U.S. Department of State press release, Oct. 3

2007 Special Olympics World Games Touches Down in Shanghai

Well, everyone should be home, most should be back to work, it happened so quickly.  I have posted some  pictures of some of our meals.  Some food was amazing, others was "interesting".  The most interesting for me that I couldn't even eat ended up being Sea Fungus.  Don't know about the others, but I am convinced that Arthur can eat anything...Katie also did a great job in trying many of the foods, but did have pringles back at the room to finish her off.  Enjoy the pictures.

Hello everyone.  I will continue to add a few photos from our trip this weekend from what we have compiled from Team 9.  I believe I will also keep up this blog for a bit longer to cover the Intl. Torch Run Conference that will take place in three weeks in Oklahoma City.  Again, we hope you had the opportunity to see what your friends and family have been doing while in China.  It is good to be home, but also would not have changed anything for the world.

 

To my other team members, add a comment to this entry if you can, just as Arthur did on the previous one.  Let everyone know how you are doing and what the trip meant to you.  Love you all and already miss my other family. 

Today is Thursday.  The running team is flying to our homes today.  This just started, or at least seems as though.  We feel as though we made a difference in China.  This has been the first ever Torch Run in this country.  We challenged local Shanghai police officers last night.  We challenged them to start a Torch Run program, to do a Torch Run with the Flame of Hope every year to continue to raise awareness about those with intellectual disabilities.  I will post more pictures for a while after we get home.  Again, thank you to our families who have allowed us this opportunity.  You will see that we have changed China, but China has also changed us...until then...Shi Shi.

You will see a full album from the opening ceremonies.  It is actually during practice a few days ago, we missed this part during the real thing because we were lining up.  To music, two Chinese SO athletes ran into the stadium from opposite ends.  They then proceeded to maneuver through hundreds of people holding large sticks.  The guys in off white connected themselves to the athletes would be able to walk up their sticks.  It was truly amazing, we needed to share this with you.

We did the opening ceremonies tonight.  Mission has been completed, the Flame of Hope has been deliverd to the athletes for the games to begin.  We are now sitting in our room posting some pictures and hoping to give all of you some sense of what we just experienced. 

 

We were able to watch most of the ceremonies before we needed to go into the tunnel to get ready for our entrance.  More tomorrow, but we are going to post some pictures. 

On Monday, we partnered up with team #6 to go through the Putuo District.  We ran through 9 Communities.  The Chang Shou, Yi Chuam, Gan Quan, Shi Quan, Cao Yang Chang Feng Chang Zheng and the Zhen Run Town.  Basically we arrived at the first location by bus.  We got out and lined up, when ready, we started to run, we ran into the ceremony, stopped, gave the Flame of Hope to the local community leaders, each time and officer spoke and each time one of our two athletes spoke.  It was Katie and Eric (from So. California)  They both did really well.  It was difficult to take pictures during these celebrations.  In all cases, after the ceremonies, we would run out of the area, in some cases, we would run to the next location, in some, we would be bused. 

 

I posted some pictures from Pat's camera.  He was taken from our group early on, (we knew this) to travel to Hong Kong and Macau.  It sounds like the HK5 had a wonderful time as the rest of us in our host cities. 

Today is Monday.  We will all be in our teams running throughout districts in Shanghai.  That means shorter bus rides, but shorter has a different meaning here in China.  I will post pix when we get "home" tonight. 

We just returned from the practice from opening ceremonies.  You wont' believe it.  It's HUGE.  The Shanghai stadium is an open air stadium that seats 80,000.  It's across the street from our Hotel, the Hue Ting Hotel & Towers.  Which is amazingly beautiful with great rooms. 

 

OK, a bit more about the flame unification ceremony.  Our entire team is back together again.  Many of us made it to the hotel in time for change of clothes a very quick bite to eat and then off in the bus to a location on one of the rivers.  There was a huge stage set up and a large scale ceremony.  The location was beyond description.  I will post pictures a bit later.  Sky Scrapers had the SO games logo and the LETR logo changing in lights on the side of the building.  The SO Games Staff came and interviewed all of our international officers, so Bruno, Arthur and Vladamir were interviewed on camera.  We don't know where that will be used.

 

Tim Shriver arrived and greeted our full team.  Katie was chosen to carry the torch onto the stage with Mike Teem.  She, as usual, did a great job.  After the ceremony, were moved into a boat where we took the lit torch across the river to another neighborhood location.  We started our formal Torch Run, through small streets lined with locals.  We ran with Chinese LE officers.  "We are the Torch Run, the Mighty Mighty Torch Run" was heard for miles.  We ended at a location within the city and had the opportunity to meet many of the athlets.  This is some of the best times on our trip.  It is all about the athletes and I truly believe we are making a difference in China related to those with intellectual disabilities.  We are making a difference throughout the world!  Hopefully this Blog is helping....Again, pictures to be posted, hopefully yet tonight.

 

More later, but thanks to all of you for your messages being posted to these entry portions.  We love all of you.  We will talk soon.

Hey everyone.  Thanks again for all of the messages.  It is almost midnight on Saturday.  Team 9 flew in from Beijing this morning.  We had only an hour to change and needed to be in the lobby to get on the bus for the Flame Unification Ceremony.  Because our full group has been in 11 host cities, we have had those flames throughout China.  Today it came to Shanghai, it's home for the World Games.  The ceremony was symbolic to unite these 11 flames to create one large flame of hope again.  Again, it was amazing.  Our Team 9 queen Katie was chosen to walk the flame up to the officials with Mike Teem on this one.  She did an amazing job.

 

It was also great because the entire Torch Run team is back together.  Pat from Team 9 was with a smaller group in Macau and Hong Kong and he is back also, with many great stories.

 

I have to tell you that this is the only thing you are going to get from us tonight.  We are very tired and need to be up and in the bus by 5:30am, so I did the important things....I took a shower, ate a sandwich and called home.  (Hi Doug and Tess....Love you!)  I will post the pictures tomorrow. 

 

 

Like I said before, we need to keep asking people what day is it?  I'm alone right now so don't have anyone to ask.  Today was another amazing day.  Hoping to post pictures, will try to do yet tonight.  We drove to a "suburb" of Beijing called the Pinggu province.  It is still Beijing proper though.  We went to the Pinggu training center, built exclusively to train SO athletes.  It is a track and field center.  The day was beautiful.  We met with about 60 Chinese SO athletes and did several activities with them and a few Chinese police officers.  It was a riot.  We did a few races that are difficult to explain, but were hillarious.  Again, a picture will tell 1,000 words.  We played what we know as duck, duck, goose.  They called it drop the tissue (or something like that)  That again was so funny.  They then set up a four team running race along the track.  Three teams of athletes and one of officers from the Torch Run.  Needless to say we got smoked.  They even had spiked, golden running shoes.  I believe we came in 3rd. 

 

We had lunch with the athletes and some dignitaries from the community.  After that we had a bit of free time where I downloaded to other team member's pictures and will share some of those soon.

 

Our ceremony today was in the central area of Pinggu in a very large open area.  This is where Katie gave her speech through an interpretor, she did an amazing job.  We have pictures of that Mom and Dad and will also post soon.  Tonight we had a more formal dinner with the entire Beijing dignitaries, the USA basketball teams and other Chinese athletes.  It was fun.  We are back now and need to pack for our flight to Shanghai tomorrow early morning. 

 

Thanks again for your interest.  Blog to you soon.

It's morning now for us and I am reading what we added last night.  A bit more explanation.  Kevin was in the convertable with the flame of hope in front of the lineup of buses.  The distance we travelled from Temple of Heaven to Tianamen Square and then from there to another small community area by a small lake where within our distances to run, it was just not possible to stop traffic for a running amount of time.  So, we got off a bit easy and were bused.  We also did much running though, so don't think we are getting off easy here! 

 

The hotel room was full of members of Team #9 last night while we were all checking your messages and such.  I will tell you this, everyone misses their loved ones at home.  That is apparent.  I know for me, this communication along with a few phone calls on my Panda Phone have been wonderful.  We love you all and thank you for giving us this opportunity.  I just hope that this blog will allow for all of you to spend some time with us while we are here and you are still there. 

 

Today, we were allowed to sleep in until 6am, we need to be on the bus at 8am for a two hour bus ride to a "remote community of Beijing"  Not sure yet what that means, but.  We will be with approximately 82 Chinese athletes throughout the day.  We did find out that this evening, we will have a dinner with the USA Special Olympics team that is here in Beijing.  More pictures, etc. to follow

 

Oh yeah, and by the way....Katie will be giving her speech today!  We will try to sneak a picture of that!

 

 

Since leaving the hotel near the Great Wall, we have been with two other local assistants, known as Johnnie and Annika.  They have been extreemly helpful in describing our trips.  After running the Flame of Hope around the Temple of Heaven, we ran out to the entrance.  Kevin joined a Chinese athlete and a ranking member of the Beijing SWAT team in a convertable to the edge of Tianamen Square.  The traffic was cleared on several main streets throughout Beijing, which was was amazing in itself.  Our buses stopped and we ran along Tianamen Square.  Pictures the streets lined with people holding small Special Olympics, Chinese and American Flags.  (In the background was the large painting of Mao)  It was amazing!  We could not take pictures, but Annika did and we will hopefully get more pictures to you.

 

Again, more to come!  From Team #9

On Wednesday (we need to ask each other what day we did what!), we arrived at the Temple of Heaven after leaving our hotel near the Great Wall.  We did a bit of practicing for a ceremony on Thursday.  While we as runners were waiting for a few details to be decided, we tatood some athletes and a few Chinese staff person for the Federation for the Disabled Persons.  (see the pictures, hoping to post more)

 

The ceremony started at 9am on Thursday.  The Temple of Heaven looked different from Wednesday.  It was dressed in banners, flags, and hundreds in ceremonial dress.  Again, see some of the pictures. 

 

The Temple of Heaven is significant to the Qing (pronounced Ching) Dynasty.  The Emperor would pray for a good harvest.  There is a section in the middle of the temple walk that was restricted and the Emperor was the only one who could walk on it.  This is the center area where our torch run team stood during the ceremony.  I did my speech today in front of the group.  I followed the Chief of the Beijing Police Department.  We had an interpretor that told the crowd what I was saying.  The athletes in the crowd cheered when I told them I have been involved in the Torch Run for 14 years. 

 

 

 We arrived at the Great Wall of China.  What a sight, no words can describe what we saw.  Hopefully the pictures will help a bit.  Most of the day was spent in practicing for the flame lighting ceremonies.  We had a bit of free time and our team #9 climbed up the stairs on one SMALL section of the wall.  That was enough though.  To understand how this structure was built without cranes or equipment that we are familiar with, is mind boggling.  To say the least. 

 

We have been told by others who have participated in final legs that this flame lighting ceremony was the most spectacular.  For those of us who are first timers to this final leg, we were equally blown away.  Again, I have posted a few pictures with short explanations below them.  Katie Crawford, our athlete in our team is our hero.  She walked to the very top of the wall section when we had our free time.  She then joined the entire final leg team on our run up the wall during the ceremony.  She is our Queen and a crown necklace was purchased for her tonight in Beihing to prove it. 

 

A short note to Rocky Jr., sorry for the delay in the pictures and postings, but I assured your Dad I would get things done tonight.   

Well, we are here.  We arrived late on Monday due to a delayed plane in Chicago.  3 hours delayed.  Oh well.  Our plane had about 50 Torch Run members including my roommate Katie Crawford.  I met her in the Chicago airport along with her partner from the Indiana Torch Run, Troy Hintz from Kokomo Police Dept.  The plane ride was fine.  Three movies and a few hours of sleep.  I have posted a few pictures from our first few day for you to look at.  I have to admit that the first few days seemed somewhat like a blur for most of us, but also didn't feel like China yet. 

 

This is my first chance at getting to this blog and the internet.  It is Wednesday September Sept 26th at about 8;15 pm, which is 8:15 am in Wisconsin.  It's a bit odd.  I am going to post a few more entries yet tonight to keep activities separate. 

I wanted to give you an idea of what we do locally throughout the year for the Torch Run and our Indianhead Area Special Olympics.  In June, of course, is the regular annual Torch Run where thousands of officers throughout the state run a torch to the Summer Games at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point.  We get the chance to be part of the athletes opening ceremonies and celebrate our efforts throughout the year.  In 2005, I was inducted into the Wisconsin Dale Brunner Hall of Fame for the Law Enforcement Torch Run.  A honor beyond belief.  This past summer, I participated in the Eau Claire Leader Telegram Buckshot Run for Special Olympics.  My 7 year old step daughter just ran in the DuRunRun and won a gold metal for her age category.  We get friends involved in our annual Water Golf Classic held on Tainter Lake at Jake's Supper Club and Tiki Bar.  Others in our area organize a Fire Truck Pull, Filling the Dreams, Polar Plunge and many other activities.  I attached a few pictures of these activities also. 

We have been notified that the entire Final Leg team will participate in the Flame of Hope lighting ceremony on the evening of September 25th on the Great Wall of China.  How cool is that?  After our full group participates in that ceremony, we will break into smaller teams (12 total) that will include one Special Olympic athlete and one police officer from China.  I am in Team #9.  Our host city is Beijing.  We have 11 members including myself. Roy Forrest, North Carolina (our fearless leader), Katie Crawford, Indiana (Our team Special Olympic Athlete)..more about Katie later.  Bruno Beaulieu, Quebec. Kevin Burke, New Jersey. Vladimir Caceres, El Salvador. Sig Ceballos, Southern California. Patrick Hoey, Illinois. Arthur Huijzer-Trommels, Netherlands. Rocky Quijada, Arizona, and Zhu Hua, China.  We believe we make up the Oldest team with Katie being the youngest at 36. 

 

IACLEA is the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.  I am a member and in June of 2007, we ran our 5th annual Torch Run during our conference.  This was our largest turnout, even though we started at 0630 to beat the heat.  I posted a few pictures of our cadence run throughout the hotel grounds. 

This is the first time I have done a blog, so bear with me.  I am travelling to China to be part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Final Leg for the World Games.  More about that in a bit.  I will be posting photos from the trip, focusing on my Final Leg Team #9.  Please stop by on at least every other day basis to see what we are up to and learn more about the Special Olympics and the Law Enforcement Torch Run.  Thanks!