A number of advisory councils in various areas guide the direction of Chicago 2016.  These councils, composed of community leaders and experts in a number of fields, help 2016 realize its high-level goal of hosting the best Olympic and Paralympic Games ever by filling in the details in each area of the bid.  None of these 2016 councils have been more active or more regularly involved than the Paralympic Advisory Council (PAC).

For the past several weeks, we have attempted to draft and accumulate responses for the Paralympic section of the International Olympic Committee candidate city questionnaire. These responses have then been dissected and examined over and over by a number of experts both inside and outside the Chicago 2016 organization.  Noone to my knowledge has provided a more rigorous examination of these answers than the individual members of the PAC.

The PAC comprises of leaders in many fields of concern to persons with disabilities and Paralympic Sport.   Representatives from the Mayor's Office, the legal community, major area rehabilitation centers, corporate executives, and actual Paralympians themselves are included in the membership of the council. The PAC also includes persons with an array of disabilities, including persons with Cerebral Palsy, amputees, and persons with visual disabilities.   These individuals freely present their diverse ideas - and sometimes scathing criticisms – to the Paralympic Sport staff (including me) of Chicago 2016 in its meetings.   I spent the last few weeks attempting to incorporate all of these different important viewpoints into ourIOC questionnaire answers against the backdrop of book space constraints and a fast approaching deadline.

The PAC has greatly raised expectations and elevated our standard of success.  I have come to appreciate that the PAC is a group of prestigious individuals, and will not be satisfied easily.  Chicago 2016 must create and execute a plan that elevates the level of functioning and awareness of the Paralympic Games beyond any event ever held.   We also must set a new, high standard for the inclusion of persons with disabilities at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.  The stakes are high, and we remain under intense scrutiny.

The mandate is clear, but the effort worth undertaking.  Chicago 2016 faces many challenges, but these Chicago Games have the opportunity to change Chicago, America, and the world – especially for persons with disabilities.  This makes those PAC contributions - both supportive and scathing - much easier to take.

I am excited to see the end result of our efforts, knowing that Chicago 2016 continues to push forward with the guidance of individuals that have a track record of building great things.

The holiday season is approaching and everyone is gearing up to host their friends and families in their homes coming together to celebrate, eat, drink and be merry. Not only does the holiday season present us with an opportunity to get together, but it is a time of giving. And, the holiday season always brings out generosity and spirit of giving.

In an effort to increase support for Chicago 2016 and rally behind our cause, Chicago 2016 has enlisted the Chicago 2016 Next Generation Leadership Advisory Council (NGLAC) to kick off our house party initiative. NGLAC members, along with Chicago 2016 volunteers and staff members, will be hosting house parties and events to celebrate this season by support Chicago 2016.

So, why host a house party?

House parties are an opportunity for:

• Supporters of Chicago 2016 Bid to raise awareness of, interest in, and money for the Bid, among friends, families, and local communities.
• You to get involved and connected with the 2016 Bid and to be a part of bringing the 2016 Olympic Games to Chicago.
• People with common interests to gather and connect with other people who participate in and support Chicago 2016.
• You to educate people in your life about the impact the Chicago 2016 would bring, and about the opportunities available for them to volunteer and contribute.

In other words, house parties are about building support, networking, and education. Raising money is ultimately the most important goal, but this is also an opportunity to build our network of people who support, and are inspired by, Chicago 2016.

Hosting a house party can be great fun – especially when you have a great theme. Chicago 2016 already has a House Party donation page set up for all those hosting a house party, and your guests can easily make online donations. If you are interested in hosting a house party and want more information you can call me at 312-784-6002.

Celebrate the holiday season with Chicago 2016! Host a party and support the bid!

Last week I posted a piece about meeting Debi Thomas, who was my first Olympic Hero. This week I have an interview with her for you all! Below Debi gives us an update on her life today. This is perfect timing because Debi Thomas is helping Chicago 2016 to open up the Millennium Park Ice Rink this week!!!


 
1) Debi, you have to update Chicago on what you have been up to for the last twenty years. We know that you are a doctor but now, but what else has happened?!

Since the Olympics I was married (twice). I am about to celebrate my 12th anniversary with my husband Chris, and we have one son who is 11, named Luc. I spent most of those years finishing up at Stanford with an engineering degree. I skated professionally for four years and performed with Discover Card's Stars On Ice during that time. I spent only one of those four years actually touring. I spent the first three years juggling weekend performances with school during the week. After that I went to medical school in Chicago at Northwestern University Medical School. During that time, I did some moonlighting local news reporting for WBBM for the figure skating events during the Lillehammer Olympics. It was convenient because the station was on the same street on which I walked home from classes. I also occasionally did speaking engagements during that time, but most of my time was spent studying and trying to survive medical school. I did make a very brief skating comeback in 1996 and performed in Nutcracker on Ice and in the Rock 'N Roll Championships. I had my son just after my graduation from medical school, and I took a year off to spend time with him. I then did my internship in general surgery at the University of Arkansas and spent the next year doing orthopaedic research there. I ended up doing my orthopaedic surgery residency and fellowship in southern California. I am now a specialist in adult reconstruction orthopaedics, which mainly involves the management of arthritis with hip and knee replacement surgery.

2) Debi, you became the first black person to win a medal at the Winter Olympic Games. That's an incredible feat but it also meant that you spent years of being the first/only black person to win this and that. How did that feel?

For my entire skating career, I never really looked as my race being a factor in my accomplishments. I think if I had, I may have become discouraged. My mother never really let race be an issue when there were times that perhaps I was judged unfairly. It is no secret that figure skating has been a highly political sport for many years, so I do not think that the lack of black champions can be attributed to racial discrimination. However, figure skating does not have a prevalence of blacks for other reasons. The exposure to the sport is limited in many black communities, the costs are excessive for most middle-class families, and the chances of becoming a champion in this sport are slim no matter what race you are. It was not until after the Olympics (when I received mounds of fan mail from young women and parents of young girls, frequently black) that I realized the impact of my historical accomplishment. I think it is similar to the 2008 presidential election where Senator Obama represents opportunities that many young black children never believed could be possible for them.

3)  There seems to be a certain generation of people who remember you from the 88 Games. For example, every woman in the Chicago 2016 office over the age of 28 gets excited when I mention your name. How do such people react to you when you tell them you are Debi Thomas, the figure skater. What do they typically say?

People typically are very nostalgic. Often they'll say, "I LOVED you!". Some will actually throw their arms around me to give me a hug. Many mention that they were pulling so strongly for me and cried when I did not perform my best in the free skate in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Shortly after the 1988 Olympics I was accosted on the street when visiting New York City and the person said, "New York STOPPED when you skated in the Olympics!". I remember thinking, "I wish I had known that, because I would have skated better." Many people do not know that it is hard to keep fighting mentally for a performance that does not start out as well as you had hoped for. I was more focused on performing great at the Olympics than I was with winning. I did not stick with my typical psychological game at the Olympics, and instead relied on the fact that I had been doing well in practice all week. This was uncharted territory for me. I preferred to be in the position of having to rely on my mental game to perform. When I let that go, I gave away my chances to put on the performance of my life and possibly win a gold medal. Looking back, my biggest regret is not doing what I have always done to prepare mentally for performances. I think if I had realized the support I had from so many Americans, I would have felt an obligation to fight harder or at least give them a better performance than I did.

4) I've been working on this bid for almost two years and I have met dozens of Olympians who are doing great things today. But you are definitely the only Olympian I know who is a surgeon. Actually, I've met one other (96 Magnificent seven gymnast Amy Chow. who also went to Stanford). Why did you decide to go through the grueling process of becoming a surgeon?

Actually, there are probably more Olympians who have become surgeons than you are aware of, as there are so many Olympians out there in so many sports that it is hard to keep track of all of them. Two famous ones that I can think of off the top of my head are: 1) Tenley Albright 1956 Olympic Gold Medalist in figure skating (the first American figure skater to win gold) who is a general surgeon and Harvard Medical School graduate and 2) Eric Heiden who one five gold medals in all of the mens individual speed skating events in the 1980 Olympics who is an orthopaedic surgeon and graduate of Stanford University Medical School. I would guess that there are probably others out there as well. I think that the mentality of Olympic atheletes is well suited for surgery. Olympians thrive on being challenged. They are not happy if they aren't challenged. The training to be a surgeon is no more grueling than training to be an Olympian. It is very rewarding when you reach a goal, especially when it is a challenging goal. Olympians are just people who never give up and do not give in to the idea that something is difficult or thought to be impossible.

5) Values are very important in the Olympic Movement. For example, the Chicago 2016 star represents the following values: excellence, friendship, respect, celebration, harmony and hope. Which one of these values do you think had the greatest impact on your life? During skating and after skating?

When I let that go, I gave away my chances to put on the performance of my life and possibly win a gold medal. Looking back, my biggest regret is not doing what I have always done to prepare mentally for performances. I think if I had realized the support I had from so many Americans, I would have felt an obligation to fight harder or at least give them a better performance than I did. I have always used the term "excellence" as something we should strive for in our lives. I feel that the other values are encompassed in this very important value. When I give talks, I generally give a message of striving for excellence rather than how to achieve excellence. The reason being that I believe that we can always strive to be better no matter how successful we become.

6) What do you love about Chicago?

I love the people and the atmosphere of Chicago. I decided to attend Northwestern for medical school, because I had some friends from Chicago who made it seem like such a great place to live, and because it was always such a fun town to visit when I would perform there during my skating career. Most importantly, one of my mentors in orthopaedics, Dr. Robert Odén, had spent his time training at Northwestern back in the day, and he used to talk to me about his years there. He was a fascinating man, and sadly he recently passed away, but I think he was a big influence on my decision to attend Northwestern. Once I moved to Chicago for medical school, I fell in love with the city. The people are diverse and friendly. They are loyal sports fans (the Cubs being living proof of this), and they have so much to offer as far as sports, the arts, wonderful restaurants, and great nightlife. Not to mention the wonderful activities along the lakefront of Lake Michigan.

7) Why would Chicago be an incredible place to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games?

I think that the things I mentioned in the previous question explain why Chicago would be a fabulous place to host the Olympic and Paralympic games. I think that the athletes will be welcomed with open arms and that Chicago will give the world a chance to fall in love with the city as so many visitors have over the years.

At one point in her wheelchair track racing career, Linda Mastandrea held the world records for the 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1500 meter distances. Her success in the Paralympic Games garnered a gold medal and silver medal. Today she practices law on behalf of people with disabilities and works for the Chicago 2016 Bid.

When did you first hear of the Paralympic Games?

I first heard the term Paralympic Games when I was in college. I first really understood what they were about when some of my former University of Illinois wheelchair basketball teammates were competing in the Seoul Paralympics in 1988.

When did you start participating in disabled sports?

I started participating in disability sport when I was a sophomore in college and I got recruited to play wheelchair basketball on the University of Illinois women’s wheelchair basketball team.

Can you describe an unforgettable sports moment in your life?

There have been so many! I think the most unforgettable was the first time I broke a world record in the 400m wheelchair race at the World Championships in Berlin in 1994. I had been doing really well training and running good times, and thought I could possibly break a record but hadn’t yet done it in practice. My coach from home was one of the team coaches with us, and he was there in Berlin with me. The day of the race it was hot, Berlin was in the midst of a heat wave, which I was loving. The gun went off, I felt good and ran my race. I looked up as a crossed the line and saw my time 1:17.02, and the previous record had been 1:25.07! So not only had I broken the record, I smashed it, and my coach was there to see it. He came out of the stands screaming, laughing, crying…..I was doing the same! It was fantastic.

What was your greatest wheelchair track racing race?

I think my greatest race ever was my 200m in Atlanta in 1996. I was favored to win both the 100 and 200m. I ended up losing the 100 by 13/100 of a second, and  I was pretty upset with myself. My confidence was shaken and I was unsure if the faith I had in myself or the faith others had in me was misplaced. I worked hard the next four days to get my head on and was determined that the 200m was mine. Not only did I win it in a time of 35.3 seconds, but I broke my own record which I had set two years before of 38.15. This was extra special because my two sisters, a cousin, my brother, brother in law, and good friend from college were there to see it.

What is your current work as a lawyer? How do you work with people with disabilities?

My current work as a lawyer is primarily focused on disability law and advocacy. I focus on a couple of areas, primarily discrimination cases in public accommodation and in access to benefits like vocational rehabilitation. I also have been a hearing officer for special education cases, and am looking to take more employment cases in the future.

What is the best Paralympic Games you've been to and why?

I was at two Paralympic Games, Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996. They were both wonderful for different reasons. Barcelona’s people were really welcoming and excited to have the Paralympic Games and the athletes in their town. They all wanted to know where you were from, how your competition was going, and how you were enjoying Barcelona. Atlanta was wonderful because my competition goals were achieved there with gold medals and world records, and competing in front of a hometown crowd.

What is the biggest misconception that people have about people with disabilities? 

There are many, but I think the most common is that people with disabilities get fit into certain stereotypes in people’s minds, such as that a person who uses a wheelchair always uses the wheelchair vs. the reality that some people use a wheelchair part of the time, not all. There is also a stereotype that people with disabilities take more time off work, cost more to employ, and things like that, all of which have proven to be untrue.

What do you love best about Chicago? 

Everything about it! I love driving up LSD and looking at the lake, which looks totally different depending on the season. I love the architecture, the diversity of neighborhoods, the festivals, and most of all the people of the city who are the best, most friendly and warmest of anywhere I’ve ever been.

Why would Chicago be an incredible place to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games?

See above!

What was your favorite book growing up?

Anything Nancy Drew.

Why should kids read books?

Because reading transports you, it can bring you places that you may never physically go and help you learn about the world and our place in it.

World Sport Chicago and USA Gymnastics, along with U.S. Women’s National Team Training Center Director Bela Karolyi, recently announced that the greater Chicago Metropolitan area will host the Tyson American Cup international gymnastics invitational in February 2009.

The event, which comes on the heels of the 10 U.S. medals captured at the Olympic Games in Beijing, will be held on February 21, 2009, at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates.  

“The Tyson American Cup is our first big event after the Olympic Games on the road to London,” USA Gymnastics President Steve Penny said at the news conference held at the Broadway Armory in the Edgewater neighborhood.  “We have to get right back into it [after Beijing].  We can think of no better way than to come to a city that is bidding on the Olympic Games.”

The Tyson American Cup—the most prestigious international competition after the Olympic Games and the World Championships—will showcase the top male and female gymnasts from around the world.  The competition debuted at Madison Square Garden in 1976, when Morton Grove native and two-time Olympic gold medalist Bart Conner claimed the first men’s title in the all-around format competition.  Conner’s wife, Nadia Comaneci, won the women’s title.

“Since 1976, Gymnastics has been the most watched Olympic event,” said Karolyi, who with wife Martha produced 28 Olympians, including nine Olympic champions, 15 world champions, 12 European champions and six U.S. national champions during his coaching days in Romania until he “retired” from active coaching – more than 30 years later – in 1996.  “I would like to dedicate all this toward bringing the Olympic Games of 2016!”

The American Cup has long served as the springboard to Olympic success.  Comaneci, under the tutelage of Karolyi, went on to score seven perfect 10s and win three gold medals, a silver and a bronze at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.

Other notable American Cup champions include Karolyi students Mary Lou Retton, the 1984 all-around Olympic champion, and Kerri Strug. Current Beijing 2008 Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin claimed the 2008 and 2006 American Cup, while beam gold medalist Shawn Johnson (four medals in Beijing) and men’s horizontal bar Olympic silver medalist Jonathan Horton won in 2007.

“After [nearly] 25 years, Chicago is going to be host,” Karolyi said.  “This city deserves to have international sports.”

Although the American Cup is being held for the first time in the Midwest since 1985 – when Indianapolis served as host – the Chicagoland area has a rich tradition of excellence in gymnastics from the grassroots to the elite levels.  The Chicago Park District has 4,200 youth involved in gymnastics centers with up to 14,000 in gymnastics-related activities.  On the elite side, the area has produced athletes such as Karolyi’s Phoebe Mills and Betty Okino and Dianne Durham – the first African-American senior national champion and current head coach of Skyline Gymnastics.  Other Chicagoland notables are: 1992 Olympian Chris Waller, Amy Koopman, who qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, and World Championships silver medalist Larissa Fontaine.

NBC sports will broadcast the American Cup live at 4 p.m. ET on Feb. 21, 2009.  The event is being held at the Sears Centre Arena, a 11,200-seat multipurpose family entertainment, cultural and sports facility located in Hoffman Estates’ Prairie Stone Business Park.

Tickets are on sale now and range from $19.50-$125.  Tickets can be charged by phone at 312-559-1212 or at 1-888-SEARSTIX.  Tickets are also available online at: www.ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster outlets, at the Sears Centre Arena Box Office, or through participating area gymnastics clubs. Visa is the preferred method of payment.

“Let’s have a united effort,” Karolyi said.  “Let’s bring the Games back to America!”