Democrat and Chronicle 06/23/2013
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Democrat and Chronicle
Page : D01
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Steve Bradley Lead Local Editor/Sports (585) 258-2569
[email protected]
SBradleyDC
Inside
Going
Solo
BRUCE BENNETT/ AP
Blackhawks take 3-2 lead
Patrick Kane scored two goals and
Chicago added an empty-netter as it
beat Boston 3-1 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. 3D
Leading Off
UFC no fan of LeBron
LeBron James may be an NBA
champ, but UFC fighter Chael Sonnen
is no fan.
“He asked the UFC
for tickets for my fight
against Anderson Silva,”
Sonnen told BleacherReport.com. “We sit the
guy front row, and all
through the night he
snubs our fans. He’s a
guest in our house and
he refuses to sign any
James
autographs or take any
pictures ...
“I had a UFC employee tell me he
saw a mother wheel her handicapped
child up to him to get a picture. LeBron took the wheelchair, wheeled it
out of the way and kept walking.”
So is Sonnen ever going to challenge LeBron in the ring?
“No challenge. It’s happening. Next
time I see him he will shake that little
boy’s hand, even if I have to break his
arm off and take it to the boy.”
Theismann a Redskins guy
Former Redskins QB Joe Theismann told The Washington Post he wore his
uniform in D.C. with
pride.
“I can just tell you
that when I put that
uniform on, and I put
that helmet on with the
Redskin logo on it, I felt
like I was representing
Theisman
more than the Washington Redskins: I was representing the
great Native American nations that
exist in this country.”
Life as a champion
Among the top 10 questions people
ask U.S. Open champ Justin Rose, as
he told CBS-TV’s Letterman audience:
» “Ever get tired of Jim Nantz
whispering?”
» “Would you let President Putin
hold your trophy?”
Five things
you may not
know about the
United States
goalkeeper
Jeff DiVeronica
Staff writer
In Abby Wambach, the United States has
the best finisher in women’s soccer history,
and the forward from Pittsford will be at Sahlen’s Stadium at 4:05 p.m. Sunday when her
hometown Western New York Flash play the
Seattle Reign in a National Women’s Soccer
League game.
But Hope Solo will also be there. The 31year-old plays for Seattle, and even if you don’t
like the drama that seems to always surround her,
Solo usually deserves the attention because she just
might be the best goalkeeper in women’s soccer history.
Much like Wambach, 33, one item is absent from Solo’s
resume that could solidify her No. 1 status – a World
Cup. So, Solo has her sights set on the 2015 Cup in Canada, too.
After finally replacing Briana Scurry Solo won
Olympic gold in 2008 and last summer. That matches
Scurry, 41, who won gold in 1996 and 2004. But Scurry
owns a World Cup. She was in goal during the 1999
World Cup run that ended with Brandi Chastain’s jersey-shedding penalty kick. The U.S. has gone 0-and-3
since. Solo trails only Scurry in the U.S. record book for
goalie appearances (173-159), starts (136-130), wins (133103) and shutouts (71-66)
See SOLO, Page 2D
NINE
Time to chow
Dwight Perry of The Seattle Times:
“So, what’s on the menu for next
year’s U.S. Open champion’s dinner?
“Phil Mickelson doesn’t care. He’s
just there for the seconds.”
Solo has made nine saves on 11 shots
taken against her club through this year.
Of note: Made her debut with the U.S.
Women’s National Team on April 5, 2000
against Iceland and earned her first
shutout. ... Was starting goalie on 2008
and 2012 Olympic teams. ... Appeared
on “Dancing With The Stars” in 2011,
advancing to the semifinals.
— Compiled by Bob Chavez
TV’s Best Bet
Mets at Phillies, 1:35 p.m., SNY: A
chance to see New York phenom Matt
Harvey pitch.
Coming Up
Riga’s Jenn Suhr goes for her 14th
national pole vault title. In Monday’s
Democrat and Chronicle.
NEWS
TIPS
Call (585)
258-2252 or
(800)
767-7539
from
outside
Monroe
County.
USA TODAY SPORTS PHOTOS
Chalmers is a true inspiration
You would think that after pushing
his racing wheelchair for 71 consecutive
days, through 14 states and a total of
3,300 miles, Team USA Paralympian
Ryan Chalmers would slow down and
take a break.
Fact is, his epic “Push Across America” campaign to raise money and
awareness for those with disabilities
was just the first leg in a journey of
inspiring others that has no end.
Just days after his trip that began
April 6 near the Staples Center in Los
Copyright © 2013 Democrat and Chronicle 06/23/2013
Leo
Roth
SPORTS COLUMNIST
[email protected]
Angeles had ended in New York City’s
iconic Central Park on June 15, Chalmers, 24, of Churchville was headed to
Paris to watch this weekend’s 24 Hours
of LeMans race car event.
American driver Scott Tucker, whom
Chalmers met in Kansas City, invited
him to be his guest. The endurance driver clicking with the endurance wheelchair athlete.
“You can’t turn down an invitation
like that,” Chalmers said.
He’ll be back in New York in time to
tape a segment with CNN’s Sanjay Gupta on Wednesday, then it’s on to a homecoming at Frontier Field on Thursday
for a celebration in his honor aptly laSee ROTH, Page 6D
June 24, 2013 4:52 pm / Powered by TECNAVIA
SPORTS
Democrat and Chronicle 06/23/2013
DemocratandChronicle.com
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Roth
Continued from Page 1D
ne
4:0523
PM
ttle reign
RECIEVE
CKETS
E GLENN
e 30th
beled “Born to Roll,” organized by his friends at
SportsNet and Rochester
Rehabilitation, where
Ryan got his start in adaptive sports.
“I haven’t had the time
to comprehend the whole
thing; it’s just been go, go,
go since finishing last
Saturday,” said Chalmers,
who was born with spina
bifida, robbing him full
use of his legs. “It’s definitely bittersweet that it’s
over after thinking about
it for so long. But it was
fun. I met some great
people, raised awareness,
and now I’m looking forward to talking about the
whole experience.”
Chalmers has entered
what he calls “post-push
mode” where he’ll be
talking to groups across
the country about the
audacious idea of crossing
America in a humanpowered, three-wheeled
device. It was the brainchild of friend Roger
Muller, founder of StayFocused, an organization
that teaches physically
challenged folks how to
scuba dive.
Of course, Ryan’s story
of perseverance and positive thinking is timeless.
It will resonate for years,
especially once a film
crew that accompanied
him completes its documentary.
Heck, Ryan Chalmers
made this look easy. Talk
about a roll model.
“There was soreness
and pain but I never wanted to quit,” said Ryan,
who was determined to
meet his 71-day goal. “It
was tough. But we had
such great support along
the way. That really
helped me.”
Each day, people
leaned out car windows to
cheer as they honked
their horns. In cities,
children waved from their
yards while cyclists, runners and other wheelchair
Copyright © 2013 Democrat and Chronicle 06/23/2013
Ryan Chalmers, 24, pushes his racing wheelchair across the
Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York City. PHOTO COURTESY
OF PARKER FEIERBACH
athletes
would pedal,
run or push
alongside
him to lend
support.
He battled dust
storms in
Chalmers
Death Valley, desert heat in Nevada,
frigid cold in Colorado,
unrelenting wind and rain
in the Great Plains and
Midwest, and traffic (of
course) back East.
He suffered 14 flat
tires and a broken steering stem that a welder had
to fix. It was 2 mph up
hills. And 65 mph down
them.
He nearly flipped his
chair coming through
Wolf Creek Pass in The
Rockies. He had a staredown with an angry rogue
bull in Illinois.
Back in Churchville,
Linda and Gregg Chalmers kept track of their
son’s progress via Facebook and Twitter, worried
sick but uplifted by the
hundreds of postings
from people Ryan was
affecting along the way.
When Ryan reached
New York, he crossed the
Verrazano-Narrows
Bridge (authorities bent
the rules barring nonmotorized vehicles), then
over the Brooklyn Bridge
into Manhattan and on to
Central Park to a hero’s
welcome, all with an escort from the NYPD.
Breaking a red tape at
the finish line, Chalmers
was greeted by about 20
family members and
friends, hundreds of supporters and a throng of
media. Mayor Michael
Bloomberg’s office had a
BORN TO ROLL
What: Celebration in
honor of Ryan Chalmers’
wheelchair journey.
When/where: Thursday,
June 27 from 6 to 8 p.m.,
Frontier Field.
Details: Reception, video
highlights, food, music,
proclamations from mayor
and county executive.
Event is free. A $15 donation for SportsNet/Rochester Rehab is suggested.
Call (585) 271-1894. Go to
rochesterrehab.
givezooks.com
citation waiting.
Among those at the
finish line was a 5-yearold with spina bifida that
Ryan met in Cincinnati.
Hunter Holbrook was so
inspired his mom drove
him to the finish line.
Watching the emotional
scene unfold left Gregg
and Linda Chalmers overcome with pride.
“That really brought
home what Ryan had set
out to achieve, and that
was bringing awareness
to those with disabilities
who are out there, to not
let anything stand in the
way of accomplishing
great things,” Gregg Chalmers said. “I know in his
heart that’s what he meant
to do and he could feel a
sense of accomplishment
as he crossed the finish
line.”
With each mile, Ryan
Chalmers got stronger,
moved along by calloused
hands and a cause larger
than himself. It’s only
fitting that the kid born to
roll now has the red carpet rolled out for him.
June 24, 2013 4:46 pm / Powered by TECNAVIA