Another beautiful day in the cultured city of Toronto. I’m
somewhat starting to learn the metro system and my way around the city…that is
if I’m not falling asleep on subway. I’m certain I’m the sleepy head of the
group. The day started out with an early visit to the gym, which by the way,
was extremely nice and cheap! $14 for 14 days, what a steal! Definitely hard to
find that kind of deal in the states. Following the gym a group of 10, myself
included, jumped on a Safeway tour bus and went exploring outside the city to
one of the 7 wonders of the world, Niagara Falls! No words can describe the
beauty of these falls, which were created by the Wisconsin glaciation (the last
ice age) over 10,000 years ago. The Canadian side was far more of a beast than
the USA side. Sorry America, but Canada wins this battle. We all suited up in
our ponchos, jumped on the boat, aka “The horn blower”, and took an enjoyable
stroll through misty falls. Convincing the professors to take us here was a
wise decision, and I couldn’t be more thankful for this opportunity.
Tomorrow starts my first day of volunteering at Ryerson Athletic
Center for the ParaPan Am games. Shift starts at 8:00 am. I have no idea what
to expect, but I am SUPER excited to start working and seeing what the games
are all about. I’ll be sure to fill you in on all the exciting action once I
learn more.
Football (soccer in the U.S) is one the sports being played at
the ParaPan Am games. There are two different versions: 7-a-side and 5-a-side.
Football 7-a side is played by athletes with cerebral palsy and other
neurological disorders, including stroke and traumatic brain injury. It is
similar to football played by able-bodied athletes, with a few modifications.
The game is extremely fast paced and physically demanding with 2 halves that
last 30 minutes.
Football 5-a-side is a fast-paced sport for athletes with a
visual impairment, and shows off their exceptional ability in dribbling,
control and execution of powerful shots.The field of play is smaller than the
original football field, with boards on each side. Teams are made up of five
players, including the goalkeeper who is the only sighted player on the
team.The ball is equipped with a noise-making device to allow players to locate
it by sound. The roots of football run deep; although the evolution of the
sport for athletes with a visual impairment wasn’t part of the Games until 2004
when it made its debut at the Athens Paralympic Games.
--Alicia Peterson
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| Ms. Peterson at Niagara Falls |
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| Ms. Alicia Peterson and Ms. Michaela Clay won the bronze medal during rehearsals. Congratulations! |
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