Sunday, July 25

Tucker and the Big Apple….check out this article in the NY Times.

Paralympian Has Impaired Sight but Strong Focus on Success

Saturday, July 24

What a great week. Just received this photo from a friend and wanted to share it with you all. On Monday, I got the opportunity to address the Eagle Ridge Swim Club, then I joined them in the pool for their swim practice. Spending time with this group brought back some great memories of when I started swimming competitively. What a great bunch of swimmers.

Friday, July 23

This just in…Read all about it….. Nice write up by The Associated Press

Saturday, July 10

On June 21st, I was invited to speak at the Olympic Day Activity at the Boys & Girls Clubs in Wake Forest, NC. It was a special day for me as I was honored to share my story and experience as an Olympian. The Boys & Girls Clubs offers young people a range of fun and educational activities while providing a positive and safe environment where young people can connect with trained and caring staff and reach their goals.

To learn more about the Boys & Girls Clubs, visit wakebgc.org.

Saturday, 3 July

Photo by Corey Jenkins

Very exciting news, this amazing photo was taken by Corey Jenkins, a high school student at Athens Drive High School in Raleigh, NC, will be printed on t-shirts for the upcoming Senior Championships host by the Triangle Aquatics Center in Cary, July 22-25.  These shirts will be given to all participants and available for sale to the general public.  Check out Corey’s web site at www.coreyjenkinsphoto.com/.

Tuesday, 29 June

The Jimi Flowers Classic

Last weekend, June 24-29, was great. We flew out of Raleigh-Durham on our way to Colorado around 6pm Thursday night. We had a layover in Texas for and hour, just  enough time to get a Starbucks and get to our next terminal. We landed in Colorado Springs at 10:40pm their time. When we arrived at the car rental counter the attendant told us that we could upgrade to a silver convertible for $5 more a day, my mom and I looked at each other with a grin and said, “Do it.” As we got in the car we started towards our hotel. We checked in and went straight to bed.

Friday, 25 June – When we woke up we got ready for the day and went to lunch at Noodles and Company. After that my mom asked me if I wanted to go to the cliff dwellings before I got into the pool. We got into our convertible and headed out to the mountains. When we got there the views were amazing. It was really cool that we got to walk into actually houses that the Indians lived in. After an hour self guided tour we headed to the Olympic Training Center so that I could get in the water. I swam about 5,000 meters not knowing what was in store when I got out of the water. When I finished my practice a Paralympics coach walked up to me and asked, “Are you ready for open water tonight?” I looked at her with a blank stare and said, “ummm…oh yea” not knowing that I was swimming it. I had never in my life swum in an open water meet. After I changed, there was the revealing of the corkboard honoring Jimi Flowers that will be permanent display at the USOC pool.  Then it was time for the open water swim. We went to a nearby country club that had a lake around it. After all of the swimmers arrived, we got numbers drawn on us. I was Number 2 because I was the second swimmer there.  There were three buoys in a triangle formation. The race was a 5K and it was a 1,000 meters around each time (i.e.5 laps). The water was FREEZING, a mere 65 degree’s.  When we started the race, it was a free-for-all to see who could get to the front of the pack. After I realized I couldn’t see where I was going or the next buoy, I knew this is going to be a long 5,000 meters. I finished the race in 79 minutes. When I got out of the water, I went straight to the hot tub. My lips were purple and I couldn’t feel my body at all.

Saturday, 26 June – This was the first day of the meet. I swam the 50 free and 100 back. After the morning session was over the entire “Worlds Team” had to attend meetings beginning at noon. We all met in a classroom where there was pizza waiting for us to consume. Our first presenter was a nutritionist to tell us about what and how we need to eat leading up to Worlds, as we ate pizza, go figure. After that, we each received a swim bag containing swim wear and apparel that we will wear for the competition. Then we had a sport psychologist talk to us about how to prepare mentally during swim practice and competition. Then in the afternoon, I had the 100 free and 100 fly. Considering the altitude, I swam very well.

Sunday, 27 June – This was the last day of the meet all I had to swim was the 50 back. This session was a little longer since there was the mile swim. So, a bunch of us swimmers stayed back to cheer for the swimmers that had to endure the 1,500 meters of fun. A couple of us went out to lunch after that.

Monday, 28 June – This was a very interesting day. We slept in and woke up around 11am. After getting dressed I had to re-pack my clothes. I didn’t check a bag and I didn’t want to check one on the way home either. So I had to figure out how I was going to put two swim bags and a carry on all into one. We went to IHOP around noon. We didn’t have to be at the airport until 1:30pm. When we got to the airport we turned in our amazing convertible. We arrived at our terminal and boarded the plane at 3pm. We were flying back through Texas. When we were about to land, I woke up and there was lightening outside the window. Then the flight attendant began to read the flights that’s were flying out of Texas. Ours was not mentioned. When we got off the plane we went to the monitors and our flight was cancelled. So we proceeded to the American ticketing counter to see when the next flight was, 8am the next day. So we received a hotel voucher and took a cab to a hotel. We checked in and went straight to the sports bar to eat dinner. We ate like kings just because we hadn’t eaten since noon. Then off to bed.

Tuesday, 29 June – Now we are on our way home. I really enjoyed hanging out and seeing the Training Center. I am super excited to move out there in a couple weeks. Right now I am 50 days out from competition in the Netherlands. So now it is back to Raleigh to train for this last home stretch.

6/15/2010

Well Cap City swim meet was this past weekend and it was a great opportunity to race against able bodied athletes. I also got to swim a couple events I don’t normally compete in, which was a great experience for me. This week I started working with a great group of people on a couple of video to help get my story out there as well as help raise awareness on the US Paralymics. I am preparing for and ready to head to Colorado at the end of the month for the Jimi Flowers Classic swim meet. I am really looking forward to this meet and swimming at this altitude and a chance for all the members of the World Team representing the US to be together. Just a normal week of training this week, so until next time….

6/7/2010

This weekend I am swimming at a local swim meet called Cap City In Cary at the Triangle Aquatic’s center. I am super tired and broken down from swimming and lifting so much the past couple of weeks. I ordered my plane ticket for the Jimi Flowers Classic this past week as well. It will be at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

After the Netherlands, I will be moving to Colorado Springs to train at the Olympic Training Center as part of the Paralympic residential team to train until 2012. The Training Center is a great place to train and know that this will take me to the next level of swimming. There is a lot of great opportunity’s there for me to take advantage of: the altitude, coaching staff, training facility, nutritionist, weightlifting coach will all be working together to help prepare me for the 2012 Paralympics in London, not to mention the great views of the mountains. I have to be there for the first  day of practice, which begins on the 1st of September, so I will depart NC shorly after I return from the Netherlands on the 23rd.

Wish me luck this weekend.

5/19/2010

I had a great time this past weekend in Ohio. On Friday we had a great flight. We ate at a Bistro restaurant and the food was AMAZING. They gave all of us enough food for 3 people and on an empty stomach I ate every last bit. I got into the pool just to swim off the flight. After swimming we went to eat again. Last year we ate at some great places so we decided to revisit our favorite restraint, Martino’s. Saturday was a day packed full of swimming. I swam very tired, broken down, and fast. I was just around where I needed to be this part of the season, getting ready for the Netherlands. This meet was a great opportunity to let the body feel bad while racing, this way when I start tapering it will feel even better to race while feeling good.  We went out to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner. On Sunday we all woke up went to a much needed trip to Waffle House and on our way to the airport. So that raps up the weekend.

5/14/2010

This has been a huge milestone week of my life.  To kick off the week, I went to Kick Back Jacks at 12:01am. At 12:00pm, I went to Carolina Ale House to continue the celebration with friends. That evening I returned to Kick Back Jacks for dinner with my family. Wednesday I went to a Durham Bulls game then joined friends at Tyler’s Tap Room following the Game. Thursday I went out to FuBAR for an evening of dancing and spirits.

This weekend I’m heading to Cincinnati to compete in the 7^th annual GTAC Disability Open to compete in 4 event’s:

100 Fly

100 Back

50 Free

100 Free

This meet is an opportunity to Race in an environment of the Disabled world and makes the body feel bad while racing. This way you can feel better when it comes race Time during Taper you will feel 10 times better.