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New Training for Athletes

Paloma Chavez

DC_Disabled-Cross-County.JPGRecently, the U.S. Disabled Cross Country team was given the opportunity to learn the benefits of yoga during a training program in Frisco, Colorado.

The Cross Country team is part of Disabled Sports USA, a national non-profit organization established in 1967 by disabled Vietnam veterans. Their goal is to help build “confidence and dignity” by offering individuals with disabilities the opportunity to explore their capabilities through sports, recreation, and educational programs.

In addition to cross-country, Disabled Sports USA offers competitions in track and field, swimming, cycling, and many other events.During a regular training camp, Head Coach Jon Kreamelmeyer decided to introduce yoga as part of the team’s program. “The benefits of yoga are being able to calm the mind a little bit and then physical well-being,” Kreamelmeyer said. The yoga poses were patterned “around the idea of spinal chord injuries and people in wheel chairs. All of the positions were well thought out and I really enjoyed it.”

Disabled Program Director Sandy Metzger is an enthusiastic supporter of Kreamelmeyer’s yoga program and training methods. “It was a great camp,” she said, adding “Jon worked hard to do many innovative activities at the camp.”

The team will continue with their training in Park City, Utah in November as part of a series of sport science testing prior to the start of their season in Anchorage, Alaska, in the fall.

Click on the following websites to find out more about Disabled Sports USA: www.dsusa.org.

[tags]disabled sports USA, U.S. cross country team, benefits of yoga[/tags]

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