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| Sam Sullivan, Mayor of Vancouver, Canada, speaks with HS HPE classes. |
Over the past year, WAB students have experienced once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to participate in the Spirit of the Olympic Games and to gain inspiration through community, sport and art and culture. Between the Special Olympics in Shanghai (October 2007), the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, WAB students have shared the Olympic spirit by volunteering for countless activities, meeting athletes and supporting events. From organizing unified golf matches with local Special Olympics athletes, to designing the US Embassy's official Beijing Olympic pin, to helping the Australian Olympic Committee to outfit Australian athletes in official uniforms, to entertaining visits from gold medal Olympians, to studying the science and technology used by many Paralympic athletes, WAB students have embraced the Olympic Spirit while celebrating their host country of China.
In the HS HPE classes have also taken advantage of the educational opportunities surrounding all three games, most recently the Paralympics, currently taking place in Beijing. Several HPE classes attended Paralympic games this week, including swimming and basketball, as whole classes. They also had the unique opportunities to gain insight and inspiration from Paralympic athletes and supporters. This week WAB HS students welcomed a visit from Sam Sullivan, Mayor of Vancouver, who was in town in support of the Paralympic Games. Sullivan tested his Chinese on WAB students, and spoke about his career and life as a quadriplegic.
Students across the school also welcomed the opportunity to meet with former Paralympic athlete and silver/bronze medalist Kai Schrameyer, of Germany. Kai talked with ES, MS and HS students about his success as a
silver and bronze medalist. Kai competed in wheelchair tennis at the
Paralympic games in Barecelona '92, Sydney '00 and Athens '04, in both
singles and doubles competitions.
Students in Caroline Hall's Kindergarten class appeared thrilled when Kai asked them to stand up and practice balancing on one leg, then hopping on one leg. As he explained to WAB students, Kai lost his left leg to bone cancer at the age of 15.
"He has an incredible aura and he is a very good speaker," said Sonia Gaillard, ES mother and a friend of Kai's. "This was a great
opportunity for the kids to listen to him and a great way of connecting them to the Paralympics."
In addition to sharing the message with WAB students that anyone can
achieve, Kai had the opportunity to learn about the Mid-Autumn Festival
and mooncake making with ES students.
At the age of 40, Kai no longer competes competitively. He lives in Vancouver and works for Coca-Cola, which he joined during the Winter Olympic Games in Torino in '06. Thanks to the Gaillard family for arraning Kai's visit to WAB!