Wheelchairs and Mountain Bikes

A few of the interns have organized the inaugural (as far as we know) Intern Olympics. The first event of the four-team tournament was wheelchair basketball. We enlisted the help of Paralympic cyclist and Olympic Training Center resident Joshua George, who was more than willing to coach us. He taught us the fundamentals and rules and then we played some games. My team was by far the least competitive but we ended up winning. Intern Olympic games of water polo and team handball are also in the works.

I rounded up some interns to spend a Saturday mountain biking. We rented the bikes and headed to the Air Force Academy for a trail that was described to us as a "Colorado intermediate." We get to the 13-mile trail and it's a little more intense than we anticipated. Three miles into the trek, my bike experiences some technical difficulties. It was unrideable, which was a bummer because A) my ride was cut short and B) the rental place might make me pay to replace an expensive bike derailer. Luckily, one of the other interns is an avid mountain biker and she was able to fix my bike up just enough to pass inspection when I returned it to the bike shop.

Friday was essentially the first day of winter here in Colorado. It sleeted Friday and flurried Saturday. The icy roads were nearly unnavigable. Today (Sunday) was slightly better. So naturally, I decided to head out to the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame right here in Colorado Springs. It was about as cheesy as I expected although the photo-ops were worth the price of admission.

In sports news, my Texas Longhorn and fantasy football teams are undefeated at 5-0. UT heads into Dallas next Saturday for its annual grudge match with the Oklahoma Sooners. It will be the first Red River Rivalry I miss in six years. The Denver Broncos are also undefeated and the Colorado Rockies are in the playoffs. I'm still hoping to check out an Air Force of Colorado College hockey game soon.

Click HERE to view photos from wheelchair basketball, mountain biking and the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

Click HERE to view my latest press release announcing the September USOC Athletes of the Month.

Days until I am back in Texas for the UT-Central Florida football game: 28