[Nfbmo] USA Bobsled driver

Sun Feb 28 22:41:49 UTC 2010

Dan, the NFB probably wouldn't do that because then it might be admitting 
that blindness is more than an inconvenience and that the problem is then 
the  lack of vision rather than the perception of others.

Fred

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <DanFlasar at aol.com>
To: <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 28, 2010 9:11 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] USA Bobsled driver

> 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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