Triathlon brings together able-bodied, disabled athletes

[Guest guest]

Triathlon brings together able-bodied, disabled athletes

By JENNIFER DEAN

http://www.press-enterprise.com/news/FEATURES_possabilities.html

'In her mind, there are no limitations. It's the perfect mentality, "

Haoi Luong said in describing Abbey Umali, of Redlands.

Umali, 9, will sing the national anthem at the 6th Annual

PossAbilities Triathlon on April 27. She has a type of Charcot-Marie

Tooth disease that leaves her with coordination and balance issues,

along with muscle weakness. She walks with the help of leg braces.

Luong is program coordinator of PossAbilities at Loma

University Medical Center East Campus. He said Umali's mindset fits

perfectly with the program's message.

The goal of the program is to help disabled people deal with

adjustments and find their places in the community, Luong said. " We

work with all disabilities, we don't discriminate. " The yearly

triathlon provides a great opportunity for people to work toward

something positive, he said.

" We have one amazing story after another, " Luong said of

PossAbilities members, patients and people like Umali.

A Changed Life

During last year's triathlon, Beaumont resident Dan Davies, 25, was

lying in a hospital bed recovering from a serious car accident.

While responding to a traffic accident for the San Bernardino Police

Department, a dog ran out in front of his car and when he swerved to

avoid it, his car flipped. He woke to find his spine severed.

Davies is now a paraplegic with no feeling below the waste. And,

he'll be participating in his first triathlon.

" I've done running events in the past, swam in high school and done a

lot of mountain biking, " he said.

But this will be his first competition after the accident.

He will use a three-wheel racing wheelchair and an arm-powered bike

for the running and biking portions of the triathlon. " I'll swim on

my own, " he said.

The people at PossAbilities are passionate about what they do, Davies

said. " It's a very warm environment for a disabled person. " The

program members work hard to get disabled people back into society,

he said.

Davies' dad, Rick, will compete alongside his son in his first

triathlon as well.

" He was so inspired by the people at PossAbilities, he decided to try

it, too, " Davies said.

The Triathlon

The premise was to commit both able bodies and disabled bodies to the

event, Luong said.

" It is a sprint triathlon in conjunction with a 5k run, walk and

roll. ... We attract a lot of the best competitive athletes in the

area, " he said.

A few names from the past are:

Last year's winner was Swail, an Olympic water-polo medalist in

2000.

The year before it was McGlone, the 2006 Ironman 70.3-mile

triathlon world champion.

Before that? Jim Vance, 2005 International Triathlon Union world

champion and 2004 Xterra amateur triathlon world champion.

" What's great is that we have world and national champions racing

right next to regional champions right next to moms pushing

strollers, right next to disabled persons, " Luong said.

In addition to the grown-up competitions, there is a kids' triathlon

category and a tiny tots' tricycle triathlon, so everyone can

participate.

" Encompassing the entire community is what's important to us, " Luong

said.