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Show of Strength: Henry H. Kessler 10k in the News!

Click the link below to read an article on the Henry H. Kessler 10k. I have been competing in this race for as long as I can remember and look forward to returning every year. This year was no exception when I won my 9th title as winner of the Female Open Division.

Show of Strength by Lauren Scrivo - Sports N Spokes Magazine

Drake Relays: Paralympians competing at Drake for first time

Check out the following article from the Des Moines Register! 2010 is the first year Drake Relays will include races for athletes with a disability.

Drake Relays: Paralympians Competing at Drake for First Time

A week in Christchurch…

I spent the last week halfway around the world in Christchurch, New Zealand. I was invited on this trip by Tina Cain, Team Manager of the US Paralympic Track and Field team. Next January the IPC Athletics (otherwise known as track & field in the US) World Championships will take place in Christchurch. So Tina, April Holmes, one of my teammates, and I set off last week for an adventure in New Zealand. Our mission: to see all there was to see and learn all there was to learn about the future competition, venue, hotels, city, etc.

We departed the US on Sunday, March 21 and after a very long voyage we arrived in Christchurch - two days later!  We didn’t waste anytime getting acquainted with the city and had a wonderful meal that night at Spags, a cute Italian/pizza restaurant. This was only the start of good eating for the trip. We visited restaurant after restaurant and were never disappointed by the variety and tasty food we were served. If you’re ever in the area our top picks were Cafe Roma on Oxford Terrace and Cafe Valentino’s on Columbo St.

We spent the first couple of days getting to know the lay of the land. We visited Queen Elizabeth II park (QEII) where World Championships will take place. Our trip coincided with the New Zealand National Championships, which were also being hosted at QEII. When not at the track we spent time driving around the city finding the local malls, bike shops, foodstores and other areas the team will visit when we return in January. We also spent a morning touring host hotel options. Its funny how after a while one hotel room looks just like the next. I should note that from the minute we stepped on our Air New Zealand flight from Sydney to Christchurch we were overwhelmed by the kind nature of the locals. Hotel visits were no exception. Every manager we met with was incredibly accommodating and eager to host our team.

On Friday competition began at NZ Nationals. April and I both competed in the 100m. The weather was beautiful on Friday - sunny, warm, and calm winds. Unfortunately the good weather didn’t last all weekend. Saturday and Sunday were much colder days with cloudy skies and lots of wind. Despite that overall I was happy with my performances. I ran four races over the weekend - the 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m. My times certainly left room for improvement but seeing as it is just the start to my season I can’t be too upset. Sabra Hawkes, another US teammate, joined us for the weekend. She is currently studying abroad in Wellington NZ. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to compete because of an injury.

On Monday we decided to finally be tourists. We headed north out of the city to an area of wineries. The four of us had a great timing tasting wine and experiencing a little New Zealand countryside. We headed back to the hotel that night sad to pack our bags for our trip home. I am currently writing this note mid-flight from Sydney to San Francisco and missing the beautiful city of Christchurch already but also happy to be headed home.

Kicking off the ‘09 Season

Two weeks ago I travelled to Tampa, FL for the Gasparilla 15k, my first race of the ‘09 season. The Gasparilla 15k was a great race for wheelers in the 90’s but sadly the race lost its sponsorship and the wheelchair division dissolved. Last year, however, with support from the Challenged Athlete’s Foundation Florida division, the race brought back our division and I couldn’t be more excited! It’s great to have an early season race in warm weather. It gives me the chance to get out on the road and start to work out the winter kinks. I finished third in the women’s division at this year’s race with a time of 39:37, about 3 minutes faster than last year’s time. It felt great getting out there and competing again. Although I have to admit I forgot how much my body hurts when I work that hard because I’m not at the peak of my training yet!

Next week I will be travelling to Washington, D.C. for the USOC Paralympic Briefing. I’m really looking forward to the trip because I will have the chance to learn about the latest initiatives of the USOC and meet with national leaders in sports and recreation. My next two races will be in two weeks in Atlanta! Can’t wait for some warmer weather!

National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2008

Be sure to check out the Department of Human Health and Service’s website, which features information on employment of individuals with disabilities.

I am featured under the section “Famous People”.

Website Link: http://hhsu.learning.hhs.gov/DisabilityEmploymentAwareness08/index.html

Beijing and other adventures

I know it has been too long since I last wrote. Beijing was amazing! For those of you that may not have followed my progress, I returned home from China with five medals. A gold in the 400m, a silver in the 100m, 200m and 800m and a bronze in the 4×100m relay. This was by far my most successful Paralympic Games yet and I am still having a hard time believing all of those medals belong to me!

I would like to say that once I got home I did nothing for weeks on end but of course, life must go on. Luckily, I was invited on some pretty cool adventures in the last month or so.

Chicago Bears Game

My first weekend back I had the chance to attend a Chicago Bears game with two fellow Olympians. Chicago 2016, the group vying for the 2016 Olympic Games, set the event up for us. We all were given the chance to stand on the field during warm-up and for kickoff. Then we were ushered up to a skybox where we ate some lunch. Katy went up to Chicago with me and we both were shocked when we walked into the skybox and saw Vince Vaughn sitting only a few feet away! At halftime, we were all taken back down to the field where we were announced to the crowd. Unfortunately Katy and I weren’t able to stay for the whole game but it was a fun day and definitely worth the drive up to the city.

Washington, DC Trip

Next, I had the chance to go to Washington, DC for a visit at the White House. Following the Games every four years, all the Paralympians and Olympians are invited on this exciting visit to the nation’s capitol. I had a great time in 2000 but unfortunately wasn’t able to go in 2004 and so I was excited to return this year! We all flew into DC on Monday, Oct. 6. That evening we were hosted at a banquet in downtown Baltimore and then most of the Paralympians and Olympians made their way over to a local bar called Pickles. I think the bar was more than overwhelmed with the large crowd on a Monday night but everyone had a great time celebrating our victories in China. The next morning we were up early loading onto buses at 6am headed to the White House. We were welcomed onto the South grounds of the White House and were seated in front of the press with the White House as our backdrop. Following a speech by President Bush, we all had the opportunity to tour the White House. I also was invited to attend a brief press conference along with fellow Paralympians and Olympians.

Homecoming

I flew back to Illinois on Oct. 7th and had a couple of days rest before my next adventure. On Friday, Oct. 10th I had the opportunity to represent my school and my country when I was honored as the Grand Marshall in the University of Illinois Homecoming Parade. Having never attended Homecoming in years past (I know what sort of Illini am I!?), I wasn’t quite sure what I had to do as “Grand Marshall”. I arrived at the pre-party a little nervous about my duties for the evening but quickly settled in with the other guests. I met one alum of the University that currently teachers in the medical school at Stanford and had been teaching a course abroad in Beijing during Paralympic Games. What a small world it can be sometimes!

It turns out my role as Grand Marshall was fairly simple…job #1 smile…job #2 wave. I got to ride along the parade route on top of a blue corvette with a very kind couple that donated their time and car for the parade. I am happy to report that I manage to successfully stay upright the entire route and although my one hand went numb from me hanging on so tight to the front seat, I waved and smiled myself silly. Following the parade, the school hosted a pep rally where I was announced. Overall, it was an awesome experience that I will never forget!

Chicago Marathon

The following day, I drove up to Chicago to join my Illini teammates that were getting ready for the Chicago Marathon. My trip up to Chicago offered me a chance to have a little fun and work at the same time. I had been invited by the group Chicago 2016 to be the honorary starter for the wheelchair portion of the marathon. So on Sunday morning I was up bright and early with the runners to start the race. The race also invited me to be a finish line representative, which meant that I got hold up one end of the Bank of America banner as the first wheelchair racer crossed the line. It was a fun weekend and I had a great time being a spectator rather than a participant!

I’ve been working hard on updating my photos on the website so be sure to check them out!

NBC Paralympic Highlights Show

Universal Sports Interview

Check out an interview I did with Universal Sports following my 400m in Beijing.

PARA: Galli interview in Beijing

400m Final

Well it is 11:15 in the evening here and I should be getting to sleep. But for those of you that may not have seen the 400m race yet, I wanted to post my results before going to bed. Tonight’s race was absolutely incredible! I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start off my third Paralympic Games. Last night I ran my 400m semi and afterwards I felt good. I had decided going into my semi that I wanted to race sub-57 seconds and I accomplished that goal with a time of 56.10 - a new Paralympic Record. In my semi I not only wanted to test myself but also my fellow competitors. It is always good to see who rises to the challenge when another athlete runs fast.

Going into tonight’s 400m final I felt confident but also a little nervous. I suppose the nerves are what make us human and I think they only help in times like tonight. I was seeded in Lane 5, which was a good lane. I knew that in order to win I would have to focus on myself and my race and not concern myself with where my competitors were so I tried not to concern myself with my competitors on the inside lanes since I knew I wouldn’t see them at the start of the race. After a false start (caused by the starting official who mistakenly gave the wrong commands), I was a bit jittery. My arms felt a little tight after having been prepared to start but I shook them out and set myself up for our second start. This time it was a fair start. I went out hard knowing that this would give me a higher maximum speed on the back straightaway. I felt relaxed going into the second turn but I think maybe a little too relaxed. I could hear one of my competitors coming up my inside and the crowd began to yell loudly. I knew then that I was not alone in the race and coming out of the final turn I gave the race all that I had! I could see the competitor in lane 4 coming up my inside but I focus on the track ahead and powered hard. Luckily my work paid off and I crossed the line in 54.88 seconds - first place and a new world record!

Going into this final event I had hoped to run 55 seconds and thought that maybe it was possible for my to break my old world record of 55.42. When I crossed the line and saw 54.88 seconds I couldn’t help but raise my arm and smile! Never in my dreams did I think I would run sub-55 seconds! Tonight has been amazing! Now I am going to go to bed and dream about my next race - my 100m semi, which will take place at 11:20am tomorrow morning.

So long for now. Hope to write again soon with more good news.

In the news…

Be sure to check out a recent article in the News Gazette at http://www.news-gazette.com/news/2008/09/06/large_ui_delegation_in_beijing_for_paralympic_games