[Nfbmo] USA Bobsled driver

[DanFlasar at aol.com]

Bryan,
     That's interesting - is there a policy of the NFB  that our focus 
should be on ensuring accessibility for 
blind people both in their training and within public spaces rather than  
convey information on blindness
cures, which is done by other organizations?  I'm very interested in  new 
medical research on vision loss
and recovery and have also noted that it is rarely if ever mentioned. I  
understand that a civil rights group
like the NFB has plenty to cover without taking on a supportive or advocacy 
 role for vision treatment but
can't it provide conduit for referencing such research for members who are  
interested?
 
Dan
 
 
In a message dated 2/27/2010 10:46:38 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
b.schulz at sbcglobal.net writes:

Feb 27,  2010
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100227/ap_on_sp_ol/oly_bob_four_man_bobsled
'Night  Train' gives US 1st 4-man gold since 1948 ...
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports  Writer Tim Reynolds, Ap Sports Writer - Sat Feb 
27, 6:45 pm ET
WHISTLER,  British Columbia - 
With one more perfect run down sliding's most difficult  track, Steven 
Holcomb drove USA-1 to the Olympic gold medal in four-man  bobsledding on 
Saturday, ending a 62-year drought  for the Americans in  the event.
It was the first gold medal for the U.S. in sliding's signature  race since 
Francis Tyler won one for the Americans at St. Moritz in  1948.

Holcomb's four-run time was 3 minutes, 24.46 seconds, with Justin  Olsen, 
Steve Mesler and Curt Tomasevicz pushing for him again - just as they  did in 
winning the world championship a year ago.

"This is bigger,"  U.S. coach Brian Shimer said.
There might not be any comparison  whatsoever.
German Andre Lange, who failed to win a gold medal for the  first time in 
five Olympic events, had a nearly perfect final run to win the  silver in 
what he says will be his final race. Lange finished 0.38 seconds  behind 
Holcomb and his team of Justin Olsen, Steve Mesler and Curt  Tomasevicz.
Lyndon Rush drove Canada-1 to the bronze.

Holcomb and  his sledmates crossed the finish line one more time and threw 
their arms in  the air before wrapping each other in American flags. Holcomb 
hoisted his  helmet high as family and friends craned for photographs, and 
a party that the  U.S. program had been waiting 62 years for was finally 
getting  started.

"It's huge," said USA-3 driver Mike Kohn, who finished 13th.  "This is a 
great moment. It's hopefully going to change the program and bring  some 
publicity and some funding to this sport, just like it did in '02 when we  won 
silver and bronze."

Kohn was a push athlete for Brian Shimer's sled  at those 2002 Salt Lake 
City Olympics, when Todd Hays drove to silver and  Shimer got the Americans a 
bronze.
The U.S. had never been closer to being  kings of the bobsled mountain - 
until now.

What it didn't say  ...
Ex-NASCAR driver Geoff Bodine has been working on providing the U.S.  team 
with competetive sleds for at least ten years and Holcomb said during a  
television interview Before the medal clinching run that his career was almost  
abruptly ended in 2008 when a degenerative cornea condition lead to 
blindness  and his coach suggested a surgical procedure so new that it hadn't been  
approved by the FDA.
A type of contact lens was inserted behind the iris  and the procedure 
resulted in 20/20 vision.
Unfortunately, it seems that  the NFB doesn't want to discuss cures and 
research as I can't remember any  medical professional speaking at our 
convention and the thought of inviting  someone to speak was quickly rejected at the 
2009 September or January board  meeting!

Bryan  Schulz
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