The Games are done. Heading home.

Standing with Robbi Weldon and Lynn Bessette, flag bearers for the Closing Ceremonies
These 2 entered 4 races and won 4 Gold medals

Time for my last post.

Yesterday marked the end of the 2011 Parapan American Games. Guadalajara did a beautiful job although many thought it might have been sketchy. Although the day is usually focused on the Closing Ceremonies, I was up at 5:30 getting the clinic organized and mostly packed. We can’t really shut the operation completely off as we still need to be available for all our Canadian team members until they are out of the Village and have left for home. We have to itemize everything that goes in each crate and box. Customs is quite picky about what comes in and what leaves the country. It is painstakingly slow to assure all the athletic tape, electronic medical equipment and, yes, every medication is accounted for. I set it up so that the day after Closing, it will take only the morning to get everything taped up, wrapped up and listed on our manifest…..then I get to go and take the afternoon off with the 2 remaining medical staff personnel: Bruce and Agnes.

With Agnes and Bruce 

The Ceremonies were impressive. The speeches were inspirational and focused on Panamerican countries’ need to integrate all individuals through sport regardless of any disability. They presented an energetic video inviting the Americas to come and compete in Toronto in 2015 at the next Games. As for the Olympics/Paralympics, the Pan Ams/Parapan Ams cycle every 4 years.

There was a show that finished with a loud band that had the look of Captain Jack Sparrow leading Spinal Tap. One has to recognize the movie references to truly get how odd that combination looked but it did rock the stadium and athletes from all over were jumping a bouncing with the music right up front at the stage. I even saw people “body surfing “ an athlete in a wheelchair! It was great!

Athletes who won medals also received a Mexican wrestling mask from the CPC at our own Ceremony. They were a hit and they couldn't stop wearing them. These 3 are walking as we enter the Stadium for the Closing.

Marching into he stadium for Closing

When the show ended, we were all escorted back to the Village by every organized bus transport system for the rest of the evening. Great Mexican food was available for a special evening meal in the dining hall…….couldn’t they have done this for the whole duration instead of the usual….?

A lot of pride displayed as Canada enters the Stadium

I hung out with Bruce, Agnes and some of the men and women’s basketball team in a small sports bar-like place in the International zone until way too late. This is when participating at these Games takes a different turn. Hanging out with great athletes in social settings. There are no disabilities in this type of environment. Watching the highlight videos of these Games presented during the Ceremonies cannot leave the viewer unimpressed. I can show you my pictures and blog about it but one must experience this level of sports excellence to understand. I invite you to come and visit Toronto in 2015 and buy tickets for these events. You will not believe your eyes.

The tennis tennis: Philippe, Joel and Coach Kai

Sports exist in every country of the world. It unites peoples from different cultures. Here we see that it allows a lot of individuals to feel barriers removed and provide them with a method of integration that is unequalled. Being part of it was an honor.

Body surfing a chair during the concert!

I managed to leave the Village today and we went to a very nice area of Guadalajara called Tlequepaque. An area with a plaza, a few nice stores, beautiful art galleries and some street market vendors. A great meal for lunch and some shopping before coming home was just what was needed for personal re-energizing. This evening, the whole Mission Staff had the night out at a great restaurant called El Tequila. One can only guess at their specialty. This area is renowned for tequila production and I hear over 200 varieties exist. It is also the area where Mariachi and the sombrero come from and these eventually grow on you….

I’m packed and ready to go. All day of travel tomorrow and I get home at 9 pm. Looking forward to seeing Darlene, Gabrielle and Lukas again. It has only been 17 days but it does feel like I have been here for much longer. I’m sure it feels even longer on the home front. 

See you all soon.

Signing off.

Richard

Basketball medal matches

We were all waiting for the end of the Games for the wheelchair basketball gold medal matches. All were expecting both men and women’s finals to be a USA vs Canada event. The men faltered in a surprising upset against Columbia who took to the end with a tie then flew away in the 5 minutes of extra time to go for gold while the men would be left to battle the Mexico team for bronze. They did succeed and get a berth to London for the Paralympics in August of 2012. Everyone was riveted to their computer screens during the semi final match as it was not televised but streamed online. We could hear groans from every group of people in the operations office and even upstairs in one of the common rooms where the women’s basketball team was watching the men trying to catch up. As mentioned, the men took the bronze last night in front of an animated Mexican crowd.

Yesterday, I spent most of the morning with clinic packing responsibilities. Since the Games are ending, we have to get everything back home and it’s quite a burden. Customs are quite particular, as we have to itemize all the crates contents; even what medication and how many pills are in each crate. Doesn’t it sound like fun? It is better to start doing this now as we are winding down since I want to be completely done by the 21^st so I can get some time off to go into town for a little visit…and a nice meal in a restaurant.

The Canadians go for Gold

Pressure was mounting as the women’s basketball team was to play in the gold medal game against their rivals, USA. I do have a special connection to the women’s team as their team physician. I know the players and the coaching staff well and truly enjoy being involved with them and helping them. The day was all about preparation. We all had lunch together then a team meeting outside as it was gorgeous and warm. I went back to my fun packing and organizing job and then we boarded the transport at 3:45. Unfortunately, the team didn’t play as well as they are capable. As the coach said: they didn’t bring their “A game”. The bad thing is that the Americans brought their A+ game and we lost badly. Quite a difference form early last week when we played them as a friendly scrimmage practice and dominated them. The girls all know each other well as most of the Americans play in the NCAA in the parasport varsity divisions. 4 of our players are at the University of Alabama. Oh well, it wasn’t for that day. Silver medal for the Canadian women and bronze for the men. As soon as the game ended, the post game de-brief in the locker room immediately re-focused to the Paralympic Games. It will be an intense preparation to get ready for the next big event.

Although there were a lot of frustrations, it was all smiles for the medal presentation.

Katie Hancock

Janet McLachlan, who plays pro in Germany

Cindy Ouellet with a perfect pick

Who says wheelchair basketball is not a contact sport?
Jessica Vliegenthart, a firefighter before her accident, she has just finished law school

Katie's long arms provide her with such an advantage

Tracey Ferguson

Janet and Kendra Ohama with the mascot, Tequila

Cindy, Maude Jacques and Katie. Silver medalists

Food

Not the thickest spaghetti sauce....

Food is fuel. Shouldn’t be too complicated. At major Games, one often finds a huge dining hall allowing thousands of athletes to be fed incessantly for a few weeks. Variety is key.

Not here. The first day was fine. Comprising of one “hot section” of spaghetti and 2 sauces, some steamed veggies, a stew of some kind, rice, refried beans (we are in Mexico after all) a few over done beef “steaks” (I am polite here), some variation of fish and chicken, and ….hot dogs. The “cold section” has lettuce, cucumbers every 3-4 days, corn, beets, cheese and the fruits: pineapple, papaya and watermelon.

Everyday. 2 and a half weeks. Same stuff every 2-3 meals as they rotate the stew “type”. They also have yogurts and cold cereal so this is frequently part of the meal.

That is why we are often eating in the International Zone.

Forgot to mention the ever present cold hot dog pieces ....the salsa is great though

The biggest hit: popsicles. They have great lime popsicles that taste exactly like a margarita. Refreshing….. 

Medal Ceremony

Mr Bal Gosal with our cycling medalists
Lynn Bessette, Robbi Weldon, Daniel Chalifour, Ed Veal, Marie-Claude Molnar (masked) and Mr Gosal

Daniel's medal stack, he would win another Bronze in the road race the next day

 For the second time this week, we honored our medalists with an “in-house” medal ceremony. This allows all athletes who have won a medal to be recognized among their colleagues and other sports can be present to be aware of what else is happening. There are so many things going on that the cyclists may not know that the swimmers are winning some medals and the athletics athletes are at the stadium every day and may not noticed the work of our judo competitors. The most fun thing is the “gift”. Every athlete is recognized with a little speech and presentation by the coach and then they receive a gift which, at these Games, is a Lucha Libre mask. They are a hit over here. Lucha Libre is Mexican wrestling. Most would be familiar with it from the koodo cell phone commercial with the little wrestler.

We were honored by a visit form Canada’s Minister of State for Sport, Mr Bal Gosal who presented the athletes with their masks. He even got one himself!

Mr Gosal gets his Lucha Libre mask

Scary bunch