Victoria Arlen Releases Statement; Father Writes Letter

Victoria Arlen, the swimmer who has been banned from the IPC World Championships this week, has released a statement on the subject of her banishment. Arlen took the news with maturity, saying that she still holds “the utmost respect” for the IPC and the Paralympic movement, which she could easily be quite soured on at this point.

I’m so heartbroken with what has happened. I feel numb and completely shocked with the turn of events. To have train so hard this past year and come so far only to be humiliated and targeted by the IPC for reasons unknown baffles me. Being penalized for maybe having a glimmer of hope of one day being able to walk again is beyond sad. What message are we giving the world when we don’t encourage hope for disabled individuals? I always choose hope and encourage hope no matter the circumstance. As it stands today unfortunately I am disabled and that won’t change in the near future. As much as I’d like it to it is not a reality. To be told I’m ineligible only days before World Championships is beyond ridiculous. Being up in Montreal only to have to head home is devastating. The definite reasons given to make the ineligible decision come to pass were not clear and do not seem fair.  Although there is not much I can do I just pray for answers and a reason for all of this. Everything does happen for a reason and sometimes these reasons are hard to fathom and explain. I continue to have the utmost respect for the Paralympic movement and the IPC and hope that this will not happen to anyone else. Nobody should have to go through this. Lastly I want to thank everyone for all of the incredible support and love. It truly means so much! Also, a special thank you to everyone on Team USA for wrapping their arms around me and supporting and fighting for me. Go USA!

Additionally, we have been sent a copy of a letter that has been sent by her father Larry Arlen (remember that Victoria, despite being a World Record holder, is still a minor) sent to Sir Phillip Craven and Xavier Gonzalez, the President and CEO of the International Paralympic Committee, pleading their case.

August 10, 2013

To: Sir Phillip Craven, President and Mr. Xavier Gonzalez, Chief Executive Officer

From: A Grieving Arlen Family

SUBJECT: Victoria Arlen

 

Dear Sirs:

I am writing this letter to you and your staff as a torn apart father and fellow human being. Our family has been torn apart physically and mentally again by letting our daughter try and compete in a Para swimming event. I am asking you to please review Victoria’s medical records and speak with her doctor personally, so you and your staff get the correct determination of Victoria’s eligibility to compete in the 2013 Para World Swimming Championships and any other IPC swimming event.

This all started last year when our USOC was informed that Victoria was one of a group of athletes that needed to be reclassified before the Paralympics last summer. We submitted her medical records as requested and had Victoria show up at her designated time to be reclassified.  What happened after that became our family’s worst nightmare. Your classifiers arrived and looked at Victoria briefly and then left the room. They did not return until over two hours later and ruled her ineligible and left. Our USOC representative requested a reason and they refused to speak to her.  After that is was the worst experience our family has ever had to go through (And we have been through hell and back trying to save our Victoria). All the newspapers kept printing lies and hearsay about our daughter… If you have any children picture in your mind about reading and watching lies about your child, never mind we were in a foreign country. Our USOC appealed and was quickly denied, again with no reasoning.

Finally we were granted a third party arbitration hearing and got the answers we were looking for. Your classifiers deemed her ineligible due to her muscle spasms in her hands. The issue here is it was in the over 100 pages of medical records we had submitted.  A reclassification was finally performed which lasted almost three hours and it was concluded that Victoria was an S6, but should be an S5.  Unfortunately, the S5’s had already started competing. In fact one of your classifiers was over heard by our US Representative and my daughter asking his colleague “why are we challenging this, she is more of an S5 than a S6”.

Victoria then proceeded to compete like a professional with no ill will, but showing the people in the world her love of swimming and being able to compete again in sports.

It was determined and agreed upon by all parties that Victoria would need to be reclassified before this year’s World Championships.  Our USOC requested numerous times at different events to get her reclassified, but they were always denied. Finally, your people determined that Victoria would once again need to be reclassified at the World Championships, another major event. We also had Victoria revaluated at John Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, MD by Dr. Michael Levy.  They are the best in the world for the treatment of Trans Verse Myelitis. Dr. Levy discovered not only did Victoria HAVE Transverse Myelitis, but also another neurological disorder known as Adem. When our report was submitted your medical staff totally misconstrued Doctor Levy’s report and then the nightmare of last year started all over again. Your staff deemed Victor ineligible based on the misconstrued idea she may not be permanently disabled.  We are hoping there is a chance she can walk in some capacity, but as of this present time she is disabled. *sentence redacted for privacy reason*. We were scheduled and prepared for her reclassification yesterday at 2:00pm, but that was cancelled, as your staff felt they had everything they needed to wipe out an entire year of training to an athlete that is a great ambassador to the Para Swimming Sport. This was based on your medical staffs OPINION of our Doctor’s report. Wouldn’t it be justified to the athlete and the IPC to have her reclassified as agreed upon by all the parties involved? The appointment was already in place. I have a real hard time letting your inexperienced staff, when it comes to the details of Transverse Myelitis make a prognosis and decision on my daughter.  Most of the world’s top medical institutions know nothing about Transverse Myelitis. In fact, if any of these major medical institutions we frequented knew anything about this disease at the beginning of her illness, she could have been cured by a double dose of steroids.  Unfortunately, by the time her disease was determined the damage was already done.

We also feel that that there is a person or persons that have had Victoria not competing in this year’s World Championships before this unprofessional determination was concluded.

One fact is if you watch your IPC video on the upcoming World Championships, there is no mention of Victoria.  She had a great Para Olympic performance at last year’s Para Olympics. In fact, there is a scene showing Ellie Simmonds and the narrator asking “who will challenge Ellie this year”? The Ellie Simmonds and Victoria Arlen races were the most publicized swimming events and the races proved that. Also, a few weeks ago before any reports were submitted our local news station emailed your staff to get a formal schedule, as they were sending a TV crew to cover Victoria’s races (What a great promotion for the Para Swimming sports coverage in the United States. Which we all know lacks any kind of significant coverage of any Para Sporting Events). Anyway, one of your staff members emailed them back stating that Victoria Arlen would not be competing in this year’s World Championships. We have a copy of this email if you need it. When your staff was contacted by our USOC, they were caught back pedaling stating that they read the wrong schedule.  Honestly, how many different Swimming World Championship schedules do you have?

As you can see this paints a very dark picture regarding some person or persons trying and currently not letting Victoria Arlen compete again.  There was also an article printed in the Montreal newspaper stating Ellie Simmonds better be ready for a seasoned Victoria Arlen in this year’s World Championships. You are cheating the public to another fine Para Swimming Rivalry and fantastic races!!!!!

Victoria is a great ambassador for the Para Swimming family and the total Para games. She swims for her love of the sport and God.  She doesn’t have any of the huge sponsors and endorsement deals that Ellie has and quite frankly we aren’t interested in. What angers and saddens me is that my wife and daughter have sacrificed thousands of hours commuting to Victoria’s workout facility which is almost an hour away seven days a week. Now it is determined based on your staff misreading our medical records that all this work, effort and love of the sport of swimming is for not? You can see that this is totally unfair to Victoria or any other athlete put in this predicament.

Again, I am begging you as a father and fellow human being to let Victoria be fairly classified and let her compete in this year’s World Championships.

We are a very good family and not the suing kind, but I have had 4 international law firms contact me suggesting we sue the IPC and demand a formal investigation for this current situation and mostly last year’s fiasco. In fact, last year our USOC department asked us not to talk to the press last year in London and we didn’t. What frustrated us the most is our own USOC didn’t demand an investigation as to the horror Victoria and our family were put thru in London last summer. In fact, we never heard another word from anyone. Picture your child laying there head in your lap outside of the Olympic Village last year, as she was crying her eyes out asking why are they doing this to me, all I want to do is swim. Meanwhile all the other athletes from all over the world were coming and going laughing and really enjoying their Paralympic moment.

Lastly, please find it in your heart, but mostly in the role you serve to promote fairness and grant Victoria a reclassification, so she can compete and give the world another great week of races and salvage the Arlen families broken hearts!

Thanks for listening and feel free to call me at the phone number below.

Sincerely,

 

Larry Arlen

Phone number redacted

Several politicians have become involved in this case, including most recently New Hampshire governor Maggie Hassaan, who threw her hat into the ring this afternoon by writing a letter to the International Paralympic Committee. This is an especially significant voice as Hassaan has a disabled teenage son and is a graduate of the “Institute on Disabilities Leadership” series.

August 12, 2013

Sir Philip Craven, President,

Mr. Xavier Gonzalez, Chief Executive Officer

International Paralympic Committee

Dear President Craven & Mr. Gonzalez:

I would like to join New Hampshire’s United States Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte in expressing dismay over the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to rule Exeter, New Hampshire, native Victoria Arlen as ineligible to compete in the International Paralympic Committee World Swimming Championships in Montreal, Canada.

Though paralyzed from the waist down seven years ago, Victoria has demonstrated unsurpassed perseverance and determination in becoming a world-record-setting and gold-medal-winning Paralympic swimmer. Through her hard work and dedication in rising above adversity, Victoria has inspired many in the State of New Hampshire and throughout the country.

Denying Victoria the opportunity to compete in an event for which she has trained diligently, and at the last possible moment, is unconscionable and patently unfair. Victoria is precisely the type of athlete the International Paralympic Committee should be working to promote and support, a shining example that a world of opportunity exists for all those living with a disability.

Moreover, the basis for ruling Victoria ineligible – the possibility that she might one day be able to resume use of her legs – is nothing short of disgraceful, undermining the very values of courage, inspiration, determination and equality that the International Paralympic Committee aims to promote. Our goal must always be to foster the full and equal inclusion of all those who experience disabilities.

None of us knows what the future of medical science holds. Each day, new cures and treatments are being developed to address a wide range of conditions. There may come a day when paralysis is a thing of the past, and as a society we should aspire to achieve that goal, while ensuring that those who experience disabilities today are able to experience the high quality of life they deserve. To deny Victoria the opportunity to compete based on the hope of a future cure is to deny every Paralympian the ability to aspire to whatever goals and dreams they might choose.

As the mother of a son who experiences severe physical disabilities, including being unable to walk, I understand the importance of encouraging our society to fully include, accept and value every member of our communities as they are. I believe that ideal can be reached without discouraging the goals and aspirations of each individual.

I strongly encourage the International Paralympic Committee to revisit their misguided ruling and to reinstate Victoria Arlen so she may resume her record-breaking Paraylmpic career that has inspired so many.