, Massachusetts. Kathleen is an extremely passionate professional in the adaptive sport industry. Spaulding has a strong adaptive history over the past decade, and they have been able to provide adaptive cycling and kayaking to their clientele and the community over the past two summers.
11:00am Lorigan Sudak: YMCA of North Shore
Lorigan Sudak graduated from UMass Dartmouth in 2006 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree in Art Education and is currently in the process of getting her M.Ed. in Special Education from Salem State University. Lorigan has been with the YMCA of the North Shore since 2004, in a variety of roles including Sterling Woods Camp Director, After School Site Coordinator, and Youth & Family Director. She has been the Youth, Family & Camp Director since 2011. As the Youth, Family & Camp Director Lorigan oversees the Art, Dance, Special Needs, Special Events and Camp programming for the Greater Beverly YMCA. Through these programs Lorigan has helped grow the inclusive setting throughout the YMCA that the Adaptive program has always promoted and in turn had a relationship with the National Inclusion Project since 2009, even helping put together their first Boston area Inclusion Training.
12:00pm Dan Cummings: Journey Forward
June 24, 2000 was the day that would change Dan Cummings life
forever. He and his friends were just hanging out on a lake and Dan
decided to go for a swim. He dove into the water and in an instant,
Dan opened his eyes under water, unable to move. Fortunately, two
of his friends notice something was wrong and pulled Dan out of the
lake and onto the shore. Not being able to move or feel his legs,
Dan knew what had happened and yelled “call 911!”
Dan was airlifted to Boston Medical Center where he was diagnosed
a C6 quadriplegic. He would spend the next 4 weeks in the ICU.
Unable to breathe on his own, he was hooked up to a life support
system known as a ventilator and the machine breathed for him.
Dan’s family asked if he would recover and walk again and in
those early moments they were told he may not make it through the
night. In addition to his injury, Dan had come down with severe
pneumonia and suffered a collapsed left lung leaving his life in
serious question. Dan’s family was told to take one day at a
time and that he still may not make it. After a few weeks had
passed, Dan started to recover and was able to breathe a little on
his own. He was going to survive. However the thought of walking
again…he may never feed himself again or have any sense of
independence.
From that point on, Dan made a promise to himself and anyone that
would listen. He promised that he was going to one day walk again.
He then went to physical therapy in Boston for the next 3 years.
But, something was missing, Dan knew he needed more and knew that
if he was going to get back on his feet he needed to find a
specialized program. After doing exhaustive research, Dan found a
place in Southern California that worked specifically with Spinal
Cord Injuries for up to 3 hours per day. After a short visit Dan
knew he needed this specialized program and made a commitment to
becoming independent enough to move to California. There Dan
received the tools and knowledge he needed to get out of his
wheelchair. After nearly four years in the program, Dan walked out
of their doors. Dan and his family’s commitment had paid off.
This left Dan with a new mission: make this program accessible to
all of those in need of it. So, he moved back home to Boston and
started Journey Forward; which will be opening centers throughout
the country, so that those that need this program do not have to
move across the country as Dan did.
1:00pm JP Barfield: Assistant Dean, School of Sport Science at Endicott College
J.P. Barfield has extensive work in adapted physical activity and sport. In addition to his position at Endicott College, he serves as a research associate to Lakeshore Foundation, a Paralympic training facility and community-based program for individuals with physical and sensory disabilities. He has also served as director of an adapted sport program and community volunteer for adapted physical activity events. In addition, Dr. Barfield has twelve years teaching experience in sport science including adapted physical activity. Dr. Barfield’s talk is on Disability Sport: Benefits and Possible Opportunities.
2:00pm Cailin Curry and Victoria Arlen
Cailin Currie is a 14 year old Danvers resident who was born with a rare eye disorder, aniridia, which causes her to be legally blind. At the suggestion of her physical therapists, Cailin became involved in sports to help her improve her gross motor skills. Cailin's been involved with the Adaptive Ski School at Loon Mountain, belonged to Pedro's Judo, and done horseback riding at Windrush Farm. She has been swimming since she was 6 weeks old, and has primarily focused on swimming as her sport of choice. She has been on the YMCA North Shore Sharks team for a year's time, and prior to that belonged to the Danvers YMCA Dolfins team for five years. Over this period of time, Cailin has had the opportunity to compete locally with non-disabled peers as well as travel to Paralympic competitions across the country and Canada. Her goals in the next year are to achieve times to qualify for both the US National Paralympic team and the YMCA National team. Her favorite swimming events are mid distance long course events of which include: 200 IM, 800 Free and 100 Fly. Cailin's been internationally classified as an S13 Paralympic swimmer which is a specific classification for athletes with similar vision issues. She is currently internationally ranked in 14th place for the 50 Free, 100 Free and 13th for the 200 IM for Paralympic swimming. Cailin recently had the opportunity to compete in the Paralympic Trials in Bismarck, ND where she posted personal best times in every event she swam. Cailin's plans are to continue swimming and qualify for the U.S. Paralympic team competing in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Victoria Arlen is a 17 year competing for the gold at the Paralympic Games in London 2012. Arlen set two new world records at the United States Trials in Bismarck, N.D., last month, shattering marks in the 400-meter freestyle (5:24.46) and 100-meter free (1:14.74). The previous best time in the 100 was 1:15.97 set by Simmonds, a double gold medal winner in the Paralympic Games in Beijing back in 2008. Arlen was paralyzed from the waist down after suffering complications from an undiagnosed spinal cord inflammation when she was 11. She was hospitalized and said it was “touch-and-go” whether she would survive. As recently as 2009, she was uncommunicative, but with great determination she has overcome adversity to become the best in the world.
As the first member of the Sharks to ever go to the Paralympic Games, Arlen has a great chance to come home with some medals. Swimming is the second-largest event there, with more than 600 athletes competing for 148 medals at the beautiful new Aquatic Centre. A senior at Exeter High School in New Hampshire who began training with the Sharks this past January, Arlen also won the 100-meter breaststroke and 50-meter freestyle at the trials.
3:00pm Paul Cowans: New England Blazers Wheelchair Basketball
Paul Cowans is the Director of Basketball Operations and Head Coach of the New England Blazers Wheelchair Basketball Team. The New England Blazers Wheelchair Basketball Team is an affiliate of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. Their team motto is "Just Wanna Play Ball" which they do as often as possible. Coach Cowans has been a tremendous supporter of Sport Awareness Day. He has graciously provided wheelchairs for the student body to use during pre-game skills competitions and shared his equipment for the Will Archibald Wheelchair Basketball Game. He is not only a top wheelchair basketball player, he is an inspiration to all.
4:00pm to 4:30pm Dr. Dina Gentile: Endicott College Professor, Sport Management
Dr. Gentile will present a tribute to Will Archibald who is the inspiration behind this event.
Location: Post Center MacDonald Gymnasium on Wednesday, Sept. 26th
5:30pm – 6:30pm Skills Competition at MacDonald Gymnasium
Three Point Shooting, 5 spot shooting challenge, speed dribbling, and more.!
6:30pm Will Archibald Wheelchair Basketball Game
Line up versus the NE Blazers
6:30pm School of Sport Science Faculty
6:45pm Women’s and Men’s Volleyball
7pm EC Coaches
7:15pm EC Women’s Basketball
Halftime Presentation of Plaque to Archibald Family
7:45pm Friends of Will Archibald
8pm EC Men’s Basketball
8:15pm Student Athlete Advisory Committee