Paralympics! Return to London!
by Angela July 9, 2012
I
am super excited to be returning to London to compete in the 2012 Paralympics.
I rowed in the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, rowed across the Atlantic in 2007,
Indian Ocean in 2009 and in 2010. I have a great history and have made history
in London. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10724714
I
circumnavigated Great Britain with three other British women. An awesome
challenge rowing 2010 miles around GB without touching land that took 51 days.
We rowed from London Tower Bridge, down the Thames & back to London tower
Bridge. I am returning to London to compete at the Paralympics in Track &
field as a thrower. I went from rowing to throwing last year. I still row
across oceans and plan to row from California to Hawaii solo in 2013 as tribute
to GB Royal Marine, adventurer and friend Orlando Rogers who was tragically
killed in an accident last May.
I
am better known as a rower in the Olympic/Paralympic world. It has been a
whirlwind Track & Field Odyssey constantly moving the throws farther and
farther almost giving up after Para Pan American games when the National A team
standard was raised to 8.76. Higher than the World record of 8.61 at that time
so I thought it nearly impossible to achieve as I was only throwing high in the
sixes then. Coach Cathy Sellers and Coach Erica Wheeler convinced me to stick
with it. I am not the type to give up, I did however go through what I needed
to go through at the time. I tend to go all in when I want something and if I
don’t get there I admit I am emotional and disappointed. I am after all “A
Delicate little flower” I still did what I needed to do to reach and even
exceed my goals and expectations. What I did after Para Pans was find and hire
my own private Track & Field throws coach Aaron Volkoff. Then I hired a
personal trainer all on my own dime since I lost all my National Team financial
support when I failed to make the new standard. I attended throws camps at the Olympic
Training Center in Chula Vista. I dug in and did what I needed to do. I went to
San Clemente to Ed Axton and had him build me a new throwing chair to the
customized specifications that I believed would help me throw farther. I
purchased implements, 6 javelins and 6 shot puts so my coach would not have to
make as many trips into the field to retrieve them. I suffered a grade two
shoulder separation throwing Javelin before I went to the last throws camp and
before my Hawaii vacation. So the VA issued a motorized wheelchair to use till
it healed. I had to borrow a scooter to use in Hawaii where I had to do one of
the most difficult things I could do in my training, NOTHING! I sat across from
my favorite surf beach in Hawaii and watched the waves, the surfers and the
sunsets.
When
I got back from Hawaii they did an MRI and found torn rotator cuff tears,
fraying and bursitis in my throwing shoulder as well as the separation. I had
to change a few things about how I train. Javelin seems to irritate it and shot
put is unaffected so my coach and I have been focusing more on shot put and I
have been constantly applying Ice and resting more before competitions. I have
had to quit carrying boats and volunteering at the California Adaptive Rowing
Program that I founded in 1998 deeming it too risky and sadly I have not surfed
in months. It has been worth it as the German thrower and I have been playing
ping pong with the world record. Her last meet she brought it up to 8.92
At
Track & Field Trials in Indianapolis I broke her World Record in Women's
class 56 Shot put with a 9.30 meter throw and was named to the 2012 Paralympic
Team. This world record, not yet recorded, will be official! I am still off the
radar and remain unknown as a Track & Field Athlete.
Angela
Madsen
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