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