Latest / OneLegUpAlex Media / Ep. 500 of OneLegUpAlex Sports Dedicated to The Nassau County Games For Physically Challenged Empowering Adaptive Athletes 6-10-26

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Ep. 500 of OneLegUpAlex Sports Dedicated to The Nassau County Games For Physically Challenged Empowering Adaptive Athletes 6-10-26 · OneLegUpAlex Media

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: All right, well here on One lag Up Alex Media.
• 0:03
  Speaker 2: It's the five hundredth episode of One Look Up Alex Sports.
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: We went from the Sports Hour to One look Up
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: Alex Sports in quite a few years. Our very first
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: guest on this version of the show was Brian Hokee.
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: And for episode five hundred, I want to turn my
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: attention to forty years of the Games for the Physically Challenged,
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: a place I grew up in from age five to
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: twenty one and continue to volunteer. And we just had
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: our fortieth games recently, and I want to give you
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: some sounds.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: Of folks that have been there really for almost all
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: forty years.
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: They got to stop by and talk with me at
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: One look Up Alex Media about their experiences at the games,
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: and then you hear from more familiar voices throughout this podcast.
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: My five hundred episode is dedicated to the Nasau County
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: Games Physically Challenged and of course the Empire say Games
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: for the Physically Challenged, all wrapped in one. All right,
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: I'm your MoMA that Jordan forty anyway, what's the thing
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: for you to see?
• 1:04
  Speaker 3: Four years of these games puts in these games in
• 1:08
  Speaker 3: a lot of sh I've.
• 1:11
  Speaker 4: Watched all these athletes.
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: Grow up a.
• 1:13
  Speaker 3: Boot here is all the gambling issue.
• 1:16
  Speaker 4: And help him with the young kids.
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: I've made a great number of ideality right and you
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: said and last time.
• 1:24
  Speaker 4: I watched him true up and it's been u.
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: My whole family involved, you know.
• 1:30
  Speaker 4: Now he was it's unbull lives.
• 1:32
  Speaker 3: It's a big fun ball lize. I don't know what
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: to say as oh, you.
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: Know I part of these forty years was the game
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: with the.
• 1:40
  Speaker 5: Physically giant challenge.
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: Irish were a new team and he would bring guys
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: and I only n that was a huge part of
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: the games and that was a huge fund the d
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: S year until weeks.
• 1:50
  Speaker 3: So just enjoyed anymore age playing.
• 1:53
  Speaker 5: In the whole thing.
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: So we can't have all things.
• 1:55
  Speaker 6: Every travel that but wait would and we throw.
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: It some of the time.
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: Yes, two thousand and I went to our final year,
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: but follow about a fixture of the game.
• 2:06
  Speaker 6: Always love catching up with you and.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: We love you.
• 2:08
  Speaker 6: You know, I'm still thinking you.
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: We we get my family spending it actually anyway, my
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: sults And is running the food.
• 2:17
  Speaker 5: Truckle Triss patrish out sparks from Winsution sake things calling
• 2:23
  Speaker 5: new York.
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: The next nas Margaret's involved, but she is about she
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: was a New York tell us all last week young things.
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: When John has to jorgs or no one, I love it.
• 2:36
  Speaker 6: Yeah, calls the same one not really work. We'll just
• 2:40
  Speaker 6: hear a Qui'm like that family.
• 2:42
  Speaker 5: It is more big family.
• 2:44
  Speaker 7: And tasty tactic.
• 2:46
  Speaker 3: Story is now willing my grands cology and another you're
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: a childre and my breath Gray Villa.
• 2:53
  Speaker 8: One of the most important.
• 2:54
  Speaker 4: Things of the people we met, and all the athletes,
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: at all the athletes, and yeah we were to hear
• 3:03
  Speaker 4: of a.
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: Kids and I bet you under once people stopped me.
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: Look at your dad.
• 3:16
  Speaker 6: Thanks you for saving the games.
• 3:18
  Speaker 5: Oh yeah seven years ago.
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: Now, yes, I've been so big.
• 3:24
  Speaker 8: Yeah basketball and I'm what's going.
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: On right now?
• 3:29
  Speaker 6: But the enjoyed that little bus that is so wifey.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: Well, Bala, we love you and thanks to I'll.
• 3:35
  Speaker 6: Being loveable of you to thank you, thank you, thank.
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: Thank you so much. All right, I'm here with Edith. Oh,
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: I'm here with Enid Freeman Hobstra professor, but also the
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: voice of the games.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: Have you ever ever come to the game's physically challenge
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: and you're east Side of the track or west side
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: of the track that is Enid. What's it like to
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: be here? Have you been all here all forty years?
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: Yes?
• 4:00
  Speaker 9: This is my fortieth year here and I plan on
• 4:02
  Speaker 9: coming back as long as I can.
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: And what's it like to announce all these kids and
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: then seeing it on the Friday, especially it it's so
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: busy here?
• 4:09
  Speaker 9: Well, the thing is, It's funny thing is that a
• 4:11
  Speaker 9: lot of students that graduated from pasture as physical education
• 4:14
  Speaker 9: in majors became teachers and they teach a lot of
• 4:17
  Speaker 9: these students in the schools in which they've gotten jobs.
• 4:20
  Speaker 9: And to watch the students that I have now become
• 4:23
  Speaker 9: experts in coaching and in teaching these two these children
• 4:27
  Speaker 9: to do all these sports, it's amazing to watch them.
• 4:31
  Speaker 5: Now.
• 4:31
  Speaker 6: What drew you to the Games forty years ago?
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: That's a funny question.
• 4:34
  Speaker 9: I was thinking about that on my way over here quick,
• 4:37
  Speaker 9: people said how did you get into the Games?
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: I saw a poster and I said, this looks like.
• 4:42
  Speaker 6: It would be good on my resume, and I said
• 4:44
  Speaker 6: I should try it.
• 4:45
  Speaker 9: And when I tried it, I loved it, and I kept.
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: Coming and then I had to become an announcer for all.
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  Speaker 9: I was an assistant announcer the first year I was here,
• 4:52
  Speaker 9: and then the man who became the announcer decided not
• 4:54
  Speaker 9: to come back, so I became the head announcer.
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: That's just said, well we're here on the Saturday, and then,
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: I mean, these days always means so much and it's
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: always great to see you.
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: That's great to say you all the time with us,
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: Sarah Willga Blex Media and I remember you from wherever.
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: It's nice to see you again this year.
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: All right, Amia with a very long time the love
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: volunteer Donna. You used to dress up as a clown
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: around your tell you what's.
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: It like to be here forty years of the games?
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: I mean, when did you start with us here? And
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: what's this like for every year? Well, thirty seven years
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: ago I was pressed up though at you.
• 5:27
  Speaker 8: Count my niece and nep Is always said, Aunt Donald,
• 5:31
  Speaker 8: you don't have to be pressed up to be as
• 5:32
  Speaker 8: a guy. Always it's fun, but holping these kids are
• 5:37
  Speaker 8: the most bewarding, most godly. Hey, it's my right and
• 5:43
  Speaker 8: God or when he is giving me and meeting this gentleman,
• 5:48
  Speaker 8: but he's real boy. I'm seeing him grow up. I'm
• 5:52
  Speaker 8: seeing all the other cakes grow up.
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: It's beautiful.
• 5:56
  Speaker 8: And as you know, King Colin help sponsor and now
• 6:00
  Speaker 8: I work for King Commons onwinal six years. I'm not
• 6:02
  Speaker 8: only am I representing my It doesn't all right, but
• 6:06
  Speaker 8: he call it.
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: You know what. I love it and we love you,
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: Donna for sure.
• 6:11
  Speaker 10: I thank you.
• 6:11
  Speaker 6: He so me for everything over the last years.
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: And I've been around thirty years, so it's amazing. Thanks
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: for having Donna. Here's the year fifty nine.
• 6:20
  Speaker 11: There you go, Park, I hit his streaming f everybody's
• 6:25
  Speaker 11: yelling us outre.
• 6:27
  Speaker 6: So I gotta go see what's happening.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: Here's this little guy that is big and he's pumping
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: around and he finishes and everybody's cheering. I just got
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: to come down to the.
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  Speaker 6: Game for the physically challenged.
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  Speaker 4: He's day brought it down.
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  Speaker 5: Next thing I know, he's up on the stairs and
• 6:42
  Speaker 5: I'm standing out here with.
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  Speaker 1: The grass thirty ever since that that was thirty.
• 6:47
  Speaker 4: Years ago, and we love him.
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  Speaker 2: And you've been here forty years, right, we're here in
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: forty years from me.
• 6:52
  Speaker 6: I we love him my years and one a well
• 6:55
  Speaker 6: for him. This family guy's cheer out, has his family.
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  Speaker 2: The Empire Say Games Physically Challenge now in Nasac County.
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: Games for the Physically Challenge was founded by the one
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: the only Susan Gordon Ryan and in conjunction with NBTY.
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: I got a chance to catch up with Susan in
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: the twenty eighth year of the Games twelve years ago.
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: What do you think about this? We're gonna talk about this.
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: We're gonna how it all started.
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  Speaker 4: Well, we started the Games in after the Paralympics.
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  Speaker 6: And I have to say every and.
• 7:28
  Speaker 12: And there's you know, competition for children that are physically
• 7:31
  Speaker 12: challenged between ages of five and twenty one and they
• 7:34
  Speaker 12: do track, fil swimming, table tennis.
• 7:36
  Speaker 4: And basketball.
• 7:38
  Speaker 6: And I have to say, every single year, I just
• 7:41
  Speaker 6: look forward to this.
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  Speaker 1: It's a big.
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  Speaker 12: Family people, you know, even that a volunteered have moved
• 7:46
  Speaker 12: out of state, they come back to these events and
• 7:49
  Speaker 12: there's just always this wonderful spirit of camaraderie and fun
• 7:54
  Speaker 12: and you know, really love It's like the Games.
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: They'll love built.
• 7:57
  Speaker 4: I mean, it's just a lot of fun.
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: And how does it real? And all these spurn support
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: sporting us on in our course for Lauria. Yes, I
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: love it, I love it.
• 8:06
  Speaker 7: I think you know, you can see behind us take
• 8:08
  Speaker 7: there's so many different students that have come from different
• 8:11
  Speaker 7: schools in as many and definitely job is to cheer
• 8:14
  Speaker 7: on what you're doing right now, which is exactly what
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  Speaker 7: makes it all work.
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  Speaker 5: That he the kids job.
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  Speaker 8: Yeah, it's good games to the Book of the Road
• 8:22
  Speaker 8: went summer twenty twn.
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: But look, while that's gone to Bunny Boy, and I'm
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: really excite good.
• 8:26
  Speaker 6: All of the sport of und two.
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: On all of the responsors.
• 8:30
  Speaker 12: Well, the funding was jeopardized because the Empire State.
• 8:33
  Speaker 4: Dams were eliminated twenty state parks.
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  Speaker 7: Level and without any hesitation, a step up, that's that
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  Speaker 7: we're going to.
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: Keep the games.
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  Speaker 12: I will commit to as much as I can as
• 8:44
  Speaker 12: a host, Naser Canny, but we're going to need to raise.
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: Some other parks for this.
• 8:48
  Speaker 12: And this is what we're doing right now, and it's
• 8:50
  Speaker 12: being a tremendous success with the second.
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: Year on the rout all right after Mitchell Atletic on
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: Blood Song the Empire State Games Victory Challenge weekend, I'm
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: alas there.
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: Well, Susan come on. It was so awesome to see
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: her again.
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: She was very busy, as was Susan Maxwell and everybody
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: else at the fortieth anniversary celebration on Friday.
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: But it was so awesome to see everybody, even Miss Joy.
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: Who coached has not age has not changed one bit
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: since I was five years old, and that's just such
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: a compliment to her and her everlasting legendary run at
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: the Viscardi School and at the Game's physically challenged.
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: She was my very first coach.
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: And we'll hear from my other coach, Joe Solonica right
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: now about what the Games means to him.
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: I grew up on the Games.
• 9:40
  Speaker 11: I was there, you know, as an athlete for the
• 9:43
  Speaker 11: very first one, so I you know, in two thousand
• 9:46
  Speaker 11: and nine, you know me personally, that was the first
• 9:50
  Speaker 11: one I missed, either as an athlete, a volunteer or
• 9:53
  Speaker 11: a coach.
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: I've been to everyone except that one. And of course
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: now this year, Joe, I d put video, but I
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: definitely took pictures. It's amazing God's timing that you were
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: able to do this.
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: The speaker, you know, keynote last year, and I mean
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: that was that must have been, you know, chilling in
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: a way.
• 10:14
  Speaker 4: That was a great honor.
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: I mean, like I said, I grew up on these games.
• 10:18
  Speaker 13: I know what you know they've done for me, I
• 10:21
  Speaker 13: know what they mean to everybody.
• 10:23
  Speaker 11: And to be asked to be the keynote speaker at
• 10:26
  Speaker 11: last year's games, that was definitely a highlight in my life.
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: Joe.
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: People that have kids with disabilities that might be hearing
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: this for the first time, what's your encouragement to them
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: to not only do Viscardi, but in general get their
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: kid out and about what's your encouragement to them today?
• 10:43
  Speaker 13: Okay, as as a kid, if you're a kid looking,
• 10:47
  Speaker 13: you know, for a niche in life, right, basketball, specifically
• 10:52
  Speaker 13: wheelchair athletics is a great way to find yourself.
• 10:57
  Speaker 11: You know, you know, you're active, you're meeting people, you're
• 11:02
  Speaker 11: going places. That's all important stuff, especially for a person
• 11:06
  Speaker 11: with a disability, instead of you know, just kind of
• 11:10
  Speaker 11: hanging inside watching TV all day. It's important to be active.
• 11:15
  Speaker 4: And whatever you can do, you need to do, yes, and.
• 11:21
  Speaker 11: It's whatever kind of function you have, you need to
• 11:25
  Speaker 11: keep that right and athletics, whether it's playing basketball or
• 11:31
  Speaker 11: just cruising around the neighborhood in your wheelchair, that's important,
• 11:36
  Speaker 11: you know, because your body, you need your body needs exercise.
• 11:40
  Speaker 11: You know, you need to stay in shape and stay fit,
• 11:43
  Speaker 11: and those of us that have disabilities need to do
• 11:47
  Speaker 11: that even more because we are behind the eight ball
• 11:51
  Speaker 11: physically and medically. You know, so some things don't work
• 11:56
  Speaker 11: for us, so we need to take advantage of the
• 11:59
  Speaker 11: things that do work. As for Viscarti as a school,
• 12:05
  Speaker 11: it's a great place. It's fantastic. I mean, you know,
• 12:08
  Speaker 11: you get a great quality education. We are Regent's accredited doctor.
• 12:14
  Speaker 11: V had the idea that not only will you have
• 12:17
  Speaker 11: an education, but you'll have the opportunity to have therapies there,
• 12:21
  Speaker 11: whether it's physical therapy, occupational therapy, things like that. We
• 12:26
  Speaker 11: at Viscarti wanted to and he wanted to make it
• 12:31
  Speaker 11: as real a school as we can.
• 12:36
  Speaker 14: You know, so anything that the quote unquote able body
• 12:40
  Speaker 14: world does in school, we do, whether it's playing basketball,
• 12:45
  Speaker 14: going to prom, senior pass trips, student council.
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: I say, how much does sports cause remember in the nineties,
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: Jordan had this big world open.
• 12:58
  Speaker 6: Up because he was doing basketball.
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: He went overseas, did all that.
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: But sports for you and even the kids at HVS,
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: they get doors open when they join the sports program something.
• 13:07
  Speaker 4: Yes, yeah, absolutely, because wheelchair athletics is not very well known.
• 13:13
  Speaker 11: And if you're good at it right and in today's
• 13:16
  Speaker 11: world especially, I like the idea that you know, the
• 13:21
  Speaker 11: corporate world, the media is looking at a person with
• 13:25
  Speaker 11: a disability and not feeling sorry for them, but encouraging
• 13:30
  Speaker 11: them and congratulating them because whatever.
• 13:35
  Speaker 4: Obstacles they face.
• 13:37
  Speaker 11: They're overcoming by doing something athletically.
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: Now, it wouldn't be the Games for Physically Challenged without
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: Mama Pat Jordan and David Maxwell, the son of Susan Maxwell.
• 13:51
  Speaker 2: And here's this little candid conversation with them back in
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: twenty twenty two at NASA Community College on that Friday night.
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: With Maxwell welcome back, thank you very much, and Mama
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: Pat welcome back again.
• 14:04
  Speaker 4: Thank you very much.
• 14:05
  Speaker 6: We're so happy to be here, Mama Pat, real quick.
• 14:08
  Speaker 6: I know we only got five minutes because it's an effect.
• 14:11
  Speaker 6: But can you believe they let the two almost do
• 14:14
  Speaker 6: a podcast?
• 14:15
  Speaker 4: No, no, I don't believe that. They don't let us
• 14:17
  Speaker 4: hang out all day.
• 14:18
  Speaker 3: We're here at Mitchell Field and they put David on
• 14:20
  Speaker 3: one end and me on the other so we don't
• 14:23
  Speaker 3: cause any trouble.
• 14:24
  Speaker 4: But it was such a great day, Tomar great.
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: Yeah, tell us about the day.
• 14:28
  Speaker 5: First time back in three years, we had close to
• 14:31
  Speaker 5: nine hundred athletes, down a little bit from previous years,
• 14:34
  Speaker 5: but for I think for the first time back in
• 14:37
  Speaker 5: three years, we're happy with that number and we're looking to,
• 14:40
  Speaker 5: you know, keep it going.
• 14:42
  Speaker 6: And man, it's so good to see the familiar faces.
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: And now I'll go ahead.
• 14:46
  Speaker 3: It's really great and smiling face helby everybody who's just
• 14:51
  Speaker 3: so well with joyed to be able to be back
• 14:52
  Speaker 3: and enjoy the day. It was such the nicest thing
• 14:55
  Speaker 3: to see all these kids running around with the gold medals.
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: They weren't doing all our events, the running the shield events,
• 15:02
  Speaker 3: and tonight we're here in Yster Community College was swimming
• 15:06
  Speaker 3: and wheel.
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: Your basketball asking and ping pong and ping pong.
• 15:09
  Speaker 5: Yes, the unport day, getting the sport that Forrest Gump
• 15:13
  Speaker 5: I made famous matha fact I forgot.
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: I forgot.
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: My voice isn't good enough to give assurance to this.
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: But I want you guys who have been here all
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: day tell me about the COVID protocols. So let's say
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: a family wants to come out tomorrow.
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: Sure, talk about that.
• 15:27
  Speaker 5: Yeah, we're not we're not really doing too much because
• 15:30
  Speaker 5: it was all outdoors indoors.
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: If you feel like you need to wear a mask.
• 15:35
  Speaker 3: Group and we do have masks there at the registration desk, yes.
• 15:38
  Speaker 6: So you know, you know, weird we're doing things. You know, Alex,
• 15:43
  Speaker 6: you've been there in Mitchell Field.
• 15:44
  Speaker 5: It's well spaced out and everybody seems to be respecting
• 15:50
  Speaker 5: everybody else.
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: And it's just you know, let's well, we need to
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: worry about COVID, let's also enjoy the night, enjoy the.
• 15:58
  Speaker 6: And not worry so much about COVID.
• 16:01
  Speaker 3: But it's the time that we all got together again.
• 16:04
  Speaker 3: I mean, we have eight hundred and fifty kids.
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: Eight hundred and fifty kids.
• 16:07
  Speaker 3: I believe today we actually competing in all the Tafrini
• 16:10
  Speaker 3: guys tonight. As I say, they're doing the swimming, basketball
• 16:13
  Speaker 3: and all ping pong, table tennis, three table tennis. So
• 16:19
  Speaker 3: they like to work cable tennis better. But it was
• 16:21
  Speaker 3: it was just such a pleasure, plus the fact it
• 16:24
  Speaker 3: was great to see I haven't seen David in three
• 16:27
  Speaker 3: years except for what, tell.
• 16:29
  Speaker 4: Them what you thought about me?
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: That I'm getting a little one on the top of
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: that little little gray.
• 16:34
  Speaker 4: On the Yes, David got older. Two years were sorry.
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: I'm so glad I opened the microphone to both you
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: because it's been under it. This has been better than
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: when I'm on my myself. So thank you for making
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: us more fun.
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: You know, I'm seeing the kids smiles as everything every year,
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: but come on, three years not seeing each other it
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: made it even more special.
• 16:51
  Speaker 5: But it was.
• 16:52
  Speaker 4: It made it very special.
• 16:53
  Speaker 3: And the chaperones too, And of course being that I
• 16:56
  Speaker 3: had worked in the Biscotti School of those years, I
• 16:58
  Speaker 3: get to see a lot of the kids from Visconti
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: that I hadn't seen for three years, a lot of.
• 17:06
  Speaker 4: The a lot a lot of the graduates come back
• 17:08
  Speaker 4: to these games because they haven't seen one another either
• 17:11
  Speaker 4: in all this time. So it made it really.
• 17:13
  Speaker 3: This was of all the games I've been at thirty years,
• 17:18
  Speaker 3: this made it especially.
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: I want to ask Mom pat real quickly because I
• 17:22
  Speaker 2: see it on Facebook, but I want to hear your
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: pride and joy of having Mike Siwani as an Ohio
• 17:28
  Speaker 2: State college it's.
• 17:31
  Speaker 4: A little while ago to say he miss beeed. It's
• 17:33
  Speaker 4: all that's yes, We're very proud of him.
• 17:36
  Speaker 3: Higher State graduate assistant an offensive line. He's very happy
• 17:41
  Speaker 3: out there and we're hoping they'll keep him for another year.
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: When we went to Ireland, it was all about football.
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: Even back then. I remember that. I think he brought
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: one to Ireland with sure.
• 17:48
  Speaker 3: He always out of football. So we're hoping this works
• 17:51
  Speaker 3: out well. From this is what he truly wants.
• 17:53
  Speaker 4: To be a coach on the offensive line and some team.
• 17:57
  Speaker 4: Ohio State is a good school. They treat them very nicely.
• 18:01
  Speaker 4: And are we running at times?
• 18:02
  Speaker 12: No?
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: No, no, just keep talking, just keep talking. I love this.
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: Oh do you I do? I actually do?
• 18:07
  Speaker 4: David.
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: I got to ask you because since we last talked,
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: I discovered tonight you have a podcast I do Wednesday.
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: That's one hundred episodes, that hundred and four round one
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: hundred and four. Now, so tell us a little about that.
• 18:16
  Speaker 6: So Wednesdays with Wheels. You know my rigm ideal for
• 18:19
  Speaker 6: the podcast.
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: I give people who have never heard you before a
• 18:22
  Speaker 2: little bit of why you've created this podcast.
• 18:24
  Speaker 3: So I'm f tem it's with Wheels because David's innum,
• 18:27
  Speaker 3: because I'm in a wheelchair.
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: I forget my podcast. I do with video so people
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: can see me.
• 18:34
  Speaker 6: You can also get it on all the platforms. But
• 18:37
  Speaker 6: I do some local radio up in Rochester, New York.
• 18:40
  Speaker 5: I'm a Rochesterian and I'm on I'm on the radio
• 18:44
  Speaker 5: with a very famous local DJ, brother Weez, And during
• 18:50
  Speaker 5: the pandemic, I couldn't go into the studio and was
• 18:52
  Speaker 5: only on the show about fifteen minutes every Friday. So
• 18:56
  Speaker 5: I said, I need to start a podcast so that
• 18:58
  Speaker 5: I can keep this going, and Wednesdays with Wheels was born.
• 19:01
  Speaker 5: And my original idea for the podcast was to interview
• 19:05
  Speaker 5: people everyday people, because my thought is everybody has a story,
• 19:09
  Speaker 5: so I do that. I've met some people on TikTok
• 19:12
  Speaker 5: that I interviewed, but I also have interviewed some locally
• 19:17
  Speaker 5: famous Rochester people, cool sports people.
• 19:21
  Speaker 2: Rochester Red Wings are still up there right, Rochester Red
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: Wings are still up there.
• 19:24
  Speaker 6: They're playing well this season. So it's really just been.
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: A labor of love for me and a way did
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: I get the flat I come some more. It's a
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: good thing.
• 19:34
  Speaker 2: It's so easy to do a podcast from on remote.
• 19:36
  Speaker 2: You gotta start doing it and looking into that, because
• 19:38
  Speaker 2: this is pretty cool just to be here talking to
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: you guys fans.
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: It's so funny.
• 19:41
  Speaker 6: I did not know that I could do this, and
• 19:45
  Speaker 6: I knew I could do it, but I've never.
• 19:46
  Speaker 5: Done it, and I'm gonna do one tomorrow. I'm gonna
• 19:49
  Speaker 5: just walk around and talk to me. Yeah sometimes, and
• 19:53
  Speaker 5: we're gonna see how it turns out.
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: And your mom s maxwell puts effort into this each
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: and every year.
• 19:58
  Speaker 4: You can do it with that suit.
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: Come on, let's let's let's talk about a bit on it.
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: My mom is not.
• 20:03
  Speaker 6: My mom is very behind the scenes, does not want
• 20:05
  Speaker 6: the credit.
• 20:07
  Speaker 4: You deserve.
• 20:08
  Speaker 15: I will tell you that these three years were probably
• 20:11
  Speaker 15: the hardest on her, and even to go further back
• 20:16
  Speaker 15: and say that when the county took it over, and
• 20:18
  Speaker 15: we need to give thanks to the county, and every
• 20:22
  Speaker 15: year we give thanks to the county tech and Blakeman
• 20:25
  Speaker 15: for continuing the games.
• 20:27
  Speaker 6: But you know, because there was a time when we
• 20:31
  Speaker 6: the state wasn't going to do it.
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: We were a freak.
• 20:34
  Speaker 6: And I remember my mom coming to me and saying.
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: The state refuse to do it after a certain point.
• 20:38
  Speaker 6: For those that's what we call podcasts sounds Alex.
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: They just got some exact and I'm sure the state
• 20:44
  Speaker 2: refused to do it, and I can I say under Coomo,
• 20:46
  Speaker 2: let me just say it out that he cut the
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: budget like his first year.
• 20:49
  Speaker 4: And I saw this one that really started the games.
• 20:52
  Speaker 6: Yes, we didn't understand that show. We're very happy that
• 20:56
  Speaker 6: the county came in, stepped up and took it over.
• 20:59
  Speaker 3: Every year and our county executive we see today and
• 21:02
  Speaker 3: it'll be back tomorrow.
• 21:04
  Speaker 4: He said, he's come to the dinner.
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: Very cool from La say the name policeman?
• 21:09
  Speaker 6: Yes, right, yeah, absolutely, let me.
• 21:12
  Speaker 5: Can I flip the script go for tho because and
• 21:16
  Speaker 5: this was this was only supposed to be five minutes.
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: We're going for whatever.
• 21:20
  Speaker 2: I'm putting this on the adapting podcast because look, we're
• 21:23
  Speaker 2: at at an event where and I've talked about this
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: on my podcast before on ox Scare podcasting that it's
• 21:29
  Speaker 2: an adaptive event where kids with you know, with disabilities
• 21:32
  Speaker 2: and physical challenges, special needs, they get to shine. And
• 21:35
  Speaker 2: that's the biggest part of this weekend. It's and every
• 21:38
  Speaker 2: year and all these people behind the scenes. David, you
• 21:41
  Speaker 2: competed in this new so I did. It was twenty
• 21:44
  Speaker 2: one me too, so we were twenty one.
• 21:46
  Speaker 6: No, the doctors told me I would never walk, that
• 21:49
  Speaker 6: I would always be in.
• 21:50
  Speaker 5: A starting two more and I was using I was
• 21:53
  Speaker 5: using a walker and I ran my first race here
• 21:57
  Speaker 5: at the Umpire State game. So you know that's something
• 22:00
  Speaker 5: that you can never, never can be taken away, No,
• 22:04
  Speaker 5: not at all, and so you know that's that's something
• 22:08
  Speaker 5: I'm always.
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: Very proud of.
• 22:09
  Speaker 5: Very well, Okay, let me flip the script. I'm gonna
• 22:12
  Speaker 5: this foot we're calling this. We're gonna call this. Flip
• 22:15
  Speaker 5: the script on Alex. All right, mom, Yes we should
• 22:18
  Speaker 5: so Alex. Yes, well, let's talk about you and what the.
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: Games have meant to you and like you guys about that, like.
• 22:26
  Speaker 2: You guys, the last three years of kill me because
• 22:29
  Speaker 2: it is a family. And the minute I roll into
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: this place family, Yes, the minute I roll in, you
• 22:33
  Speaker 2: will remind me of how much a family this is.
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: I of course miss competing. But you know what was
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: funny is that after twenty ten.
• 22:39
  Speaker 2: Well after I graduated Viscarti, I started to say, well,
• 22:42
  Speaker 2: let me have other kids have a shot at this
• 22:44
  Speaker 2: and let me make way.
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: But then, as we mentioned, the state cut it, and
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: I'm like, all right, I can't not go back after
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: the states, after the county rescued it.
• 22:53
  Speaker 2: So there were a few times where I was like,
• 22:54
  Speaker 2: I'm not doing it, and then I did it till
• 22:55
  Speaker 2: I was twenty one, and I enjoyed all every minute
• 22:59
  Speaker 2: of it.
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: But how to see the kids after, you know, continue
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: this tradition is very I.
• 23:04
  Speaker 5: Know, it's so funny that Alex talks about the competition
• 23:07
  Speaker 5: aspect of it. For me, I mean, I like the
• 23:10
  Speaker 5: races and all that, But for me, it was never
• 23:13
  Speaker 5: it was never about the races.
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: I was They called me the mayor.
• 23:19
  Speaker 6: I know, mom is mama pad I ran blob and
• 23:22
  Speaker 6: I say.
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: I used to shake hands and kiss baby.
• 23:26
  Speaker 12: You know, an.
• 23:28
  Speaker 4: Same would be so by the first day.
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: Sure, sure, but yeah, and his head wouldn't fit in
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: the room. I'm sure right, yeah.
• 23:36
  Speaker 2: Uh. One more update on the Jordan family and Mama
• 23:40
  Speaker 2: Pat and the whole family. You were honored to say, April,
• 23:42
  Speaker 2: tell me about that.
• 23:45
  Speaker 6: Well, they couldn't find anybody.
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: Else, anybody else. I'm kidding.
• 23:52
  Speaker 4: No, it's the truth. It's the truth. My son Edward
• 23:55
  Speaker 4: is working India now and he might hell about you.
• 24:00
  Speaker 3: I started working with the games when they first started,
• 24:04
  Speaker 3: and then my children.
• 24:05
  Speaker 4: Jumped in, and then the grandchildren jumped in.
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: So we have three.
• 24:09
  Speaker 3: Generations, all amazing volunteering at these games.
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: And it became such a part of our lives and
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: the people because I saw aon when she was young girl.
• 24:19
  Speaker 3: I mean, Aaron is down second lieutenant in the United
• 24:23
  Speaker 3: States Marines.
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: It was first lieutenant.
• 24:26
  Speaker 4: I don't know it think it's first.
• 24:27
  Speaker 3: Then John Coblin, John Cobblin, it just became a lieutenant JG.
• 24:32
  Speaker 4: In the Navy and the others of Wolfinished College. But
• 24:36
  Speaker 4: they've alreadys worked to you. Now we have the next group.
• 24:39
  Speaker 4: We call them the second Letter of gree children who
• 24:42
  Speaker 4: were volunteering.
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: Only they worked well today.
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: I don't think I feel like you guys are too
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: humble to recognize the impact you made.
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: I mean, for a little backup.
• 24:50
  Speaker 2: There, MoMA pat organized every year up until two thousand
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: and eight this Irish physically challenged Irish American youth teams,
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: and she organized a trip for his from Ireland with
• 25:03
  Speaker 2: disabilities to compete on our shores and then would have
• 25:06
  Speaker 2: kids Americans go to Ireland and compete.
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: Now, David, I never asked you were you part of this?
• 25:10
  Speaker 6: Well, I was using I was part of the first
• 25:13
  Speaker 6: Irish American program, which.
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: I don't believe you were involved in it then.
• 25:17
  Speaker 6: Now right, I'll talk about that, but just let me
• 25:21
  Speaker 6: step back for a.
• 25:21
  Speaker 5: Minute, because I made a joke, and I was just
• 25:23
  Speaker 5: joking that we couldn't find any guy because the Jordan's,
• 25:27
  Speaker 5: you couldn't find any more selfless?
• 25:31
  Speaker 6: Uh, giving people how much?
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: I just kidd.
• 25:37
  Speaker 6: I supposed to undred.
• 25:41
  Speaker 3: Film telling you to pay why the kids to sting
• 25:44
  Speaker 3: with one hundred dollars?
• 25:46
  Speaker 5: But no, seriously, it's and I'm not just I don't
• 25:49
  Speaker 5: want to just talk about the Jordans, but I want
• 25:50
  Speaker 5: to talk about all our volunteers.
• 25:52
  Speaker 4: Right, we have the fastest, most and our committee heads.
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: That have been here with us from the beginning, and.
• 25:59
  Speaker 4: They were que it's not just for the two or
• 26:01
  Speaker 4: three days we're here.
• 26:03
  Speaker 5: No, it's all YOURQ And when you're let's talk about
• 26:06
  Speaker 5: our special prizes.
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: People who gather prizes for.
• 26:11
  Speaker 5: George has been gathering George and Sandy have been gathering
• 26:13
  Speaker 5: prizes for the last three years waiting for this date.
• 26:17
  Speaker 4: And they would go on within an hour.
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: I don't know.
• 26:19
  Speaker 5: We talked about and talk about people like Chris, Sarah, Christ,
• 26:24
  Speaker 5: Rito and Ray and all these people and and I'm
• 26:30
  Speaker 5: missing so many.
• 26:32
  Speaker 3: But well, yeah, it's a great they have a core group.
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: Tell you that we couldn't do this. I'm asking a
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: million dollar question. Did you ever think of it?
• 26:45
  Speaker 2: Did you think the pandemic would forever ruin this or
• 26:48
  Speaker 2: did you think we would come back?
• 26:49
  Speaker 3: Extra Well, we hoped it would come back, but it's
• 26:52
  Speaker 3: very hard to regroup. Yes, you lose a lot of ethologies.
• 26:58
  Speaker 3: I think I was only two years. Like everybody says,
• 27:00
  Speaker 3: gome back toild all chance we'll gone.
• 27:03
  Speaker 5: But you know what I'll say about the Games that
• 27:05
  Speaker 5: I've said since I've been competing since I was seven
• 27:09
  Speaker 5: year OLDLD And when I go and talk to volunteer
• 27:12
  Speaker 5: people that were trying to get the volunteer, I'll always say,
• 27:15
  Speaker 5: once you come to the games, once you're right.
• 27:20
  Speaker 6: We have people like I'm going to name drop some more.
• 27:23
  Speaker 5: I know you tell me I shouldn't do this, but
• 27:25
  Speaker 5: we have people like Chuck Helligan and Bob Fogerty. They
• 27:30
  Speaker 5: used to work for the state and Chuck still works
• 27:34
  Speaker 5: for the state, but they don't even get paid to
• 27:37
  Speaker 5: come here, and at one point they weren't. But they're
• 27:41
  Speaker 5: just taking vacation time and coming because it is that
• 27:45
  Speaker 5: sense of family and this is what we do. So
• 27:49
  Speaker 5: I didn't really have a concern that we weren't going
• 27:51
  Speaker 5: to come back in some form. I didn't know what
• 27:53
  Speaker 5: that form would look like.
• 27:55
  Speaker 6: But like I said, when you're hooked, you're hop and.
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: God has brought us all three together here. I swear
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: to God right now in this woman.
• 28:01
  Speaker 4: Is great and well.
• 28:03
  Speaker 3: We never see you anymore, and you are one of
• 28:05
  Speaker 3: my students, but we don't see him. Yeah, because he
• 28:09
  Speaker 3: goes well, because he's working man.
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: And can I just say about Alex real quickly.
• 28:13
  Speaker 6: He's better on one roller blade then even if I
• 28:18
  Speaker 6: could walk, I'd be good on two feet.
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: The man, the man is a pro.
• 28:25
  Speaker 6: He's got a way better radio voice than I'll ever have.
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: Well, my voice is a bit sore right now, so
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: maybe that's what you do.
• 28:30
  Speaker 5: These updates from the baseball see him and you, my friend,
• 28:35
  Speaker 5: are doing great work.
• 28:36
  Speaker 2: And I just want to say that this pandemic did
• 28:40
  Speaker 2: not ruin the games, and it's it's made us stronger
• 28:42
  Speaker 2: and brought us together.
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: And really nothing can break these games.
• 28:46
  Speaker 3: I swear to get out because they are so important
• 28:50
  Speaker 3: to these children.
• 28:51
  Speaker 4: They are so important.
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: And is our website you might know, is our website people,
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: because I believe you.
• 28:56
  Speaker 5: Can go to I believe there's a county website. I
• 28:58
  Speaker 5: don't know the exact address, but I know we're on
• 29:01
  Speaker 5: Facebook at And.
• 29:02
  Speaker 2: By the way, I asked a counting victory challenge was
• 29:05
  Speaker 2: what it was? But the Games for Physically Challenged, that's
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: the name for this.
• 29:08
  Speaker 6: I know everywhere we are again.
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: I know we're back to the Games for Physically Challenging.
• 29:12
  Speaker 3: We had changed for a while because of monetary reason,
• 29:15
  Speaker 3: but we're right back there. Yeah.
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: We started out well.
• 29:19
  Speaker 5: Listen, Mama pack and I just say, what a pleasure
• 29:23
  Speaker 5: this has been to be with you, first of all,
• 29:26
  Speaker 5: but to be on Alex's podcast isn't that great?
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: I think we were only five minutes, Alex? What what
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: time are we at? How long have we been acting for?
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: I know, and I'm the raider. Guys supposed to maintain
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: the clock. But when I threw out the clock and
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: I said let's do.
• 29:39
  Speaker 2: This, it's not a good producer right now, Alex, this
• 29:43
  Speaker 2: is the best podcast I can make it.
• 29:44
  Speaker 4: Don't we have?
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: Yeah, we do pay Let's get out of here. We
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: got those I got the ranger on into thirty five minutes.
• 29:52
  Speaker 2: What do you do?
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: Okay?
• 29:53
  Speaker 5: I know this is for your abilities podcast, right definitely
• 29:57
  Speaker 5: adapted ability.
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: But since the.
• 29:59
  Speaker 6: Rangers are gonna be on what's your prediction.
• 30:02
  Speaker 2: Oh, Tonight's game in this series Island, and I know
• 30:06
  Speaker 2: we're right across from the coliseum where the rain, where
• 30:08
  Speaker 2: the aisles are no more. But I've never been to
• 30:11
  Speaker 2: UMBs yet. Anyway, I think to Tampa Bay Lightning tied
• 30:15
  Speaker 2: up tonight. I mean if they go, if the Rangers
• 30:16
  Speaker 2: go up to nothing, I will be ecstatic, very firstly,
• 30:21
  Speaker 2: but secondly stunned because Lightning are just they're so the
• 30:25
  Speaker 2: Rangers are three, and they're four and z against this
• 30:27
  Speaker 2: team right now, regular season included.
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: If they go six to oh, they have a very chance.
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: It's a good chance to beat them. Sure, so i'd
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: be surprisingly win six. No, but hey, that on their
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: home Alex.
• 30:37
  Speaker 6: You know what I'm doing right now on them, because
• 30:39
  Speaker 6: you made that prediction.
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: You're not gonna, I said the Lightning.
• 30:42
  Speaker 5: I'm gonna put one hundred dollars on the Rangers to
• 30:46
  Speaker 5: win the game. I'm gonna go on Draft Kings, right,
• 30:49
  Speaker 5: I do that, and I'm gonna put a wager on
• 30:51
  Speaker 5: the game.
• 30:52
  Speaker 2: By the way, I feel like everything's bet on now.
• 30:54
  Speaker 2: I mean, it's just crazy it's insane to me. And
• 30:57
  Speaker 2: you know you're a Buffalo Saber fan.
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: I'm sure right, because oh absolutely so. Well have you
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: do you miss Ichel or was he? No, we don't
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: miss him. Listen.
• 31:08
  Speaker 6: I know that's not what this podcast is about, but
• 31:10
  Speaker 6: you've got to have me back on we talked sports.
• 31:12
  Speaker 6: He was not good for the.
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: Locker room I have, and he didn't adapt well to
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: Vegas either.
• 31:17
  Speaker 2: I know.
• 31:17
  Speaker 9: No.
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: Well, look, they didn't make it pass.
• 31:19
  Speaker 5: The first they didn't even make the playoffs, right, he
• 31:22
  Speaker 5: just chose you a franchise that had everything together, start
• 31:25
  Speaker 5: to finish great from day one, and they totally blew
• 31:29
  Speaker 5: the whole thing up.
• 31:30
  Speaker 6: And now you look at Gerard go On, who was
• 31:32
  Speaker 6: the Vegas Gold nice the.
• 31:34
  Speaker 5: Welcome the finals and then took them to the semi finals.
• 31:37
  Speaker 5: Now coach of the Arrangers, and the Rangers look like
• 31:40
  Speaker 5: they could.
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: Be well on their way. Well how about this.
• 31:42
  Speaker 2: If you're not tired of this, why don't you guys
• 31:44
  Speaker 2: come back tomorrow and give me a day to recap
• 31:46
  Speaker 2: from the games.
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: I love that.
• 31:47
  Speaker 4: I love it.
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: She's got a wedding to.
• 31:51
  Speaker 3: She got a wedding, so believes people have been nerves
• 31:54
  Speaker 3: at the wedding a weekend of the Games. How do
• 31:57
  Speaker 3: they not know because they don't realize he put some
• 31:59
  Speaker 3: of this in all of all lives.
• 32:01
  Speaker 4: I might bring me as a date, right, I might
• 32:03
  Speaker 4: bring him as a date.
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: Yeah, again, I'll do for you tomorrow night. What if
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: I bring combos?
• 32:10
  Speaker 12: Oh?
• 32:10
  Speaker 4: He introduced me to combos this week?
• 32:12
  Speaker 3: You know no combos is Oh yeah, the combos before.
• 32:26
  Speaker 3: I never had that before. Any boy to being put
• 32:28
  Speaker 3: them on my desk. Of course I had a desk
• 32:31
  Speaker 3: this year first.
• 32:31
  Speaker 4: I'm thirty eight.
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: Wow.
• 32:33
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, I'm Alex Garrett. It's been a pleasure and
• 32:37
  Speaker 2: we will definitely have you guys back.
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: If you're here tomorrow and the wedding.
• 32:41
  Speaker 4: Right, Hello, thank you very much, I'll be there.
• 32:43
  Speaker 1: Love you both, and you guys mean a lot, so
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: thanks for doing.
• 32:47
  Speaker 6: Thank you very much, thank you for having me us.
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: You're welcome.
• 32:50
  Speaker 4: I'm all appreciate the publicity games.
• 32:54
  Speaker 6: Yes, yes, challenge and.
• 32:57
  Speaker 2: I'm Alex Garrett and I always say well, we're always adapting.
• 33:03
  Speaker 5: Now.
• 33:03
  Speaker 2: A couple of other Viscardi alums I want to get
• 33:05
  Speaker 2: to right now. Katie Wegglekowski, a main say at the
• 33:09
  Speaker 2: Games forever, had this to say when I talked to
• 33:13
  Speaker 2: her five years ago on Alex Gart's Oneling Up Network.
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: Any found memories you have of those games as well?
• 33:20
  Speaker 10: Oh my gosh, yes, I've been in a competitors drift
• 33:24
  Speaker 10: like you for many many years, and I have had
• 33:27
  Speaker 10: so many wonderful memories of being on the track and
• 33:30
  Speaker 10: feels and playing Witch about the ball with you and
• 33:33
  Speaker 10: my other teammates and Williams State championship. It brings back
• 33:38
  Speaker 10: some memories.
• 33:41
  Speaker 2: And if you see Katie, you probably see the next
• 33:44
  Speaker 2: guest I had on talk about the Games, Jessica Tambour,
• 33:47
  Speaker 2: and I want to get to her right now.
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: Another Viscardi alum.
• 33:51
  Speaker 2: Who also opened up about the Games for the physically
• 33:54
  Speaker 2: challenge and what they meant and.
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: Mean to her.
• 33:58
  Speaker 2: Since you were on the cover of the game's able paper,
• 34:01
  Speaker 2: which is like, by the way, tell me what that
• 34:06
  Speaker 2: community is like to be there, nose and not only
• 34:08
  Speaker 2: as an athlete for the for the years you were
• 34:11
  Speaker 2: then there's a volunteer.
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: I mean, we've been doing that for twenty plus years now.
• 34:15
  Speaker 12: Mm hmm.
• 34:18
  Speaker 7: The Games is amazing because it let me like, it
• 34:23
  Speaker 7: allows me to be an athlete like everyone else can.
• 34:27
  Speaker 7: And then now that I'm older, I can volunteer and
• 34:29
  Speaker 7: give it back to the younger kids and made sure
• 34:33
  Speaker 7: they have the same experiences that I did.
• 34:39
  Speaker 4: From school.
• 34:40
  Speaker 7: And then also it was an honor to be on
• 34:45
  Speaker 7: the cover of Abel. I wasn't really expecting that need
• 34:49
  Speaker 7: to happen, and then they called me up and and
• 34:52
  Speaker 7: I was like, really.
• 34:54
  Speaker 4: You want me to do and They're like yes, we think.
• 34:58
  Speaker 7: Everyone said okay, and here's my story and I showed
• 35:06
  Speaker 7: it to my whole family and my friend.
• 35:10
  Speaker 6: And how did you have over the Games?
• 35:11
  Speaker 2: Was it sort of like the pipeline that we all
• 35:14
  Speaker 2: had through Muscardi or was it a different route or
• 35:16
  Speaker 2: how did you get involved?
• 35:17
  Speaker 4: Ms Garny?
• 35:18
  Speaker 7: You know, like I think I saw it when I
• 35:21
  Speaker 7: was like, I have a picture of my dad like
• 35:25
  Speaker 7: behind me, and I was on.
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: This like sea saw thing six years old.
• 35:31
  Speaker 7: Yeah, so there you have it.
• 35:33
  Speaker 2: A lums, the founder of the Games, Sueboord and Ryan Mama,
• 35:38
  Speaker 2: Pat Jordan Whu we all no in love and it
• 35:41
  Speaker 2: was great to see her Friday as well. And those
• 35:45
  Speaker 2: who Cannuct on record or you know, maybe not wanted to,
• 35:51
  Speaker 2: but ed Hebron got to give shout out to him.
• 35:54
  Speaker 2: And his dedication to the Games for now quarter of
• 35:58
  Speaker 2: a century, twenty five years, and his family as well,
• 36:03
  Speaker 2: always showing up to support the kids. We cannot forget
• 36:08
  Speaker 2: my dad who was making this an event every year
• 36:12
  Speaker 2: from the age of when I was five. He made
• 36:14
  Speaker 2: sure to get us to the Games every year.
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: Can't forget the hostra.
• 36:18
  Speaker 2: Folks that continue to support and how's the athletes every
• 36:22
  Speaker 2: single year. And I cannot forget Dominic who continues to
• 36:28
  Speaker 2: be at the Games. I saw Dominic this Friday as well.
• 36:32
  Speaker 2: So for some pretty cool people still around forty years
• 36:37
  Speaker 2: later or earlier, you know, or thirty years later, twenty five,
• 36:41
  Speaker 2: they're still here.
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: No matter when they joined the journey, they are still
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: here and how special is that?
• 36:49
  Speaker 2: And we cannot forget Bill Mountzumos, William and Perry for
• 36:54
  Speaker 2: their incredible video work each and every year documenting all
• 36:58
  Speaker 2: these kids smiles and all the competition and all the athletics,
• 37:03
  Speaker 2: and of course the one, the only, Susan Maxwell, who puts.
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: It all together every year.
• 37:11
  Speaker 2: And I want to play you, David Maxwell, the son
• 37:14
  Speaker 2: who you heard earlier presenting Susan with this plaque and
• 37:18
  Speaker 2: the roundable applause and ovation she got for her tireless,
• 37:23
  Speaker 2: her selfless dedication to the kids and everyone.
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: At the Games for the Physically Challenged.
• 37:32
  Speaker 6: Take it away, David, thank you so much. This award
• 37:36
  Speaker 6: goes to Susan Maxwell and all the hard work.
• 37:41
  Speaker 7: And.
• 37:47
  Speaker 2: Of course can't end this podcast without saying forty years
• 37:51
  Speaker 2: wouldn't have been possible, but it wasn't for the volunteer
• 37:53
  Speaker 2: work of Jack and Carol Smith, and we missed them dearly,
• 38:01
  Speaker 2: very much so as they were a mainstay for many
• 38:05
  Speaker 2: years at the Games to Physically Challenged. And to the
• 38:12
  Speaker 2: three county executives that have continued to run for the game's.
• 38:17
  Speaker 1: Last fifteen years.
• 38:20
  Speaker 2: And Mangano, Laura Kerrn and current county executive Bruce Blakeman,
• 38:27
  Speaker 2: thank you for continuing that mantle, for carrying that torch
• 38:32
  Speaker 2: for the adaptive athletes, for the disabled athletes of Long Island,
• 38:36
  Speaker 2: New York City then the Tristate area.
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: We are ever.
• 38:41
  Speaker 2: Thankful that you have continued this run for the Games
• 38:44
  Speaker 2: to Physically Challenged, and of course cannot forget the memories
• 38:49
  Speaker 2: of the you know, Irish kids that came over and
• 38:53
  Speaker 2: competed in that exchange program. That comes to mind as
• 38:56
  Speaker 2: well every year in the May and June. Hopefully we'll
• 39:00
  Speaker 2: have more people to bring on and talk about these
• 39:03
  Speaker 2: games as we have hit forty years, forty years strong.
• 39:07
  Speaker 2: As I said, no matter what happened in twenty twenty,
• 39:10
  Speaker 2: forty years strong for the Games physically challenged, and it's
• 39:16
  Speaker 2: been a real honor to be part of that, A
• 39:19
  Speaker 2: real opportunity that opened up when I was five years
• 39:25
  Speaker 2: old and it's so goold good to see all the other.
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: Kids have that opportunity.
• 39:30
  Speaker 2: And I have to say, though she was a little nervous,
• 39:33
  Speaker 2: she was very supportive as well. My mom and my
• 39:37
  Speaker 2: stepdad Vic, always setting me up for success to head
• 39:41
  Speaker 2: on the road with my dad to these games with
• 39:44
  Speaker 2: all the packing the night before and you know, making
• 39:49
  Speaker 2: sure we had all the supplies ready to go for
• 39:51
  Speaker 2: that weekend at the games. I couldn't have done those
• 39:55
  Speaker 2: weekends without them either. So I want to give a
• 39:57
  Speaker 2: shout out to my mom and my stepdad Vic, and
• 40:03
  Speaker 2: to them for also storing the medals that my friend Laura.
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: Had saved up. All the golds that I had.
• 40:12
  Speaker 2: Won over the years are still in our possession and
• 40:17
  Speaker 2: proudly hanging in my room in Queens and there I
• 40:21
  Speaker 2: think my mom and my stepdad for keeping those dates
• 40:24
  Speaker 2: as well. I truly believe the empires at games and
• 40:29
  Speaker 2: NASA kind of games physically challenged have one leg up
• 40:33
  Speaker 2: for adaptive athletes in and around to try to stay
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: Long live the game