Wheelchairs

Yesterday, I spent much of the morning pushing my sister in her wheelchair in our area's MS Walk For The Cure. Because of a severe storm, the route was shortened. My sister can walk, though only for very short distances. At this event, there were all sorts of MS sufferers, some diagnosed, but disability-free, others walking with aids like canes, still others in wheelchairs, some of whom don't have the ability to get out of their chairs readily.

Because she was inactive in the chair, my sister became very cold. As a result, she was encouraged to take a ride back to the start in order to avoid the risks of hypothermia. Events like this always serve as a reminder to me how lucky those of us who are able-bodied are to participate in physical activity.

In a piece of real wheelchair sporting news, Ernst Van Dyk failed in his quest to win four major marathons on four consecutive weekends. He'd alrady won Paris and Boston, and Seoul was on his agenda for next weekend, but first, he had to win London this weekend. Unfortunately, Van Dyk went into a technical section of the London Marathon too fast and crashed. I haven't heard anything of his condition, but suspect he's OK, becuase if he were seriously injured, that would have likely made the news.