Kelly takes Bronze! Twice!

The crowd roars, athletes strain, sweat dripping, lungs heaving. In this event where just getting here is a dream come true, all the athletes want more. They want the glory, the hardware, the anthem. The competition is fierce. These people aren't here for the participation ribbon, they are here to win. Sound like something you would like to watch? Me too. NBC had an estimated 40.7 million viewers for the Olympics but this isn't the Olympics I'm talking about, it's an even better show: the Paralympics. And if you are in the US, you are SOL if you wanted to watch. NBC, which owns the right to broadcast the games, doesn't. A few highlight shows on their cable channel don't count as coverage. As the cousin of a Paralympian, this is frustrating, as an American, it's embarrassing. As the richest nation in the world, the fact that we don't support our Paralympic athletes as we should is a disgrace. On the night that Russ and I went to see track and field finals, the great USA didn't win a single medal. Overall they are currently in 6th place in the medal tally. China leads. By a lot. China. Yes they have a bigger team, but they are are not particularly known for embracing people with disabilities. You would never know that from their performance at the Paralympics, collecting medal after medal. In the Olympics, the US beat china in the medal count so do these current standings really reflect the level of talent in the US? I'm not someone who thinks the US should be first in the medal tally, just so we can say we are beating the world. But the medal tally does reflects the level of investment in athletics and the fact that the Paralympic program lags the Olympics bothers me. It signifies a general lack of support and awareness for US Paralympic athletes. And that is what I'm embarrassed for.

The London games have been incredible. The Brits have opened my eyes to what the Paralympics can be. If you thought the Olympics were inspiring, try these games. The althete stories that NBC loves to hype, overcoming adversity, fighting through pain, dedication -every single athlete here has that story. It would be easy to focus on what athletes with disabilities have lost - what a tragedy it is that they can't do some things. But these games are a celebration of achievement. It's not about what they can't do, it's about their what they can do. When we are focused on their incredible abilities we forget about their differences and realize they are just like any other athlete, able to accomplish amazing feats. Team GB has had a fantastic games and incredible support from the home country. Nearly every venue has been sold out. I've never heard a crowd like the one we experienced at the track and field finals; 80,000 people roaring their hearts out, for their team especially, but for all the athletes. The TV coverage has been great, 3 to 4 channels showing Paralympics nonstop throughout the day. The athletes are celebrated like the superhumans they are, they are on the morning shows, on the evening shows, people are cheering them on in the pubs, and you can see attitudes changing before your eyes. The US is behind the curve here, way behind. We are missing out on so much.

Visually impaired athletes and their guide runners crossing the finish

And then there is Kelly, the reason we are here. Kelly has been through a lot to get here, a lot. And I probably don't even know half of it. I do know she has overcome a major concussion or two, a broken rib, and a punctured lung. Oh and a broken collarbone just 6 weeks ago. She's not even fully healed! And those are just some of the physical challenges. Kelly pushed through an incomprehensible Paralympic selection procedures to force the international committee to extend an invitation to the competition. The ups and downs of this process made for great drama but were particularly conducive to getting ready to compete at the world stage. That couldn't stop Kelly though. I've been avidly following Kelly progress from afar. But Russ and I had faith. We bought our plane tickets in January, months before Kelly knew if she was on the team.

When Kelly took off for her race yesterday, I was so choked up I could barely cheer. I did manage to squeak out a "Go Kelly!" We had a place staked out at the start/finish and could see one if the hills on course in the distance. I had my camera and was snapping pictures like mad. One of my ongoing frustrations with following Kelly's cycling career has been the lack of photos. So I tried to make up for that over the last couple days:-)

Lined up for the start of the C4 and C5 road race

It was a fantastic race. Since Kelly took bronze at the time trial the day before, we were all very hopeful she would be on the podium in the road race. Sarah Storey, the British favorite to win, took the race out strong at the start and after an 8k lap had about a 40 second lead on the pack. Kelly was right there at the front of the pack. Sarah proved too strong very early, she caught the C1-3 Men that started 3 minutes ahead on the second lap. Kelly led the chase but it quickly became a race for silver. Justin (Kelly's husband) was giving us the inside scoop on the riders. At one point, Kelly, Anna Harkowska (Poland), and Kerstin Brachtendorf (Germany) started to pull away. Justin told us he thought they would leave Kerstin behind on the next lap. Sure enough, next time we saw them, Kelly and Anna had pulled away and were having their own race for silver, trading the lead every few minutes.

Kelly Crowley and Anna Harkowska breaking away from the pack

Kelly just murders the hills and that's her edge, the longer the hill the better. Justin thought Kelly would make her move on the big hill on the second to last lap. When they came into view after the hill, for a brief moment we thought she had left the other rider in the dust. Then we spotted the Anna Harkowska ahead of Kelly and she had opened up a bit of a gap. Still, both of them were well ahead of the next closest rider so we were feeling pretty confident of Kelly's medal chances. When she crossed the line, arms raised, and the bronze metal secured, the joy and relief on her face were palpable. I got choked up again and hid behind my camera.

Crossing the finish, winning Bronze!

Kelly Crowley, Paralympic medal winner, ass kicker

Kelly exemplifies why I love the Games. These athletes work so hard, for years on end for a goal that is far from guaranteed. Once every 4 years they have a chance at glory, one shot to show the world their greatness. Every event is packed with drama and the pressure of that moment must be almost unbearable. The heros find a way. They persevere and are rewarded with triumph. That's Kelly. That's my cousin. Thanks to her, team USA has two more medals. And thanks to Kelly, Russ and I got to experience the London Paralympic games. We've both been deeply affected by this almost magical experience. It's been such a hope filled, positive few days. So thank you Kelly, and CONGRATULATIONS! We couldn't be prouder.

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