compete in Australia Ryan Chalmers, of Churchville, has been setting his sights on participating in international competitions for many years. His dream is coming true when he competes in the 2005 Junior World Games for Athletes with Disabilities on April 8 to 14, in Sydney, Australia. Chalmers was selected for TEAM USA and will compete in track and field, basketball and table tennis. Chalmers, who is 16-years-old and a wheelchair user, has been competing in track and field for 10 years with the Easter Seals Rochester Rookies. Using specially designed racing chairs, he will compete in the races, as well as shot put, discus and javelin. He has competed in national level competitions for eight years, and is currently holding national records in track. He was named to TEAM USA due to his national standings. "I love competing. It drives me to improve each year. I usually end up proud that I won, or motivated to improve for the next match against the athlete that beat me," Chalmers said. "I love the fact that each time I compete, I beat my own times. That's what I'm really after - beating my personal best. When I do that is when I feel the proudest." An avid basketball player, he has also played on the Rochester Rockets Wheelchair Basketball team since the team was formed six years ago. He was spotted at regional events by coaches who are associated with the Junior World Games, and they nominated him for TEAM USA. After being chosen for the Track and Field Team, Chalmers was asked to join the TEAM USA basketball team. Recently, he traveled to Texas for advanced training and to practice with the team. Chalmers was responsible for raising all of his own funding for the international competition. A number of companies, organizations and individuals have helped make this opportunity possible: Rochester Rehabilitation Center/SportsNet, Churchville-Chili Lions Club, the Spina Bifida Association, T&L Automatics, Bausch & Lomb, Orthomed, Patrick Pontiac, Siewert Equipment Company, Easter Seals, The Glue Factory Gift Shop and Summit Federal Credit Union were among the contributors. |
