Stick to Your Guns!!!

I know what all of you are thinking before you even start reading this blog.  “Its another one of those dang gun activists.” Don’t go calling the NRA or your local congressman.  You can put down your AK-47 because there won’t be any gun talk in this read.  I’m talking about sticking to your morals and what is ethically right.  I’m talking about honesty and transparency.

I am so sick of hearing story after story or criminal acts happening in sports, corporate America, politics, etc and what does everyone do?  They see the dirt happen right in front of their eyes and then they take out their little kitchen broom and sweep it under the desk thinking that just maybe nobody will find out.  This kind of stuff happens every second of the day but if you are unsure of what I am referring to let me give you a few examples

Example 1:  Jerry Sandusky at Penn State molests over 50 children and the coach, AD and President hear about these acts.  Fearful, of actually having to act upon this and their university getting any bad publicity, they do the cowardly thing and sweep it under the desk and go on.

Example 2:  You are the head of finances for a large corporation.  The pressure to record a net profit for the year is high.  You are looking over the final records passed onto you by your CEO and notice that there has definitely been some “fudging” of the numbers going on.  Fearful of what other people would think if you disclosed this or fearful you could lose your job, you decide to just let it go and sweep it under your desk.

Example 3: Manti Teo, the Notre Dame linebacker has a 3yr phone relationship with someone he has never met but some how falls deeply deeply in love with.  She is on her death bed but he never goes and sees her but like “Rudy” plays his heart out for her, just like she told him to do on the phone. Millions of people latch onto his story. Then on Dec 6th, 4th months after the girl dies over the phone, he finds out that she really never existed.  From Dec 6th on until the media broke the story, Manti just swept the truth under the desk and played along with the story, hoping that people wouldn’t find out.

All of these stories make me sick to my stomach.  Those that know me well know that I am the most honest person you’ll meet. You want to know why I am honest?  Two reasons:

First, I put all of my trust in people every day and if I couldn’t trust myself than how am I supposed to trust anyone else. Also, honesty is a characteristic of a human being. A characteristic of integrity and of strength.

Secondly, I am honest because I don’t “AVOID” my problems.  People fear actually stepping up to their problems and dealing with them.  Avoiding the problem is much easier at the present time so they just sweep it under the desk for another time.   STICK TO YOUR GUNS, be truthful to yourself and others and don’t sweep them under the desk!

If you are one of these people that have trouble dealing with reality and confronting your problems or moral issues, I will tell you this.  The truth often hurts.  It can even put you in very difficult situations when you confront it.  BUT, nothing hurts more than not telling the truth or being dishonest to yourself and then living with the horrible feeling everyday of your life in the future.

A Day that Will Live in Infamy CIM 2012

It was Sunday Dec 2, 2012 and I was in the great Folsom, California, home to one of the United States great wonders, The Folsom Prison.  Although the prison had nothing to do with the big event for the day, from the pictures and chaos one may think that there was criminal activity going on.  In reality, it was the day of the 30th Annual California International Marathon.

I myself left the rainy city of Seattle with the intention of enjoying some California sun. Little did I would be going into Hurricane Sandy’s little sister Sussie!!!  The CIM has seen an explosion in popularity over the past few years due to its fast times and typically good weather.  It is of particular importance for those of the blind community including myself as it is the USABA National Marathon Championships.

This year over 30 blind athletes came out to take part including the likes of international athletes from Hong Kong, New Zealand and Canada.  There were some good runners in this event including Americans Adrian Broca and Matthew Rodjum, as well as kiwi Rob Mathews. I know if I did my job and what I was capable of, I would defend my title from 2011.

Race Day forecast. The odds were not in our favor.

Sunday morning I woke up at 4:30am to a sound that would become all to familiar  for most of the day.  The sound of rain hitting everything in sight and wind howling like a whistling teapot.  I dressed myself up in as much CDifferentwithAaron (CDWA) attire as possible before spooning my oatmeal with PB down my through and headed out to meet the rest of the blind athletes, including my favorite one ot make fun of from the South Rachel Weeks.  She also has been called a “twinkie” for her need to dress like me.

I would have two guides for this event, one of which (Rich Viola) is a well respected business owner of Every Man Jack (EMJ) Men’s grooming products and the second, well, I found him at the local truck stop. We will just call him Trucker Dan. I figured with handle bars like he had, he should probably be a spokesman for guide 1’s EMJ Grooming products.

Guide 1: Rich Viola, owner of Every Man Jack and star triathlete

Guide 2: Trucker Dan, drives 18 wheelers and is the star of All Truckers Running Team

As we rode the bus from the hotel to the race start, Rich (guide 1) thought it would be a good idea that I listen to his kids ipod to get pumped up. I agreed and for the next hour leading up the race I listened to today’s greatest teeny boppers. As we departed from the warm dry school bus into the rain that seemed to come from all directions all I could think about was, “where can I go to get out of this?”  My first thought was a genius idea, the Porta Potty.  There were nearly 10,000 people that would be seeking out a place to stay dry and I was sure that no one would think of the Honey Bucket.  I did my business but then decided that the aroma was far too potent to find shelter in there so I ventured over to the blind/VI tent which was packed like sardines and looked like at any moment it would be swept up like Dorothy’s House in the Wizard of Oz.

People frantically seek shelter anywhere they can.

The time was approaching 6:40am and it was time for a warm up.  It was during this time that it really felt like I was at the center of a natural disaster.  As we warmed up, the rain was horizantal and constant.  Thousands of people ran around in trash bags, frantically seeking cover. They seemed to all be wearing black trash bags which doesn’t bode well for the blind man when it was also dark outside.  Needless to say I hit a few of them even with my guide right by my side.  We maneuvered our way around the thousands of people and through puddles and to the startling.  There was no way to start this race with dry feet but some people tried the best they could, including this woman.

This woman evidently does not like her feet wet.

Despite the relentless rain, the race still went on and the gun sounded at 7:00am sharp.  “Bang,” and the chaos began.  Those that wore trash bags finally realized that they would be too hot.  The ones training for their next wrestling bout kept the bags on.  It was like a game of dodgeball but in this game it was flying bags that were being dodged.  We luckily made it out unscathed but there was an unfortunate blind athlete that got wrapped in a flying trash bag and was taken out, ending her day before it really started.  For Stephanie, I hope your knee is ok and your recovery is quick.

The rain pours down but the race goes on 🙂

Rich and I went out quick, probably quicker than I should have.  I tend to have that problem despite my ever increasing age.  The first half mile is downhill with a right hand turn uphill to start a ten mile stretch of rolling hills.  We went out for the first 4-miles at 5:45/mile pace and I knew that I was probably a little ahead of my league.  We reached 5.5-miles and made a lefthand turn to the South. As we made the left turn a volunteer shouted, “5-miles straight into the wind, tuck in behind someone!”  We got around the corner and got blasted by a wall of wind and sheets of rain.  The 1st split  at 5.9-miles was 1:05 seconds faster than last year (36:14/35:09).  This is when the race changed from a physical to a mental challenge. Even though I know the group we were with was ahead of my league, I also knew we were running into 25mph constant wins with gusts up to 40mph and we needed to stay tucked in the group.  I was really hurting but Rich and I made a joint decision that we would just keep with this group until we made the turn out of the wind at mile 11.

The rain continued to come down and we chose our position on the road very strategically.  Although there was no way to avoid the water, there was definitely less accumulation in the center of the road at the crest of the crown.  Miles 11-13 wind through the small town of Fair Oaks helping to break up the monotony.  At around mile 12 we were in no mans land.  The group ahead of us had pulld away and there seemed to be no one behind us.  Then, all of a sudden like a cattle herd,  a huge pack of 50 people blew by us.  It was like on the Lion King when Simba was out there alone and the pack of hyenas came stampeding through.  In my head I was thinking, “Am I going that slow?”  Rich quickly reminded me that I had went out like a banchy and those were the people that should have been ahead of me.  Within another mile, another but smaller pack of hyenas went by before Rich handed the reigns over to trucker Dan.

The stampede of hyenas went rolling by

At the halfway mark we were 23sec slower than last year (1:22:00/1:22:23). That 5-miles into the wind really took its toll and the fatigue from this lingered into the 3rd leg of this race.  Trucker Dan came out from the crowd and we made the famous tether exchange. Trucker Dan has legs like a giraffe so one of his strides was like two of mine.

Trucker Dan and I around mile 16 trudging through the rain

By mile 15 I had slowed down a bit.  My lateral quad began feeling as though it had been beaten with a hammer repetitively.  This continued to worsen and by mile 18 I decided to take a quick stop and stretch it.  This is always a difficult call, weighing whether taking the time to stretch is worth outweighs gutting it out and potentially slowing more.  I chose to make a quick pit stop and I did feel as though  I came back at a quicker pace. By mile 20 the rain had finally stopped and my body was numb to pain so I was able to get into a rhythm.  I casted my line and went fishing, reeling in some of the fish that had squandered away earlier in the race.

At mile 20 we were 3:15  behind last years split (2:06:17/2:09:32).  I was happy that my calf was holding up. I attribute this to getting it taped with Rock Tape the day before along with the awesome benefits of the CEP compression sleeves.  Once we crossed the bridge into the city of Sacramento and passed by CSUS (Trucker Dan actually is a collegiate runner at CSUS) I knew we were getting close.  I just kept telling myself to “Smile through pain”, and waiting to see  the huge white dome of the capital building.  As we entered into the last few miles it definitely crossed my mind that one of the other blind/VI athletes could be lurking right behind me.  Little did I know that last year when superstar female VI athlete Amy Bell McDonaugh was creping up on me and finished only one minute behind me.  Trucker Dan took several long looks back but did not see any other leashed athletes coming up.

At mile 25.5 we began the drawn out trounce around the capital until finally making the left hand turn towards the promise land.  As we made our way down the finishing shoot all I was thinking about was two things.  I wanted a Coke and I wanted to plop down on a chair and sit for an hour.  That is exactly what I did.  I got myself to the USABA tent and sat. By the time I got up wouldn’t you know but the clouds had parted and the sun came out.  It was like the Biblical parting of the sea except it was 3 hours too late.

Despite the added elements from the man above, we still managed to finish in a respectable 2:53?36 and defended my title as the USABA Marathon National Champion.  Fellow American Adrian Broca had a great performance, taking 2nd place in 2:57:36.

2012 CIM Awards Ceremony Adrian Broca and I receive our awards

I want to first thank my guides Rich and Trucker Dan (Dan Mitchell) for giving me this opportunity.  Without them I would never toe the start line nor cross the finishing tape.  Secondly, I want to congratulate all the other blind and visually impaired participants.  All of us are paving the path of opportunity for so many in our situations in the future.  Finally, thanks to USABA, VSP Vision Care, Richard Hunter and Dr. Shermer for making this event t what it is today.  The 30th Annual CIM will definitely be a day that will live in infamy for all those that participated and were involved.

2012 USABA National Marathon Championships

Top 3 Men

1. Aaron Scheidies    2:53:36

2. Adrian Broca         2:57:36

3. Rob Mathews       3:01:20

Top 3 Females

1. Tina Ament             4:10:02

2. Diane Berberian  5:00:03

3. Rachel Weeks        5:31:44

Today Is the Day: KONA2012 Aaron’s Picks

Well, the day has come where “Tri Junkies” from all over the world stay glued to computer screens to listen to Greg Welch  in his beautiful Aussie accent give the play by play from the place that triathletes know as KONA.

This years mens field is stacked.  Maybe the only perineal member not on the list is Chris Lieto.  There is also the return of the Aussie that tends speak his mind known as MACCA.  Nobody seems to want to give MACCA a chance except MACCA this year but I think that he will be in the hunt.  Than there is the other Aussie “Crowy”, who nobody wants to give anyone other than “Crowy” a chance.  I have my own opinions and picks for this years race and yes I would take these picks to Vegas.  With no further adue here are my KONA 2012 Top 5 MEN

MEN:

1: Pete Jacobs

2. Craig Alexander

3. Timo Bracht

4. Andris Raelert

5.  Chris McCormick

On the women’s side there is one major name missing this year and that of course is Chrissie Wellington.   There are also some other names that I am surprised aren’t in the field such as Heather Jackson and Karen Thuerig but the race must still go on.  It seems more and more of late the races are just coming down to the fastest runner and that’s what I think will happen in the women’s race. With that said, here are my KONA 2012 FEMALE TOP 5.

Women:

1. Mirinda Carfrae

2. Leanda Cave

3. Rachel Joyce

4. Kelly Williamson

5. Lindsey Corbin

Well, the race is about to start so tune in to http://www.ironman.com to see live coverage and we will see if I really should have taken these picks to Vegas.

 

 

2-Minute Dril Week 5

Well, we are just before the games starting for Week 5 of the NFL and its times for the 2minute drill.

Ravens vs Chiefs:  The Ravens are just too tough for the Chiefs.  Ray Lewis will give a powerful pre game speech and the Ravens be fueled by that and win in KC.

Eagles vs Pitt: This is a rivalry of hatred so it will definitely be physical.  Steelers have a bunch of their hard hitters back and Michael Vick will probably get injured again.  Steelers win at home.

Browns vs. Giants: The Browns need a win and they are really not that good but I think they will give the Giants a good battle.  The “G” men are home though so they win.

Miami vs Bengals: Another couple of bad teams but Andy Dalton is playing well and the Bengals are at home so they will win.

Green Bay v. Colts: I know that the Colts will be playing for their hospitalized coach and at home but the Packers wide receivers are just ridiculous and are too much for the Colts.  Cheeseheads win J

Falcons vs Redskins: I’m in D.C. right now and I think Redskins can be the spoiler for Matt Ryan and the undefeated Falcons. RG3 gets a big rookie win.

Seahawks vs Panthers: I love Cam Newton and I know Carolina is not consistant but they are at home and I just think they will run up some points on the Seahawks today. Panthers win

Bears vs Jaguars : Nothing to say about these teams. The Bears, the bears, the bears!!!!

Bills vs 49ers: This is a good historic matchup except the 49ers are getting back to those days and the Bills are still mediocre. San Fran beats the title-less Bills.

Broncos vs Patriots: I love Payton Manning but he has not shown it on the road.  Because this game is in New England, I am gonna take the Patriots. Also, I am feeling patriotic with the elections coming up.

Titans vs Vikings: Another ame that there is not much to say. The Vikings will get another win.

Chargers vs Saints: It will be a record setting day for Drew Bries and with the whole city behind  them, the Saints will beat the Chargers.

Texans vs Jets: What can I say. A great team against the delinquents  in the JETS. I think its almost time for a Tebow return. Tebow or not, the Texans win this one.

2 Minute Drill Week 3

Well, after a week 2 bye on the 2 Minute Drill, I am back with my picks for Week 3.  Without delay, here we go.

Buffalo V. Cleveland : Well the Browns are O-fer but the third time is a charm, the Browns are due for a win. Browns over Bills

St. Louis v. Chicago : The Rams are due for a win but Soldier Field is not the place to go get it even despite Jay Cuttler his loud mouth. The Bears just shut their mouth and go win the game. Bears beat the Rams at home.

Tampa Bay v Dallas: The Cowboys made us believe this year would be different with a big win over the Giants in week one but then went up to Seattle and flopped once again.  Tampa hasn’t shown too much either though and they are in Dallas so Cowboys regain a winning record and win.

NY Jets v Miami: Both of these teams are not good and the Jets are already starting to call for Tebow.  With GOD behind them, the Jets win in Miami

San Fran v Minnesota : Not much to say for this one.  49ers destroy the Vikings.

Kansas City v New Orleans:  Well NOLA is 0-2 but there is no way they are going to lose to KC in New Orleans.  Bries breaks through with a good game and the Saints get on the board with a win.

Cincy v Washington: Dang this is hard one.  Washington wins their first game and then goes on to lose to the Rams.  The Bengels aren’t that much better getting stomped by the Raven the game one. Despite injuries on the “D”, I pick the Redskiins.

Detroit v Tennessee:  Even though Detroit is on the road, I still think they can beat the winless Titans. Jake Locker is hurt and Matt Hasselback is too old. The Lions take out another QB and beat the Titans on the road.

Jacksonville v Indy: In the battle of the bars, the Jags and Colts square off. The Colts will finally get “Lucky” and win at home.

Philly v Arizona: Arizona is 2-0, who would have ever thought. So is Philly but Michael Vick is playing horrible. The Eagles can’t win by more than a point but  a win is a win.  The Cardinals will finally show they are not for real. Eagles go to Arizona and win.

Atlanta v. San Diego: Atlanta’s “D” is super good and San Diego hasn’t been that good in years.  The Chargers are better than last year but they still will lose.  Atlanta wins in a short week.

Houston v Denver: Payton Manning looked confused against the Falcons but he won’t be confused at home against the Texans. Manning probably hasn’t left the film room since their lost in Atlanta. Broncos win at home.

Pittsburgh v Oakland: Oakland can celebrate Al Davis all they want but its not gonna help them against the Steelers.  Pittsburgh takes out the Raiders in Oakland.

New England v Baltimore: This may be the toughest one to pick.  Hard to pick against the Patriots but its hard to get a yard on the Ravens.  Baltimore wins at home and sacks Brady to the turf time after time.

Green Bay v Seattle: Green Bay is going into a very loud stadium in the rainy city. I thnk the Packers will be a better team by the end of the season but I think the “12th man” takes over and wins this game.  Seahawks win at home.

Aaron’s 2 Minute Drill Week 1

Well, we have rumbled bumbled and stumbled  into week 1 of the NFL season and its time for my 2 minute drill.  Here we go:

Colts v  Bears:  Andrew Luck is a super star but sorry Andrew your time  will come to win your first NFL Game.  ”The Bears” win.

Falcons v  Chiefs:  The Cheifs are getting better but Atlanta is still  more talented. Falcons take out the chiefs.

Eagles v Browns: Eagles are definitely the more talented team but Mike Vick may make it through the first half and then his ribs will force him out. The crazy and rude Dog Pound will scare the Eagles away.  Browns take it.

Redskins v Saints: The Saints are a wounded animal but with the machine that is Drew Bries still rules NOLA.  Saints beat RG3.

Rams v Lions: The Lions may take out Bradfourd with the man handling that the Lions D- Line  of the Lions will do.  MegaTron is too much for the Rams. Lions Win.

Patriots v. Titans: With the elections coming around the corner people are very Patriotic. Patriots  Win  over The Music City Miracle

Jaguar v Vikings: The Vikings are rebuilding and Mauricd Jones Drew is looking good despite an inconsistant QB.  Jaguars take out Erik the Red’s Team

Bills v Jets: The Jets are still trying to decide who will start at QB and may not score a TD all year.  Bills take round ! vs the Jets

Dolphins v Texans: : I don’t need to explain.  Texans win.

Seahawks v Cardinals: Cardinals don’t have a QB and will be a laughing stock this year.  Seahwks will win with Russell  Wison in his debut.

49ers v Green Bay: Who roots again the Cheeseheads.  GB wins with a lot of help from the Lambo Field advantage.

Panthers v Bucs: Cam Newton is a freak and the Bucs are still wishing they had Warren Sapp b/c Cam will have a big game leading Panthers to the win.

Steelers v Broncos: The thin air will  leave the Steelers gasping for air but it won’t be enough for the Broncos, the Steelers will still win in Paytonsreturn.

Bengals v Ravens: The Bengals are really getting better but the Ravens  are just too blue collar for the Tigers.  The Ravens win.

Chargers v Raiders: Both of these teams are ugly to watch and were horrible last year.  The Chargers will be better this year and will win going into hostle territory in Oakland.

Until next week, That is my 2min Drill 

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Accept It And Embrace It!!!

With the start of the Track and Field events beginning this weekend at the London Olympics, Oscar Pistorius is gearing up to take on the world in the 400m.  I guarantee that the majority of talk will not be about how Oscar is just an amazing athlete but rather, will debate whether he has an advantage from his Cheetah Blades.  The fact is that Oscar is just good. He doesn’t want a sob story or any sympathy and stop trying to reason why he shouldn’t be allowed to compete.  Embrace the moment, because you will not see another one like this for a long, long time.

Anthony Robles wins the NCAA National Title at ASU despite having only one leg

Oscar Pistorius, Casey Martin, Marla Runyan, Brian McKeaver, and Anthony Robles all have something in common. They all are freakish athletes that also happen to live life with a disability.  Why is there a problem you ask?  The problem is that all of these individuals surpass “society’s glass ceiling” for people with disabilities and compete at the highest level of competition for “able bodied” athletes.  When this happens, immediately thoughts surface of, “They must be less disabled than they portray” or “They must have some sort of competitive advantage from a piece of adaptive equipment.”.

Brian McKeaver; a legally blind nordic skier for Canada meets the standard to compete at the Olympic games but is disallowed due to the use of a guide

I have come to the conclusion that two different scenarios arise to create these dilemmas.  We either have created a cap on ability based on our own perception of what we could do in that situation or we cannot accept to be outperformed by someone with a disability so we mentally reason with ourselves and come up with explanations to validate why someone with a disability could never reach “elite status.”

Explaining each further; first, society feels for those that have lost limbs, lost vision, been paralyzed or suffer from a chronic disability.  Much of these feelings stem from the unfathomable thought of, “what if this happened to me?”  Immediately, you begin to set limits on what you think you would be able to accomplish if you were put in the situation of going blind, losing a limb, being paralyzed, etc.   When you put yourself in that position, a sense of “hopelessness” invades you and therefore, you step outside yourself for a moment and then feel the need to help those that you encounter with disabilities because of the idea that they must be “hopeless” as well.  Put another way, we are supportive of the disabled’s accomplishments as long as they don’t pose a threat to what we’ve accepted as our own limitations.   It’s similar to a corporate environment when an intern is adored by everyone and it seems everyone humors every accomplishment they make and is easy on their mistakes.  Then they outwork everyone, get hired and work their way up and suddenly those who humored their rise, resent it because they are now reporting to them.  Thus, when an Oscar Pistorius or Casey Martin comes around and begin to pose a threat to society’s limits on themselves they begin to question whether they are less disabled than they portray.

The second way society approaches this issue is through validation and self reasoning.  This is the case more often with those competing at or near an elite level or those that seem to be skeptics about everything in life.  “There is no way I could get beat by a blind person or someone with only one leg.”  Accepting the fact that the “disabled” individual is more talented is too difficult. So, to come to grips with this reality, people begin to reason with themselves and come up with validations, or excuses, for being beaten.  In the case of Casey Martin, he must be good at golf because he rides in a cart rather than walking the course.  For Anthony Robles, having one leg makes him lighter and so that’s the only reason he is so good.  Brian Mckeaver is a blind Nordic skier that qualified for the Canadian National Team and should have gone to the Olympics in Vancouver 2010 but since he must use a guide they say he must be at some sort of an advantage.

In the case of Oscar Pistorius, the talk is that he must have an advantage from the Cheetah Flex-Foot blades that he runs in.  “Well he runs on springs so that must be the reason he is so fast,” people say.  This is kind of ironic because it has been proven that when put on high loads; our tendons take on properties of a spring and recoil.  It is well known that because Oscar does not have the flexibility of human ankles he is not able to get out of the blocks as fast.  In the 200m and 400m events that Oscar competes in, this is a major disadvantage. To top it off, even science has shown that there is no significant advantage of the blades vs. human legs.

In an article by the Huffington Post (2012), Hugh Herr, an associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an expert in biomechanics and bionics who has conducted studies on Pistorius, agreed with the decision to reinstate Pistorius, saying there is no evidence the blades give Pistorius an edge.

Pistorius’ leg speed is quicker than that of some other athletes but not all of them, Herr said, meaning he’s “not abnormal.” And in terms of the energy he uses and the way he tires, there is, crucially, no difference, Herr said. Pistorius is probably at a disadvantage because he cannot hit the ground as hard as other athletes, the professor said. Full Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/09/oscar-pistorius-carbon-fiber-blades-advantage_n_1660063.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

A summary of how society feels came from Sports engineer David James, a senior lecturer at England’s Sheffield Hallam University who disagrees with Pistorius’ inclusion in the Olympics on both scientific and ethical grounds. He reasons,” Sport is hard-nosed and brutal and bloody and has no place for sob stories. People want Oscar to run and do well. However, will they think the same if he wins?” James said. “I predict a backlash if he wins anything. They will attribute that performance to the blades. I think there would be real implications if he won.”

These types of views infuriate me and is a great example of how society looks at those with disabilities as sob stories that only serve as “pick me ups” when we’re feeling down.  It also is a great example of sweeping and issue under the table because we don’t want to deal with it.  Professor James basically said that sports are a place for strong men and women and Oscar (athletes with disabilities) has no place with real men. They are inferior and should only be seen as sob stories for those that are “hopeless”.  He goes even further to reason that if Oscar was to win there would be backlash and controversy and instead of fighting the issue head on, he believes that sweeping it under the table and avoiding that controversy is the better way to approach this.  Avoidance is a great technique for the present but as the auto industry and BP found out with their problems, the better solution is deal with the problems right away.

To sum it up, our society has continually shown that they are not ready to accept a person with a disability competing at the top of “able bodied” competition. In fact, they do everything in their power to not allow it from happening.  In nearly every case of inclusion of disabled athletes in “able-bodied” sport, the matter had to be taken to the federal court in order to get justice.  A common term, “leveling the playing field” is used to validate exclusion from participation in nearly every situation.  What people in society don’t understand is, when will the playing field ever be level?  Sorry to be blunt but the playing field will never be level – it’s full of “bumpy pitches” and “narrow roadways”.  We were genetically given individual differences and accommodated and adapted differently to what we were given. These differences will never be equalized.

How many Michael Phelps’s, Usain Bolt’s, Michael Jordan’s are there in this world?  The answer is not many and the fact of the matter is they are a dime-a-dozen.  In the same way, how many Oscar Pistorius, Casey Martin, or Anthony Robles’s are there? The answer again, NOT MANY!  The reason that these individuals compete at an elite “able-bodied” level is not because they are less disabled or they have some sort of advantage, it’s because their just good.  They are freaks of nature athletes just like Phelps, Bolt and Jordan.  In fact, I would be willing to bet that if these guys didn’t have the added obstacle of a disability they would be beating people by even more.

Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian in history.

To support this fact Oscar was recently quoted, “There are tens of thousands of people with the same prosthetics I use, but there’s no one running the same times,” Pistorius wrote in a column in a British newspaper last week after he was chosen to run both the individual 400 meters and the 4×400 relay in London. “You’ll always get people who have their opinions on whether I should be competing in London, but they can’t explain my times.”

Oscar Pistorius will finally compete on the Olympic level in London in the 400m and 4X400m dash for South Africa

I know this is a hard thing for many people to handle but it’s the facts. Society needs to stop discrediting these individuals ability and accept that they are just tremendous athletes, ones that should be reveled in for their accomplishments.

ABOUT THE WRITER:

I am Aaron Scheidies, an elite level triathlete and marathon runner that also happens to be legally blind.  I have dealt with the same debates and controversy for the last ten years as I also compete at an elite level amongst “able-bodied” individuals.  The above article captures many scenarios, view points and realities that I myself have also experienced first-hand as being an elite level athlete that happens to have a disability.

The Impact of the CIM Experience

On Sunday December 4, 2011 I raced my first marathon at the California  nternational Marathon (CIM) in Sacramento, CA.  Never did I think that this experience would be more than getting a PR for myself at the marathon distance.  I chose the CIM because it was the Marathon National Championships for Blind/Visually Impaired Individuals and I wanted to see how I stacked up against others in my class at one discipline.  Also, I had been invited by Richard Hunter who was gathering a big group through the United States Association for Blind Athletes (USABA) to also take part.  It wasn’t until I arrived at Richard’s house that realized the impact that this weekend could have on a large group of people.

The impact went beyond the athletes (blind participants), beyond the guides and beyond the spectators.  The impact could be seen in the children of the guides and spectators.  These are the future leaders of tomorrow and it was very evident that these children were educated and molded by the experience.  These children learned that there are people in the world that cannot see but can function at a high level.  The children of the guides saw that their mommy/daddy valued helping others more than themselves.  Even more powerful, these children wanted to begin getting involved themselves.

I think the best way to sum up the weekend is through some of the self reflection by those that were involved.  I hope these messages have an impact on you as you read and motivate you to get involved in some way shape or form with organizations like USABA and the C Different Foundation.

Rich Viola (Guide)

“I initially contacted c different because I felt that I might be able to help out others – but what really ends up happening is that we, the guides, are the ones that are thankful.   So thankful to have been given the opportunity to compete as a team with an USABA athlete.    The entire experience is incredibly inspiring and a team effort like nothing we have ever experienced.”

“My kids were so inspired by all the USABA athletes; they took turns guiding each other in a pretend running race when we got home yesterday.   Aaron’s picture is now taped to the front of their bedrooms doors – they were so excited to meet him. “

Chris Morrison (Guide)

“May I say from the first moment we began gathering on Saturday morning it was obvious all VI athletes and guides shared a common bond, one which I feel is a ‘marriage’ of 2 people based on complete trust.

The young of SAC Track & Field were most impressive I hope they continue to hone their obvious talents and to see them again in future events.”

Amy McDonaugh (Blind/VI Runner)

“I really have no words to fully express my heartfelt thanks to Kyle, Benny, and Chris.  I have never received such a selfless act of service before.  Because of them I was able to run with more confidence, keeping relaxed, without any fear.  I started with Kyle who ended up running 2 extra miles with me, when he left it almost felt like a relationship was being severed.  Then Benny ran the next 8 miles with me and I felt the same way when it was time for him to go because they really were doing a fantastic job of guiding me. Chris was there for me on every one of those most painful steps of a marathon and he was there with me at the most joyous part. Kyle, Benny and Chris were all at the finish and never left my side till they took full care of getting my bag, food and sharing in my joy.  I owe my performance to them.  I wish them all the best in their running and schooling, and I would be overjoyed if my children turned out like them.”

Stephanie Anne Timmer (Blinded Veteran)

“This was the first year I ran with a guide, and I will never run without one again.  Justin was awesome, I was part of a relay team and we found ourselves passing many runners. I would have gotten hurt or even worse hurt someone else had it not been for Justin – thanks for making the race one of the best I have run.”

Erich Manser (Blind/VI Runner)

“What a blast and truly fulfilling experience forging such bonds! It’s really like fast-forwarding the process of friendship, isn’t it? The Guide/VI Athlete relationship really seems to fast-track a sense of lifelong friendship!”

In closing I want to thank some people that were instrumental to the amazing CIM experience.  Special thanks to Rich Cardillo of USABA and Richard Hunter for the planning and organization.  Thank you to the track/cross country team from Sacramento State (CSUS) for getting involved in the community and serving as guides to many of the athletes.  Finally, THANK YOU to all the guides for being our eyes and leading us to victory.  We are ever so grateful for your generosity and time.

Ethan Zohn: A Diamond in the Rough

I don’t write blogs too often but when something or somebody impacts me in a special way, I am moved to share it with others.  In a world with so much violence and hatred it is rare to hear stories about those in society that live life with integrity, honor, passion and the pursuit to help our world become a better place.  Even rarer, it is to meet someone with celebrity status that does not believe they are entitled or should be treated better than any other human being in this world.  I believe that Ethan Zohn is one of these rare and unique human beings.

I met Ethan Zohn back in September when I was asked to be a special guest on his show Everyday Health on ABC.  Immediately, we connected and he later asked me to run the New York City Marathon with him to STOP the spread of AIDS/HIV through Grassroots Soccer.  I like to think that I am a very good judge of character and when I met Ethan I felt the genuineness in his touch and heard power in his voice.  I have been blessed to have met many people in high up positions and with celebrity status and I will truthfully admit I did not get the same character profile as I did with Ethan.

As I stated, I ran the NYC Marathon with Ethan a week ago (Nov 6^th) and spent a great deal of time with him on a real life level.  During these moments I could feel the passion that he had for the causes he believed.  One moment stood out to me while we were running the marathon.  At mile 18 we ran by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center where Ethan was diagnosed and received chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. As we ran by he spotted a girl in
a wheelchair and on a chemo-pump.  He immediately took a detour and ran over to the girl and gave her a big hug and kiss on the cheek.  I got chills as this
happened and at that point I knew I was with a special person.

Lastly, I respect Ethan for the way in which he is dealing with the potentially deadly condition of cancer.  Ethan is determined to continue living his life and not let cancer prevent him from doing what he wants.  In a similar fashion I had to decide to not let the loss of vision deter me from living my life to my potential.  Although both of these conditions are not “normal” in society, they are “normal” to us.  The ability to understand and accept these life changing events is a sign of a strong human being.  Ethan Zohn is an amazing person and a “Diamond in the Rough.”

I ran the New York City Marathon with Ethan to help support the mission of Grassroots Soccer (GRS) in preventing the spread of AIDS and HIV around the world.  I am continuing to raise money to meet my fundraising goal and need your help.  If you could help Ethan and I in giving the red card to AIDS and HIV many lives will be spared.  To do this click on this link and click on Donate: http://www.crowdrise.com/teamgrassrootsoccer/fundraiser/AaronScheidies

Welcome to the ESPY’S

To be selected as a finalist for an ESPY was hands down one of my biggest honors in my 29yrs on this great Earth.  The experience opened the door and gave me a peek of the life that some of our biggest sports stars live each day.  Now, I will reveal this world to you in my own unique Aaron way.

If was Monday July 11^th and I was on a flight from Toronto, Ontario heading back from a weekend with my fellow Canadian blind folks at Won  With One and the Peterborough Half Ironman where I took 4^th overall.  I arrived into Seattle, WA at 3:30pm and had a scheduled “drug deal” exchange waiting outside of customs.  Assistant friend Lauren Summers handed over Ret the Wonder Dog and the “pimp” attire I would need for the week.  In exchange, I gave her sweaty race clothes and a huge tandem bike box.  I think I scored on that deal!  There was no time for messing around.  A poop and pee for RET and we were off.   Despite countless interruptions from fans of RET The Wonder Dog trying to get a chance to pet him we were able to board our 5:30pm flight to LAX.  Ret scratched and pawed his way to stay out of the travel kennel but once inside he found something to chew on and was quite as a mouse the entire flight.

Once in LA, the car service picked the Retster and I up and went directly to The W Hotel Hollywood.  As I stepped out of the limo in my cargo short and sweat stained shirt I was greeted by five, “most would say HOT” ESPY greeters, I thought to myself, “do I belong here” and “are these girls greeting me to pet my dog or do they want to talk to me?”  Come to find out they checked my name off the list and escorted me to a special room to claim the coveted gift bag. “Gift bag” does not give justice for what this gift bag really includes.  Good friend web designer Justin Fales met me to drool at the gift bag treasure valued at $20,000.   Trips to Cabo San Lucas, projector screen, helmet cam and loads of gift certificates are just a few of the treasures inside.

After checking into the swanky W Hotel we didn’t have much time before we had to head over to the special ESPY Playboy party.  We did allow enough time to take Ret out to poop on a Hollywood star.  One thing I do regret is not looking at whose star it was.  Ret did it so naturally though.  Like he belonged in Hollywood and he deserved his own star.  By the reaction that he received each and every time we returned back to The W you would have thought he was a mega star.  They even gave him W doggy treats and would take him for walks when we were at the parties.

Everyone wanted to get kisses from the Wonder Dog.  One of my favorite moments was when 7,2” Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler came up to pet RET and then said, “I gotta get a picture with this dog.  Come on up to my room whenever you want, room 915!”  Can you imagine a giant like him with RET on a leash walking around.  He would have to get extra long leash just for the leash to reach the ground.

We finally got to the Playboy party to find out the fire marshal said they were over capacity.  Evidently not too far over capacity because a few minutes later Amare Stoudemire and Leann Rimes arrived and they were escorted straight through the doors.  Those guys were not even part of the ESPY nominees and Leann is not even an athlete.  Tired of the special treatment we took matters into our own hands.  My manager Carie Goldberg knew about a back door entry and after the fire marshal exited the back door, we did like Bond and snuck in.  Inside, Carie and Justin painted a picture for me.  Playboy Playmates nude with painted bikinis and traditional bunny costumes.  The rest of the club was filled with a few people you may have heard of before.  Just to name a few I met that night include Jerome Bettis, Shawne Merriman, Eddie George, Michael Irvin, Leann Rimes, and many more.  On a hilarious note, I went up to Michael Irvin thinking he was Emmitt Smith and introduced myself.  When I told him I saw his teammate Michael Irvin in the club he replied, “I am ichael Irvin.”  This was just another Aaron moment that I laughed and shrugged it off.

We added soon to be ESPY winner Mallory Weggemann to our group and enjoyed FloRida doing his thing up on stage.  Goldberg introduced me to some MLS soccer boys and I remembered my dream of playing pro soccer in my younger years.  Seattle Sounders fans would not be happy with me but I agreed to wear a Chivas USA jersey when they came to Seattle.

By 2am the party was slowing down and some of the stars (Leann Rimes included) were in prime form.  Not far from The W, Justin and I walked back and grabbed RET the Wonder Dog for a night walk.  RET was again bombarded by his fans, which could have been super star athletes for all I know as I can’t recognize anyone as seen by my Michael Irvin blunder.

Tuesday morning came and we woke up to glowing ESPY stickers above our bed.  The entire W Hotel was rented out by ESPN and ESPY logos filled the halls.  On deck for Tuesday was a journey through the gifting suites.   Upon
signing in to the gifting suites, we were greeted by our very “hot” and “sweet”
escort Nancy.  We proceeded to enter rooms where companies introduce their products and then put them in your “trick or treat” bag.  Some of these products included an HP Touch Pad, 5-day trip to Caribbean, Skull Candy headphones and much much more.

As we walked through I met former World’s Fastest Man Maurice Greene and also hung with star wrestler and finalist in my category Anthony Robles.  RET the Wonder dog was so sweet throughout the entire journey.  Escort Nancy fell in love with RET and I think Justin fell in love with Escort Nancy.

Later on Tuesday, Matt West arrived on his first class flight from Michigan.  This began the packing of my room at the hotel.  It wouldn’t be Team Scheidies unless we brought the entire clan and stuffed the room to capacity.   Brittney and Lauren joined the army and before we knew it we had a room that looked like a bombs helter.  Three people to each bed and suitcases exploded everywhere.  It was a paradise playground for RET The Wonder Dog.

Tuesday night was the pre-party and since tickets were a hot commodity, Matt West and I were the only ones able to attend.  We walked into the club to be greeted with top shelf drinks and a special candy fairy lady that had cluttered the bar with every candy you could ever want.  It looked like a scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

From the ceiling, a girl and guy hung from a trapeze and a large cloth and performed maneuvers I didn’t know were possible by the human body.  This all led up to performances by YouTube mega star Karman Music and her speedy singing as well as Estelle.  We were up close and personal at all the shows.  It was like having a personal show brought to you.

Wednesday was the day of the show and I woke up feeling like I was in a dream land.  I wasn’t even thinking about winning, I was honored to be there.  Team Scheidies multiplied as my aunt and uncle, mom and dad and Matt and  hristen Miller joined the gang.  My uncle Bob being a sports nut was in heaven just watching the people pass by in the hotel lobby.  From out of the chatter I hear “Zebo”.  I immediately put my Spartan face on and remember that “Zebo” is former Michigan State basketball star Zach Randolph.  In no time I was next to him giving him some Sparty love.   Yes, this did include taking my shirt off in the lobby and showing him my Iron Spartan on my back.  This was a vivid enough picture that Big Zach said hello Sparty style the next time we were in the elevator together.

The day flew by and before I knew it was time to board the shuttle to the red carpet.  My entire entourage took the shuttle, however only Matt West, Carie, Brittney and I could make the special stroll down celebrity lane.  As we step
onto the red carpet, who better to be playing on the stage than teenage girls
dream Justin Bieber.  As he made all the little teenager girls go wild, we had our own show on the carpet.  I busted out a bag of CDifferentwithAaron Eye
chart shirts and began getting the crowd riled up.

As we passed by Cam Newton, I was going to give him a shirt but realized he would bust out of it before he got in it.  As a compromise I gave one to his brother that accompanied him.  The eye chart shirts were a hit and evidently made it on to the ESPY Red Carpet Show.

On the red carpet we looked like tourists walking around taking pictures of anything as if it were the Grand Temple while most others walked around like this was an everyday activity.  We definitely took in the experience as we repeatedly were asked by the security men to keep moving forward.  Once inside the Nokia Theatre we made our way to the floor.  We were strategically placed right in front of the ESPY winner for Best Bowler, Jason Belmonte.  Of the people I wanted to meet at the ESPY’s he was definitely right up near the top so I was super stoked.  Well, not really, but congrats to him on his Ten Pin mastery.  I was surprised to see that at big awards such as this they still used seat fillers.  Hard to imagine that they couldn’t sell out all the seats, especially when I know gobs of people that wanted to come.  However, by having seat fillers they are able to control the way the crowd acts and responds such as clapping when they want you to clap and filming exactly who they want to film.  Tis is Hollywood at its greatest.

As the show began, Seth Meyers came on and blew it away with his stand up roasts of Brett Favre, Brian Wilson, Dirk Nowitzki and more.  Those of you at home got to see the same show as us live minus some of the other ESPY’s which were announced on stage on the commercial breaks.   I was super excited for new friend Mallory Weggemann as she won an ESPY for Female Athlete with a Disability.  Although the ESPY for my category went to Anthony Robles, I could not feel more honored than to have been runner up to such an amazing athlete.  Anthony also won the Jimmy “V” Award for Perseverance.
Check out the video of Anthony accepting his award below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1ZIKtPHR7c

Following the awards, Matt, Carie and I met back up with the clan who were seated in the upper deck.  We left the theatre and managed to get a picture with none other than Ron Jeremy.  He was no hero in my eyes and as a matter of fact I don’t know if he even knew his name in the state we encountered him.  Nonetheless, a story to tell.

From the show we headed to the after party which included a massive spread of any food you could imagine.  They even had double-double animal style burgers from In-N-Out Burger.  Nothing better for the greatest athletes in the world to eat than one of these.  Inside the party on stage some of the acts included Lupe Fiasco and an entertainer that thinks very highly of himself named Cee Lo Greene.

Carie brought a friend named Brett with her to the party.  Like Brittney, Brett was also southern and the two of them proceeded to carry on very “southerly” conversation as we dressed up and took goofy photos at the picture booths.

Come 1am it was time to head to the After After Party at DRE’S at the top of The W Hotel.  We again only had two tickets for this party but throw in Lauren, Justin, Brett and Carie and we would have to have an alternate plan.  Thankfully we had farmer Brett with us and he happened to notice a staff elevator around the corner from the guest elevator.  Our whole clan scurried into the staff elevator and when the doors opened at the top we were in the back of the kitchen.  Just outside the kitchen doors was a bouncer that stopped us dead in our tracks.  No worries though Farmer Brett very confidently was shouting, “We got an ESPY winner here!”  There was no way the bouncer was going to deny an ESPY winner and his clan.  He let us right through and we were all in.

At this party we chatted with Arthur Ash Award for Courage winner Dewey Bozella and also with hilarious host Seth Meyers.  The club was really cool and the floor was an opaque Plexiglas sheet over the swimming pool with lights shining from below.  It’s funny because even in parties such as this where nearly everyone there is a big name, there still is VIP/Reserved areas.  Most everyone was still dressed in their flashy attire except for one guy who was wearing a crab suit coat with sear sucker shorts.  Not sure if he was at the right party or not.  Super clutch performer Kemba Walker was trying to mack on some ladies when we strolled by and I am sure messed up his game.  He did however take a liking to Brittney which seemed to be a trend for the night among many of the athletes.

  By 3:30am, the club stopped serving and people began clearing out.  We packed into the elevator and stopped off at the 9^th floor.  RET the Wonder Dog was waiting to go leave his mark on yet another Hollywood star before we all crashed for the night.

Come morning it was Thursday and ESPN’s reign at The W hotel was coming to an end.  Team Scheidies was on the way back home by mid day except for my parents who stayed till the evening so we could spend some time together.  After searching everywhere in Hollywood we finally found a patch of grass larger than 10sq ft. for the Wonder Dog to run around and by the time he was done it was time to finish packing and head to the airport.

The experience was something I would have never imagined and I am so thankful for everyone that has supported me and helped me to get where
I have thus far.  It was so amazing to share this experience with my parents, relatives and friends and I never can thank you all enough for your support.

Congrats to all the ESPY nominees and winners.  Also, congratulations to Anthony Robles for his amazing talent and perseverance.  Maybe next year I will get another nomination and have the opportunity to be named not just a finalist but an ESPY Winner . 🙂