Where is Angela Now? by Debbie

Where’s Angela Now ?……by Debbie
08/30/2008

Where is Angela? Angela left Philadelphia, PA on Friday, 8/29/08 for the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She went through processing there and will be headed for the airport at 1am Colorado time on 08/31/08 with the other USA Paralympic athletes. They will be headed to Beijing at 6am 8/31/08. Opening ceremonies will be 09/06/08. The rowing events will happen on 09/09 to 09/11/08. The rowing team returns to the US on 09/19/08. Angela is returning to Philly to get her car and driving back to California (If she remembers where it is. West, Miss Madsen, West.)

Viewing of the Paralympics. It looks like at this point, the best place to see the Paralympics is on www.paralympicsport.tv They also have a YouTube channel with Paralympic athletes videos. I have requested that rowoflife be added and also my new video of Angela and Scott rowing on the Schuylkill River in PA. Universal Sports is also supposed to broadcast some of the Paralympics. www.universalsports.com

What is processing or I didn’t know they made hot dogs at the Olympic Training Center: The two days at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado were spent getting training on culture and customs and getting their gear. They have parade gear and their unisuits. For many of you the burning question is for the first time in 7 years….did they get a unisuit that fits Angela properly? NO. They did find a men’s extra large which fits better than the woman’s suit she had a first. She reports armpit bruises, but at least she can move her arms. The other burning question…..Has Angela says she has learned how to say she is not guilty or it is not her fault in Chinese? She says that she did, but she was not able to come up with the whole phrase for me on the phone, so let’s just hope she listened to her customs and culture training and does not end up getting arrested. Or at least if she is arrested it is by someone who speaks one of the 7 or so languages she can say it in. The paralympic team has been limited as to what they can say in blogs, so I hope you enjoyed your last two burning questions for awhile.

Row or Blow: Scott and Angela are ready to ROW! I watched them improve greatly during the 2+ months that Angela has been in Philly. They were rowing twice a day and going to the Gym 5 days a week and rowing once a day on the weekends. They look like a team of elite athletes. Check out the Bayada Regatta race on YouTube once I get it up. They are so in sync they were dressing alike and finishing each others’ sentences by the end of the last week. Their times have been amazing. I see medals in their future. Angela and I looked at them on the computer and she was particularly fond of the Gold one.

Blog: I hope to update you guys all as I get information, but my plans and what actually happens may be different. Angela should be able to get her email while she is in Beijing, and so send emails to support to msparasurfer@aol.com

Debbie

Race Results by Angela

AdaptiveRowing] Go Scott & Angela!!
from
Debbie Arenberg
Congratulations to Scott & Angela in their blazing Philadelphia Quaker City masters race this past weekend. Note their actual water finish times!! Yahoo!! Race 37, Mixed D-H 2x F/G Event 18 Final Water Water Place Lane Name Team Time Split Place Time 1 3 Redford Sargent Fairmount RA 4:04.36 1 4:37.26 2 2 Merry Jones Vesper BC B 4:11.90 7.54 2 4:39.3 1 Angela & Scott PRPD 4:16.87 12.51 4 4:48.07 4 4 Patrice Glover Swan Creek RC 4:17.84 13.48 3 4:47.44
In a field of able body rowers we did OK but we made a ton of mistakes and are not all that happy with this but that is why I am here. We have about one month more to train before going to Bejing. I worked yesterday on trying to find a gym and a trainer for us and may have come up with something? 24 hour fitness is one of US Rowings sponsors but they do not have a club within 50 miles of here. My training Stipen has pretty much already been spent on travel expenses and rent so there is really no money left over for anything else. Hmmm? roof over my head or gym & personal training? I am going with the roof and since I have already paid rent and parking upfront there really is no going back to the streets. No refunds! I am hoping to get a break and work a deal at a local fitness center that is located right next to the building where I am staying. I am not sure what anyone elses road to Beijing looks like but I can tell you mine is not paved.
Angela

My journey to Beijing and the Paralympics (by Angela)

I haven't written in a while and my friends have begun to worry about me. I could write an entire chapter on my experiance here so far but I am just going to summarize. I set out for Philladelphia quite a while ago and it has not been going so well. Some parts have gotten better and some things are just plain stressfull. For those who do not know, there is more to my life than being a disabled veteran, than ocean rowing, running an adaptive rowing program or even surfing. I have competed on our national adaptive rowing team since 2002 and my US rowing partner since 2002 is Scott Brown. Scott lives and works in Philadelphia. Since we don't recieve a great deal of money, sponsorship or support as disabled athletes I decided to relocate to Philadelphia for training with Scott. This enables Scott to remain employed while we train. We get on the water before he goes to work and then again after his work. It just seemed to make more sense than both of us leaving our home, our family and our work to train. Scott and his wife Sandy are appropriately appreciative of the sacrafices I have made for our national team and for our sport.I searched on Craigs list, called the Disabled Veterans Organizations, the Veterans Hospaital and even affiliate churches to my church in Long Beach to find an accessible room or apartment to rent here in Philly and had no success. After living in my van for almost 2 weeks I finally found a place to live. After spending 67 days in the small boat at sea with no plumbing, living in the van is a piece of cake. The van, by comparrison is a mansion with its many amenities , I could do it easily, but why?Not much help had been offered from anyone out here. At US Rowing Nationals in New Jersy US Rowing offered to let me shower at the boathouse. That was the only kind offer of assistance I had recieved from the rowing powers that be since embarking on my Journey to the Paralympics. My coach? who knows what is going on there? Sometimes, lately, I just want to get in my van and drive home. I have never quit or given less than 100% at anything in my life so that really is not an option! I made a commitment to my rowing partner and I am going to see it through no matter what! That pretty much summs it up for me.I know... usually I am Ms positive but sometimes it really does suck to be me! I don't know why it has to be this difficult? For the first time since my back surgery I can honestly say that I am feeling a bit depressed. I was thousands of miles from land in either direction on a small boat at sea with one man who did not speak my language and did not experiance, not even once, the kind of lonliness and isolation that this place has to offer. I miss my Partner Debbie, I miss my Family, I miss my Church, I miss my Friends, I miss my Home, I miss my ocean rowing boat (other home for most of the last year) I miss my friends and associates at California Paralysed Veterans Association. I have so many things I need to be doing like working on the book and documentary of the ocean crossing, remodeling my house, working on the rowoflife boat, getting back to the California Adaptive Rowing Program and even watching the grass grow. This is going to be a long three months. I am hoping to make it worthwhile by getting us onto the medal stand in Bejing. On another positive note:Thanks go out to Francis Fulton of Liberty Resources Center in Philadelphia who took me in for a couple of days and then helped me find an accessible place to live while I am here to train and to Michelle McCandless for accepting me as a roomate on short notice. These two people have extended hospitality and kindness to a complete stranger without any hesitation. They are my new heroes!Angela MadsenRowoflife.net