15 years of racing and counting

In 1991, I entered my first road race; it was the Harvard Health 5K in Providence. Before this I had never raced a distance longer than 800 meters, but with my good friend John Gallo helping me train I decided to attempt this 3.1-mile race. After a month of training and lifting weights the day finally arrived.
It was a cool October morning and Gallo and I took our positions in the back of the pack of about 1,500 runners and joggers. We wanted to be in the rear of the pack because we knew I’d be slower than most, if not all of the participants. Back in those days I raced in an old heavy metal wheelchair which made this task that much harder.
Although I struggled and it took me a little over three hours I managed to be the only wheelchair athlete to complete the 3.1-mile course. My actions attracted so much attention I received a major police escort for the last half-mile. When I finish, exhausted but fulfilled, I was interviewed by television and newspaper reporters. It was simply amazing. Most just wanted to know what drove me to attempt such a monumental task. My answer was simple to test my limits.
Now to 2006, 15 years later, I’m proud to say both this race and myself have grown and widened our horizons. Last Sunday I competed in the 2006 CVS Pharmacy Downtown 5K. Back in 1991, I was the only disabled participant in any of the festivities. Last year the race organizers came up with the idea to have races, not only for able-bodied children, but also for disabled children as well. This was a big success but most of the disabled athletes came from Special Olympic Programs from around the state. This year the race organizers took this program to a whole new level inviting all children with disabilities to compete in this very successful event.
This year along with many Special Olympic athletes there were over 50 youth competitors from the National Disability Sports Alliance of Rhode Island (NDSA-RI). They called this part of the program “CVS All Kids Can”. It felt great to see so many kids enjoying the sport that has played such an important part in my life and my growth as an athlete.
Following the children’s event came the main event of the day, the United States Track and Field Association’s 5K National Championship. Unlike a decade-and-a- half ago, I wasn’t the only wheelchair racer in this event. There were three of us. Although we all had different levels of disabilities I felt it was important for all the people on hand to see athletics and exercise are important to all people whether you are able-bodied or disabled. As far as my own race, I was very satisfied with my performance. This race was the last competition I will be in before I attempt back-to-back marathons at the end of October. This being the case I really wanted to go out and push it to the limit. I had a very good race but I didn’t beat my personal best on this course. I finished in the time of 42:24. I was very pleased and will be thrilled if I can keep this pace throughout my marathon weekend.

A life-long friendship

What is a true friend? Well the dictionary defines a friend as, “A person you know well and regard with affection and trust.” For myself, few people embody a true friend as well as my buddy Lonnie Morris a Physical Education teacher at Coventry’s Knotty Oak Middle School..
I met Lonnie the summer before my senior year of high school in 1990. He was working on a Del’s Lemonade truck in the parking lot of Roche’s Market. My friend John Gallo and I were on the way back from the gym and John decided to stop and talk to Lonnie. The two friends talked a few minutes about their old high school football rivalry, but throughout their conversation I could see Lonnie leaning over to get a better look at me in John’s truck. He finally asked John who I was and John just said he is a friend that I lift weights with. Lonnie said hi to me and then we were on our way.
A few months later John enlisted in the Marines and I was having trouble getting personal assistants so after searching high and low Lonnie popped into my mind. I called John’s mother and asked her for Lonnie’s phone number. The next day my grandmother called Lonnie’s house and we made plans for him to come over and meet me.
It was a Sunday night and Lonnie came over to get to know me. He was only there for a few minutes, but we hit it off immediately and I knew he would be perfect for the job. He worked for me for about five years. In that time, Lonnie mastered almost everything about my many needs and myself. He went away with me on competitions, vacations, and even on my college orientation. After he graduated from Rhode Island College it was time for Lonnie to move on so he quit the job, but by that time we had developed a friendship that will last a lifetime.
Before Lonnie finished working with me he trained one of his younger teammates on the Wrestling team at Rhode Island College to take over for him. He also called on a regular basis to see how it was working out or just to get together.
As the years went by we both got busy and drifted apart but whenever something important was going on we always made time for the other. Recently I was in quite a bind when both of my male assistants had to leave suddenly, leaving me no way to train or even get out of the house. One call to Lonnie and my problems were solved. Currently Lonnie is the head wrestling coach at Johnson and Wales University and for the past five or six years he has provided me with at least two-thirds of my personal care staff in that period of time Lonnie is one of the few people that truly realize that my quality of life is directly effected by the type of aides I am able to hire.
Although we don’t get together as much as we both would like and we joke around a lot, I truly feel that he is one of my best friends and I would like to thank him for everything he has done for me over the years, although he will never convince me to be a Red Sox fan!

The Team Pisano motto thought up by team member DR. Scott Dresend

Impossible is just a big word thrown aroundby small people who find it easier to live in a world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion.Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare.Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary.IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHINGStill don't believe IMPOSSIBLE is nothing?Visit: teampisano.blogspot.com/Donate early and often!

Pisano seeks training partners

BY CAROLYN THORNTONJournal Sports Writer
HELP WANTED: Individual to train world-class disabled athlete.
POSITION TO START: Immediately.
Jason Pisano is sending out a desperate plea for help.
Just weeks away from embarking upon his most ambitious athletic endeavor yet, the wheelchair athlete has lost the services of his training partners.
The 34-year-old West Warwick resident, who has cerebral palsy and competes by pushing himself backward in the wheelchair using only his left foot, is eager to find someone to help him get his training back on track so that he can be properly prepared to attempt the Breakers Marathon in Middletown on Oct. 21 and then head to East Lyme, Conn., the following morning to compete in the Mystic Country Marathon.
"Every September, most of my aides go back to college, so I have this problem," said Pisano, communicating via e-mail by typing his responses with his toe. "Also, one of my aides was forced to get a job with medical insurance this year, and that was very sudden.
"This is a great job for college kids in physical education, special education, nursing, etc. Flexible hours!"
Pisano -- who is more than halfway toward his career goal of competing in 50 marathons -- has people lined up to assist him on the days of each marathon. Nathan Tompkins will come down from Vermont, where he is attending Champlain College in Burlington, to run the Breakers Marathon with him. And friend Chad Johnson will join him for the Mystic Country race.
But what he needs are training aides to assist him with his daily workouts leading up to the marathons.
Through his association with Johnson & Wales University wrestling coach Lonnie Morris, Pisano has been getting some help over the last couple of weeks from Peter Reilly and Josh Corona. But with both being full-time students, they aren't able to devote as much time as Pisano needs to train fully, which he estimates to be about 20 hours a week.
The person doesn't really need any special qualifications, he says: "They need to be strong enough to put me in my racing chair. They need to be willing to be trained on how I do things. They can't get frustrated, and they need to be ready to have fun!"
Pisano owns a specially equipped van that the person would need to be able to drive.
"They just need a license, a good background check and an insurance card," he said.
Pisano follows a training program designed by coach Paul Tetreault that includes a little bit of everything, including racing on the track and weightlifting.
"Paul has me everywhere -- from the grass to hills to the roads," said Pisano, who trains at the West Warwick High School Athletic Complex, the Community College of Rhode Island Field House at the Warwick campus and at Gold's Gym in Warwick.
Tetreault says that Pisano's previous aides or members of the aides' families would be able to show the new training partner the ropes.
"Depending on the person, duties may include transferring Jason into his racing chair and walking/jogging with him as he goes through his workout," Tetreault said. "My suggestion would be for the person to stay local around Jay's home until they become familiar with him. I'm sure he is quite adaptable to make anything work."
There is pay involved, adds Pisano, a freelance journalist and graduate of the University of Connecticut. But perhaps even more valuable is the opportunity to work closely with one of the most accomplished disabled athletes ever to come out of Rhode Island.
Last summer, he captured two gold medals -- in the thrust kick and the distance kick events -- at the 2005 Cerebral Palsy-International Sports and Recreation World Championships.
To learn more about Pisano, visit his Web site: http://teampisano.blogspot.com/.
Individuals interested in working with him can contact Pisano by e-mail at JPRUNR@aol.com or by phone at (401) 822-4781.
cthorn@projo.com / (401) 277-7340

A Lady who inspirres me

Recently I had an enlightening experience. After years of living with my grandmother, Barbara Pisano, we all (my family as well as her herself) decided that she was in need of living in a skilled nursing facility. In late July, grandma arrived at Riverview Healthcare Community Center in Coventry.
Loving my grandmother as much as I do, I had a very hard time dealing with this decision. I felt as if I was letting her down as her grandson. Another reason I had some hesitation about this, is that working as a journalist for close to 10 years I have heard of, and reported on many nursing home horror stories. Fortunately my fears were unfounded.
Coming to grips with the fact that home is not always the best place for a loved one getting on in years is never easy, but sometimes ends up being the best alternative for everyone involved, especially the senior. Before my grandmother moved to Riverview, she had little if any interaction with people her own age. Now, when I visit her I have to send a search party to locate her. From weekly bingo games, to bowling and visiting her many new friends, she is doing more in a day than she did in a month at home.
As for her mood and state of mind, it’s like night and day. When she was living at home she tended to be lackadaisical and withdrawn. Now when I go into her room she is enthusiastic and always wants to tell me stories or take me to meet her newest friend.
Honestly, I never thought this transition would go so well for any or us, however the opposite turned out to be true. Now not only is my grandmother receiving the type of care that she needs and rightly deserves, but my family and I no longer have to worry about leaving her for long durations of time. Knowing that she is safe and enjoying herself has put all of our minds at ease. The staff at Riverview is a group of wonderful and caring individuals. They are so caring that my grandmother no longer refers to them as her nurses, but now as her friends.
It is always difficult to have to make lifestyle changes. We often figure it would be better to keep our loved ones home as long as possible no matter how draining this may be. However, with facilities like Riverview, families such as mine can leave the nursing to professionals and enjoy quality visits daily. I know my grandmother and I are closer than every, so thank you Riverview for bringing back the grandmother I have k known and loved for so long!.

Can He Do This?

Pisano is at again. The West Warwick resident with cerebral palsy - who competes in a wheelchair, pushing himself backward with only the use of his left leg - has set another ambitious goal of doing two 26.2 marathons in a span of just 36 hours! Do you think he can do this. Leave coments and see what the experts say!