Met with different individuals and had police escort out of city
I called Marty Morris, head of wheelchair athletics at the University of Illinois. We set up a meeting for 4 P.M. to give him a plaque at the Parkland College Olympic Memorial.
12 noon to 1 P.M. lunch break
1:30 P.M. Met IL state trooper David W. Tendrix who escorted me as I pushed just over 5 miles west on Highway 10 to Hwy 6 in Seymour, IN. Also met with The Champaign News Gazette reporter and photographer Vanda Bickwell who took some photos as I was pushing out of town.
2 P.M. to 3 P.M. short break after pushing in Georgetown
Immediately after pushing we jumped back into the Jeep and headed for a presentation with Marty Morris at the Olympic Memorial in Parkland College. We arrived at the Memorial just after 3 P.M. Andy took some photos of the park and we waited for 4 when Marty would arrive.
As we waited I noticed the memorial tribute and thought about how it reflected our tour’s mission. Part of the text on the memorial read as follows:
“Viewers of the memorial move through a series of intermediate platforms marked by light bollards and granite aggregate, reflecting the plateaus achieved then surpassed as the athletes pursue their dreams. Then to the climatic, final, inscribed granite platform beyond the gateway… the smallest but grandest plateau…representing the pinnacle of achievement, here they can view the surrounding countryside. It is this rising progression that is a metaphor for the path traveled by Olympians as they compete, strive, and excel through discipline and desire.”
Reading this inscription reminded me not only of the struggle that I would be undertaking on this tour, but also of the struggle that many Americans face with health and fitness. For some the challenge may seem overwhelming, it is a series of steps that will lead them to a healthier lifestyle. I hope that through this tour we can help, by providing the tools and resources and by motivating, many Americans to reach their next personal plateau, and then the next one after that in the cycle of struggles that leads to a life long health and fitness lifestyle.
4 P.M. I presented Marty Morse with the award for his tireless dedication to health and fitness for people with disabilities and for having coached three of the Olympic athletes listed on the monument.
5:15 P.M. Returned to the Baymont hotel left shortly after with Andy to go to Farm and Fleet, a store in Champaign. We bought flashing safety lights and slow moving vehicle signs for the trailer. We then went to Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club to buy some additional supplies and get some film developed.
Returned to the Baymont at 8:45 P.M:
We ran errands for a total of 4 hours. It was an unexpected 4 hours, but we are not letting the unexpected trials slow us down on this tour. The trials are often unexpected, but they are just a test of our perseverance and determination. We are continually having new plateaus placed in front of us and are trying our hardest to meet them and continue on. I hope that this determination is contagious and that it spreads to the American people through our tour message.
9 P.M. Began scanning in photos and updating journal to send in to, The Visibility Company, our command central for the tour. Finished with all updating at about 11: 27 P.M. and went to bed.
