Houston Parks and Recreation announced today that it will be hosting a Gateway to Gold talent identification event on Sunday, November 10 in conjunction with U.S. Paralympics, a division of the United States Olympic Committee, to help discover athletes with Paralympic eligible impairments who could compete for Team USA in the future. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center.
The Gateway to Gold talent identification event will introduce individuals with Paralympic eligible impairments, with an emphasis on high school and college-aged athletes and veterans with physical disabilities, to the Paralympic sports of cycling, sitting volleyball, swimming, track & field and wheelchair basketball with hopes of identifying hopefuls for future U.S. Paralympic Teams. As a part of the free clinic, prospective athletes will be tested on a variety of skills that can help determine their aptitude for Paralympic sport.
“The U.S. Paralympic Team strives to be the best in the world. But we cannot get to the top of the podium without the help of our community partners like Houston Parks and Reaction,” said Charlie Huebner, USOC chief of Paralympics. “With Houston Parks and Recreation’s help in hosting this Gateway to Gold talent identification clinic, U.S. Paralympics might find the next great Paralympic champion in your backyard.”
U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer and two-time U.S. Paralympian Casey Tibbs (San Antonio, Texas) will assist with the sports sessions, answer questions, and share information about elite training, competition and the Paralympic Movement.
Tibbs is a below-the-knee amputee who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident in 2001. At the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games, he won silver in the pentathlon and gold in the men’s 4x100m relay. In Beijing in 2008 he captured gold in the 4 x 100m relay and a bronze in the long jump.
Gateway to Gold talent identification events are being held throughout the country. For registration information on the Gateway to Gold event, visit Gateway to Gold or call Kallece Quinn at (719)866-2088. Participation is free.
Launched in 2013, Gateway to Gold is the new U.S. Paralympics initiative for identifying and recruiting Paralympic eligible athletes who show an ability to compete in the future at an elite level. Gateway to Gold participants go through sport specific tests and evaluations to determine if they are ready for the next level of opportunity in Paralympic sport.
This release was provided to SwimSwam.
