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J. Ramos, West Coast Team |
Special Thanks to:
- Face of America Official Supporters
- Your Face of America Donations made on our behalf
- Our Equipment
Suppliers:
-- Explore wheels
-- Twincam bearings
-- Rollerblade specialty skates
-- Transpack backpacks
-- Triple8 protective gear
My FOA Diary...
My FOA Diary...
(As presented by June Solomon at the IISA Certified Instructor Conference, Sep 24, 2000)
I would like to tell you about an exciting journey I participated
in earlier this summer, called "Face of America".
The event generated over 70 million media impressions and was
organized by World T.E.A.M. Sports - TEAM stands for "the
exceptional athlete matters". I was selected, along with
over 100 others, to help promote sports, diversity, and the natural
environment. We were split into two teams, an east coast and
west coast team, both teams left simultaneously on May 13th from
San Francisco and Boston, and ended in St. Louis 22 days later
under the arch in St. Louis, on June 3rd. Last year, the RSIF
became aware of FOA through the IISA, and decided it was a great
event to be involved in, so Zack Phillips, founder and President
of the RollerSoccer International Federation (RSIF) and I decided
to apply.
I immigrated to the United States 15 years ago from Trinidad
where I watched speedskating on the ice on Wide World of Sports.
I enjoyed the grace and strength of the skaters and dreamed
of one day learning to skate. While residing in Philadelphia,
I started skating with the local skaters and fell in love with
the sport. I love all forms skating, especially RollerSoccer,
which combines two sports that I enjoy, and dance skating. Inline
skating has enabled me to meet a diverse group of people and
make friends in a new country. As a certified inline skate instructor
and Kinesiologist, I enjoy helping individuals achieve their
goals. One of my missions is to help promote inline skating
as a fun, diverse, and fulfilling sport.
Face of America appealed to me because it promoted a variety
of sports, where athletes could use different modes of human
powered transport such as, bicycles, handcycles, canoes, and
inline skates to name a few. Although the bicycle was the predominant
means of transport, the opportunity to inline skate across the
country was one of my reasons for participating in FOA. Other
reasons included being a role model for young girls and women.
After having studied and worked with other females, I feel it
is important to promote the positive aspects of physical activity
and sports. According to a report written by the Presidents'
Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, which stressed "sports"
as a major solution to many problems faced by adolescent girls,
emphasis was placed on the "benefits of sports" and
the ways in which sports and physical activity fosters self-esteem,
better physical and mental health. Another reason I wanted to
be a part of this event was to see a part of America that I've
never seen before, I felt that the west coast was another frontier
undiscovered by me. An added benefit was meeting a diversity
of athletes.
During FOA, educational
outreach programs enabled us to reach many young individuals.
On one of these programs, at West High School in Salt Lake City,
I met many young girls who were surprised to see an inline skater.
I know that sharing some of my experiences, and purpose on this
journey with these young people was crucial to our mission. After
skating through many cities, I felt I was an ambassador for inline
skating, although I did not see myself as one previously. Zack
and I were the inline skaters for the west coast team, while
our close friend, Dan Filner was the sole inline skater on the
east coast team. As we skated through towns and cities, people
were amazed that were we skating, not cycling, and always bombarded
us with questions. People would say, "how do you stop going
downhill?," or "can you keep up with the cyclists?"
Our reply would be "Yes", we can stop, but we don't
want to, and "Yes" we can keep up. These responses
were always greeted with a wide-eyed, expression of amazement.
Even our fellow teammates were skeptical of our ability to keep
up with the pack, but that soon changed after the first day.
At times Zack and I traded in our skates for bicycles, because
some of the trails we traveled were comprised of loose gravel.
Some trail surfaces did not prevent us from trying to skate them,
especially packed gravel roads on which Zack and I used off-road
skates such as Rollerblade Coyotes and Outbacks. Weather conditions
were another reason we switched from skates to bikes.
The west coast team consisted of an amazing group of individuals
like Sarah B. an above-knee amputee, My Lien N. a partial quadriplegic,
Vietnam veterans, Artie G., and Carlos M. a paraplegic. Other
teammates included survivors of cancer, triple bypass surgery,
post-traumatic stress disorder, and multiple sclerosis. There
are many inspiring team members that I would love to tell you
about, but time does not permit me. Further information can be
found on the FOA website at www.faceofamerica.org.
Abled and disabled athletes with diverse ages and ethnic backgrounds
working together to achieve a common goal, reinforced my belief
that we can help each other to the betterment of society. As
stated by FOA , the US is "a nation of great diversity
which thrives and actually achieves greater things when it draws
from the collective talent of its citizens." One of
those citizens that amazed me was Carlos Moleda, an ex- Navy
Seal and defending disabled Ironman World Champion; his mastery
of handcycling and ability to travel at high speeds was astounding.
Similarly, Carlos, and others, expressed their surprise that
Zack and I could skate so fast. Everyone had something to contribute
to the event, whether it was motivational or physical support.
One example, I can recall was at the beginning of the event when
I skated from San Francisco to Antioch, and Artie, one the handcyclists
needed a push up one of the first of many hills. Since I was
on skates, it was easier for me to push him. Later that same
day, I was assisted by one of the staff members, Darvin A., as
I used his bike as a braking system on a steep downhill. Drafting
behind a cyclist was also very instrumental in conserving energy
for during the many miles we covered. On another occasions,
cyclists would also help push handcyclists that needed the assistance
up the hills. We also had tandem cyclists, two of them included
Ed W., and his son Erik who plans to be the first visually impaired
climber to reach the summit of Mt. Everest in 2001. Watching
Erik and his dad ride tandem is an art form, Erik who sits in
the back, (of course) pedals away in the same rhythm as his dad.
In tandem cycling, "trust" is a very important requirement,
the rider in the back has to trust the person in front to make
the right decision, whether it is turning tight corners or going
up steep hills. Zack and I tried tandem cycling and it was definitely
a learning experience.
I learned so many new and exciting things on FOA journey, and
all of them were positive and rewarding. For instance, one of
the board members (Dr. Chris L.) asked me to ride with his friend,
John, (a survivor of triple bypass surgery) and help him on a
trail called, the KATY trail. Dr. Chris said that I was a motivational
inspiration for John. It was very rewarding to be able to help
a fellow teammate finish a days ride. Some days, we split into
two groups to cover the total distance, a small team and a large
one. There were many times that I felt exhausted but seeing the
camaraderie and hearing words of encouragement helped me to overcome
many mental and physical obstacles. Other contributing factors
beyond our control were conditions such as snow, rain and heat;
these factors tested everyone's skill level.
One of my most memorable events occurred in Nebraska, we rode
through miles of mud and water, and since I was drafting so close
to the bicycles in front of me, I ended up covered from head
to toe in mud. One day we visited a senior citizens center for
lunch, a young girl I met there was so sad when I left, that
I felt that I was leaving a long lost family friend. Meaningful
experiences such as these have made me value my career as a fitness
and sports promoter. RollerSoccer and inline skating are definitely
two sport arenas that I love being involved in. I found that
sharing my knowledge and interacting with individuals from different
age backgrounds, through events like Face of America and the
RollerSoccer YMCA summer camp Zack and I conducted this summer,
to be very rewarding
During our journey, individuals of all ages would come out and
cheer us on. Some of these individuals also rode on day rides
with us throughout their hometowns. Mayors, sponsors, as well
as family groups shared in the experience of this event. Actor,
Robin Williams rode out from San Francisco to Sausalito with
us, and many more well known celebrities helped to spread the
word about this exciting event. Advisors for the event included
Greg LeMond, Lance Armstrong, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Diane Nyad,
and Christopher Reeves among a few. A few sponsors and professional
supporters of the event included Reebok, the Rails to Trails
Conservancy, USA Cycling, IISA, the WSF, and many other supporters.
Explore Wheels, Twincam bearings, Rollerblade, Transpack and
Triple 8 supported Zack, Dan and I by providing items from their
product lines.
FOA was and is
a very important part of my life, I feel privileged as an inline
skater, and a promoter of sports and physical activity, to have
been a part of this unforgettable event. As one of my fellow
teammates stated, "this ride is not about one person,
or its participants, rather it is about everyone, everywhere
in the world, we are all one, we are all equal." I enjoyed
sharing my thoughts and experiences about FOA with you. The staff,
as well as the team members, was professional and great ambassadors.
I would like to continue to be a part of similar events focused
on promoting sports and fitness, empowering young women, and
presenting inline skating as a fun, safe, and major sport for
the millennium.
Thank you!
June Solomon