Nothing feels like winning two world titles

In early January, I was notified that I had been selected to represent the United States in the 2005 Cerebral Palsy World Games, to be held July 2nd – 11th, on the campus of Connecticut College, in New London, Connecticut. I was very honored because the United States only selected 47 athletes to represent our nation.
I began training for this world-class athletic competition during he first week of February. When I was selected to be a member of Team USA I had only qualified in one event, the 100 meter dash. Don’t get me wrong, even only competing in one event would be an honor, but I really wanted to see if I could meet the international qualifying standards and add a couple more events. Training for a track competition in the winter is not an easy task. Cold temperatures, snow, and ice forced me to train indoors at the West Warwick Complex most of the time. This was alright, but there’s no way to train at the same intensity as if I was on an outdoor track.
The snow and ice finally stopped by April, and I was able to take my training outside. This is also when I acquired the assistance of North Kingstown High School Cross Country Coach Paul Tetreault. Paul was my coach when I was just starting off in track, and is very knowledgeable about the sport of track and Field.
Over the past five months I have pushed my body to limits that I’ve experienced before. I trained on hills, grass, lifted a lot of weights, and learned to relax. All these things, along with Paul’s coaching have allowed me to qualify in three additional events - the 200-meter, thrust kick, and the distant kick. I will be challenging for world titles in four different competitions in New London next week.
Whether I win a medal or not, this competition will be the pinnacle of my athletic career. I will be among 1,000 of the best physically challenged athletes from 36 countries from around the world. This is, in essence, my Olympic dream. I have been competing all my life, but when you have the opportunity to represent your country, the honor you feel is indescribable. I dream of the chant 'USA, USA, USA' every night when I lie down to go to sleep.
On Sunday, my assistant Jim Bob and I will be checking into our dorm room along side the other team USA members. I’m eager to see what awaits me. I am focused on my events, but I also feel this will be a good life experience. What other time in my life will I get to meet and experience how people live from all over the world?
In closing, I’d like to thank all my assistants, my family, and all the people who have supported me since I began training for this event. Without their support, I would never have the opportunity to live out this dream!