Montage: Week 1

So ages ago, I drove across the line to the US to purchase this little gizmo, a Flip video camera. I've used it a bit since then, mostly shooting tutorials, flip throughs of some of my ROD journals and clips of Indy swimming, which I've patched together using Windows Movie Maker, which I really knew very little about. Other than that, my Flip has mostly sat in a drawer in my studio. Well, no more!

This week, Vivienne's new class, Montage launched and I've been working hard (or if I'm being truthful here, obsessively) on putting together my first video. At the beginning, I was kind of freaking out, not sure what I was going to do. This is usually what happens when I step outside my comfort zone but I take it as a sign that whatever's about to happen is going to be GOOD! After much hemming and hawing on Monday, I suddenly knew what I was going to do when I woke up on Tuesday. Sometimes, you just have to trust in the process.

I've learned a few things this week about Movie Maker, not the least of which is that it's possible to save something in such a way that you simply cannot revisit it later for further edits. Ask me how I know this. Yes, I did the impossible, somehow. Lesson learned. Fortunately, I was 99.99% finished when this happened, so essentially, it wasn't the end of the world. There are a couple things I would have like to have changed (which 1000's will pass and never know) but what's done is done and I'm letting it go. 

What I've learned this week about the process of making a soulful video is that for me, the magic comes in syncing audio to the video and stills. I love finding the most effective way of illustrating the lyrics, arranging things so that the rise and fall of the music drives the story and selecting the right transitions to underscore the important moments. It's exciting stuff!

My classmates have started posting their videos and they are so unique and interesting and beautiful. It's inspiring to catch a glimpse of who they are and to experience their stories in this way. 

Here's a peek at what I was able to create:

Remains of the Day: Olympic & Paralympic Edition

From the very first day of my involvement with the Games, I began collecting ephemera, with the idea that I would create a journal with all the bits and pieces. Every day my teammates would see me picking up all kinds of stuff and shoving it in my backpack. On the night of the Opening Ceremonies, I even went so far as to scoop up a soaking wet ticket I found in the street. I don't know who was crazy enough to toss it away, but it dried out just fine and it's sewn into my book now!

I haven't had a chance to complete all the journalling I want to do, but I decided to share it with you anyway. I took it to my team's reunion dinner last month and it was the envy of everyone there. Having seen what I did with all the "junk" I collected, they don't think I am so off the wall now!

Tri-Cities Celebration of Ability Speech

People have been asking if I would post the speech I gave last Friday at the Celebration of Ability. Your wish is my command-here it is!

*****

I’m incredibly pleased and honoured to be invited here today to share with you my experience with the 2010 Olympic & Paralympic games.

I’ve been in love with the Olympic Games my entire life and as little girl, I can remember wishing that someday, somehow, I would have the chance to be involved with the Olympics. I was absolutely elated when Vancouver won the bid to host the 2010 Games. While preparations were underway, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, an incurable and progressive neurological disease, but I was determined that I would do everything in my power, not to miss the chance to fulfill my life-long dream.

During the Olympics, I served as an Event Services volunteer at the Stadium. Two weeks before the games started, I got a phone call. There was a woman with a thick Australian accent on the other end, talking so quickly I was having trouble understanding what she asking me to do, but I said yes anyway.

I‘d made up my mind that I would go into this experience with an attitude of “YES” and whenever I was asked, I would serve in whatever capacity was needed. I’ve learned over the years that when you step up and give as much as you can, in every way that you can, you get so much more in return and more often than not, what comes back to you far exceeds anything you could ever envision. What I had unknowingly said yes to was being directly involved with the athletes of the world during the Opening and Closing ceremonies. At that point, I thought WOW! This is absolutely incredible!” I didn’t think it could get to get any better than that...but it did.

When the Olympic torch relay was being organized, I was so caught up in

preparing to volunteer at the Olympics that the whole thing just blew right by me. I, did however, watch the torch run, thanks to the brilliant relay route information given by Mayor Stewart on Youtube. (Which incidentally was so entertaining, that I actually watched it several times.)

Last December, the call went out for people to apply to carry the torch in what was to be Canada’s first ever Paralympic Torch Relay. I applied online and as soon as I’d done it I told my husband that I knew I was going to be a torchbearer. Just so we’re clear, it had absolutely nothing to do with ego. I simply understood with every fibre of my being that I’d stepped out in faith and the universe was going to rise to meet me.

January 10th, I got the confirmation call and no one was as stunned as I was. For some reason, even though I live my life intuitively, I am continually surprised when it pays off. As part of the official process, the gentleman from VANOC informed me that I had to pass a skill testing question. He started

rattling off an equation while I madly scrambled for a pencil and paper and thought “DAMMIT JIM! I’m an artist, not a mathematician!” and while thankfully that did not pop out of my mouth, I did say “You do know that if I mess this up, it’s going to destroy me right?” He laughed and reassured me that he’d give me several chances, if need be. I am proud to report that somehow, I managed to come up with the correct answer, without a calculator, on the first try.

As it turned out, I was scheduled to run the torch during the 24 hour relay, which took place on March 11th and 12th in the downtown core near Robson Square. I arrived at the rendezvous point at 1 a.m. (or as I like to refer to the wee hours of the morning, o’dark thirty) to prepare for my leg. My team of 8 was collected and one by one, we were issued our torches and asked to share a bit about ourselves.

After we’d each had our turn, our team leader pointed out that she’d heard each of us say we were lucky to be chosen to carry the torch when really, luck had very little to do with it. She explained that VANOC and the Paralympic Organizing Committee wanted us to know that we were specifically chosen for being people who inspired others in our every day lives and embodied the Paralympic values of courage, determination, inspiration and equality. It was extremely humbling.

At 2:30 a.m., I stepped off the shuttle at my exchange point, after being cheerfully reminded by our driver to savour the moment and more importantly have fun. I was busy reminding myself to focus on not dropping my torch or lighting myself on fire. (Because the damage that MS has done to my spinal cord I the lost of all the feeling in my hands 3 years ago. Holding or carrying something like the torch, which weighs just over 3 lbs. with the gas canister engaged takes an enormous amount of concentration.)

I stood on Granville Street, with my family and friends who’d come to share this moment with me. The street was quiet for a few minutes and then I saw one of my teammates, torch in hand, running towards me. As he stopped, we turned to face one another and I held my breath as the flame leapt from his torch to mine. Instantly, I was standing in a circle of light and I felt the intense heat of the flame on my face.

I’ll let you in on a little secret: what nobody knew was that inside my mitten was a photograph of my beloved grandfather, whom I’d lost in 2004 after he spent a lifetime of struggling with the effects of diabetes and strokes. Over the years, no matter how bad things got for him, he simply carried on with his life and not once did it occur to him to give up or to bow to his illness. He never knew of my diagnosis, but his life has served as a fine example of resilience, grace and courage and it seemed only fitting that in this symbolic way, he too should carry the flame.

I walked down Granville torch held high and turned on Smyth, waving back to onlookers as I passed. It was like walking in a beautiful dream, which for once didn’t include rain. Up ahead I could see Michelle, the next torchbearer waiting for me. I raised my torch and we watched as the flame leaped once again. We hugged and she was off. I had just enough time to pose for a few quick photos before the key was turned and the flame was extinguished. Just like that, I’d become a part of Paralympic and Canadian history and like all important moments in our lives, this one had flown by too quickly.

Having been so involved in so many aspects of the Games, I was struck by how committed the organizing committees of both the Olympics and Paralympics were to making the 2010 games inclusive. People with disabilities were highly visible during the games, not just as Paralympic athletes or performers at the ceremonies-they were also volunteers. John Furlong has spoken many times about the innumerable sacrifices Blue Jackets made in order to serve. For me, every day was a challenge. I’d just been through 5 months of chemotherapy in an effort to try and get my MS into remission and was in the process of recovering from that in the weeks leading up to the Olympics. I was struggling with a number of symptoms as the same time but I was determined to be well enough to serve.

In the month of February, I worked 14 hour days (that’s including the

commute) and had two days off during the entire month. Every night, I’d

literally drag myself home and I’d be asleep before my head even hit the

pillow. It was utterly exhausting, but I loved every minute of it.

I could have attempted to make things a little easier on myself, by disclosing that I was dealing with serious health issues, but I chose not to and here’s why: I wanted to be the one to make the decisions about what I could and couldn’t do. I felt reasonably confident that I could take on whatever was thrown at me and find a way to make it work, after all, I live with the unpredictability of the effects of MS every single day and I’m nothing if not a creative problem solver.

I won’t try to tell you that there weren’t moments where I thought “What on earth have I gotten myself into?!?” but I had a dream that became a mission and I wasn’t going to let anything prevent me from seeing it through. When things got tough, I would stop and look around me. I’d be standing directly beneath the Olympic flag, in the middle of a group of athletes, or walking through a sea of red and white in Yaletown. I’d remind myself that I was in a time and place that I would never, ever be in again. The honour I felt being in that unique position would re-energise me.

The theme of the Paralympic Games was “One Inspires Many” and I think that as a country and as a province, we embraced that and set the bar really high with the example we’ve set for equality and inclusion. I was recently on the website for England’s 2012 Summer Games and I was really excited to see that they have been actively seeking volunteers with disabilities. A recent study conducted by UBC (The University of British Columbia) on the impact of the Olympic Games, found that Canadian Employers are 25% more likely to hire people with disabilities as a direct result of the favourable impressions of the 2010 Games.

I believe our challenge now is to continue that work with the same energy and enthusiasm we showed the world to create communities where opportunities to contribute in meaningful ways exist for everyone. It begins with one person taking up the torch and lighting the way.

Good Things To Share

I have a couple pieces of exciting news to share:



The first is that I was asked to be one of three guest speakers at the Tri-Cities Celebration of Ability on December 3, 2010. I've been asked to speak about my experience as a Paralympic Torchbearer at the 2010 Games. If you are local and interested in attending, the event is FREE, but due to limited seating, you must register. (Click the link to get all the info and to register.)



The second lovely piece of news is that I received an email on Friday inviting me to participate in a new mixed media book that is in the works! It will hit the shelves some time in 2012. I've already begun working on my submissions.



I am very honoured to be asked to participate in these kinds of things. It never gets old and I enjoy the ways that things like this challenge me-I always learn something new.



Okay, that's it for the moment. I have a ton of work waiting for me in the studio!

What's Up?

Hello again! I haven't updated "the list" in awhile, so here's what's going on lately:

Creating: I'm working on a number of projects at the moment, one of which is the second edition of Manual Dexterity Zine for the annual zine exchange. Here's the very beginnings of that project:

Pages for my zine, in progress.

Yes, I am sewing them ROD style because who doesn't love sewing paper? Obsessed? Yesiree!


I particularly like this one. Simple but the clean lines gives it punch.




Reading: Right now I'm 3/4's of the way through Psychovertical by Andy Kirkpatrick. Yet another mountaineering book. (Another obsession!) Next in line is Dancing on Ice: A Stirring Adventure, Risk and Reckless Folly. How's that for a title? According to the write up this is what it's about:





"In 1930 the dashing Gino Watkins led a group of fourteen intrepid and largely inexperienced young men (including the author's father) to pioneer the first commercial air route between Europe and America. Alongside high adventure, triumph and tragedy, Scott paints a stunning portrait of two lost worlds: the Inuit hunters of the polar regions and the Brideshead generation of English men addicted to adventure.





One member of the expedition was stranded alone on the ice cap for five months, for much of the time in total darkness. Blizzards raged continuously and temperatures dropped to -41°C. For six weeks he was utterly trapped in an ice cave, unable to get out as his companions mounted a desperate, last-ditch rescue attempt."





I tend to read alot of mountaineering, polar exploration and iditarod books. Anything about ice and snow adventure engages me.



Watching: Hmm..let's see...Breaking Bad, Glee, Ice Pilots NWT and HOUSE just wrapped up. Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers are still on. I am also watching So You Think You Can Dance and a brand new mini series that started last week called Persons Unknown. It kind of reminds me a bit of The Lost Room. (Which I loved.) I think they are shot in a similar manner.





Listening: The last couple of days I've been going through my mixed CD collection (which is extensive) and ripping tracks I want to keep and culling the herd. I added a whopping 270 new tracks to my iTunes library. *boggles* My friend Penn offered to take all my cast-offs off my hands, which is great because I'd always rather re-home something rather than turf it if I can. (Being a Tree Huggin' Granola and all.)



Dreaming: I'm in the process of planning a trip we'll be taking later this year to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. I am really excited about it and I think it's going to be a really good time. Can't wait!



Doing: I've been changing out the art on my inspiration board. The one above my desk is completely empty and I changed out the art on one wall completely. I also reorganized my bookshelves so they have less clutter. Less clutter in the studio means less clutter for the mind, I think!





Anticipating: Going out for lunch with friends and hanging out with my artsy peeps on the weekend. Simple pleasures are the best.



In other news, I was asked to do an interview for Shared Voices which is the MS Society's Lower Mainland Chapter newsletter. The interview was about my Olympic and Paralympic Torchbearer experience.
Here's a peek:



I've been busy the last few days tending to Indy, who developed an eye infection on Monday. Poor little guy was pawing madly at his eye. I got him in right away to see our lovely vet (he's the nicest man and sadly, he's about to retire) and after being so good about sitting still for an eye exam that looked horribly uncomfortable to me, he got some medicine. I have to put ointment on his eye three times a day and while it's not his favourite thing, he's good about letting me work on him. It's starting to look like the medicine is working, which is a relief because it breaks my heart to see him suffer. He should be healed up by Sunday, hopefully.



So...that's what's going on in my little corner of the world.

More Fun & GAMES!

Just when you thought my posts about the 2010 Olympics were over...*laughs* ...more news! Today seemed to cosmically be "Olympics day". This morning, I was cleaning out the closet in my bedroom. I put my winter clothes away and hung up the summer ones. I took down and carefully folded all the pieces of my blue uniform, packing them away for now. As I did so, I was thinking about all the wonderful memories I have from the Games.

This afternoon, I finally got my certificate for my participation in the Games. We've all kind of been wondering what had happened to them, as there seemed to be some confusion as to how we were getting them. Then *poof* it turned up in the magic mailbox today! Yay!

In addition to today's surprise, last week I got an invitation via email, for all the "Blue Jackets" to attend an event at the Athlete's Village on Saturday. I'm going and hoping to meet up with members of my team. (The Athletes' Marshalls.) It will be really great if we can catch up with one another. I'll share details when I've been gone and went. I am sure it's going to be a good time and I'll take my camera.

Then tonight, as I was getting dinner ready, my phone rang. It was someone from the MS Society asking me if I would agree to do an interview about being a Paralympic Torchbearer. I agreed to do the interview later tonight, by phone. The article will be appearing in Shared Voices, which is the MS Society's newsletter, I'm just not sure when, but when its available, I'll let you know.

I guess I will have more "stuff" to add to my Olympic ROD journal!

One More Games Adventure

Yesterday, my husband and I headed downtown to have our last official Games related adventure. We'd planned to go early to the Mint pavilion to see the Olympic and Paralympic medals, but when we arrived, a full hour before opening, the line had wrapped itself around the entire building. If you knew how large that library is, you'd appreciate just how long that line up was. As disappointed as I was to have to skip it, I just couldn't justify wasting 3 or more hours standing in line. Life's just too short.

Instead, we walked up the the Vancouver Art Gallery and got into a really short line to see the BC pavilion. The photo above is the pretty fountain at the back of the gallery grounds.

Next to the fountain is the Olympic and Paralympic countdown clock. I figure I'd better get one last photo while I still could.

In addition to the BC pavilion, the art gallery also has the Leonardo Da Vinci show on, which I was dying to see. I am a huge "fan" of Da Vinci.

This is some projected wall art in the BC pavilion.

More of the projections. You can see Science World, which was home to Sachi House during the Olympics, as well as the Stadium where the ceremonies were held. The twin peaks are "The Lions", mountain peeks on the north shore.

Some more wall art, though this is actually on the wall and not a projection.

Salmon! These are projected on the floor and when you walk amongst the spawners, they actually swim to avoid being stepped on.

Here's one avoiding my foot. I believe it's the same technology that was used to create the spectacular illusion of whales in the floor during the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics. *Very* cool!

Because BC is known for its forestry industry, the use of wood was a key component to our games. The medal podiums were made from the 6 main types of trees logged in BC. This funky chest reminds me of Dr. Seuss.

Some First Nations' art.

The gallery has beautiful architecture.

Gorgeous!

The view of the rotunda from above on the 4th floor.

After we saw the BC pavilion portion of the gallery, we went downstairs to see the Da Vinci exhibit. It was really interesting. There were pages taken from his diaries, suspended between two pains of glass so you could see both side up close. It's amazing to think that he once held these pages in his hands and put pen to paper to record his ideas for posterity. I wonder if he ever dreamed that almost 5 centuries later
his work would still be in existence?

We finished off our day heading into Richmond to shop, which I told you about yesterday. It's hard to believe the games are officially over, as of this evening. I taped the closing ceremonies and will be watching them tomorrow.

I have to say that going into this whole crazy adventure, I never imagined I would be rubbing elbows with athletes, witnessing the ceremonies up close and personal, or carrying the Paralympic Flame and becoming a part of history. It's been a bit surreal (and often exhausting!) at times, but I am so glad I did it. I have a ton of wonderful memories to show for it and the satisfaction of having served my country, my province and most importantly, the athletes of the world. I got to do everything I ever wanted to do at an Olympic games and more. I can definitely cross this off my life list with a big, happy check mark!

The 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay

Finally, some photos of the 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay! If you scroll over them, you will see the captions, as they play.

I did my leg on Grandville Street between Robson and Smithe, then turned right on Smithe and went down a block. All the legs were about 200 m. It was really wonderful doing that particular leg-Grandville has alot of cool marquis that were lit up, so the whole distance had a bit of a surreal quality to it.

They had a shuttle bus that goes along the route and dropped Torchbearers off at their location. Once you finished your leg, you would get back on the shuttle and they would disarm your torch. (Take the gas canister out and clip the gas line.)

My team, the group doing the relay between 2 & 3 a.m., had our briefing and then we each shared our Torchbearing stories with one another. The woman who was in charge of our group told us that while we'd all said we were "lucky" to be chosen, luck had nothing to do with it. She said we'd all been chosen, based on our essays and that we were carrying the torch because the VANOC committee felt we were the kind of people who inspire others in our everyday lives. WOW! What a nice thing to say!

My group included Craig, who was in a wheelchair and lit the cauldron at 2 a.m.; a summer Olympic athlete, Benoit Huot from Montreal who is a Paralympic swimmer; a small town doctor; Kevin who lit my torch; Michelle whose torch I lit and several others.

When I got to my location, friends and family were waiting there for me. Kevin came along and lit my torch and I was off, with my loved ones following along, which was great! As I was walking my leg of the route, I was waving at everyone who had stopped to watch. At 2:37 a.m., I was happy to see as many people out and about as I did!

After the relay, I went home and got a few hours sleep. I 'd received an invite via the Mayor's office to go to Livecity Downtown in the afternoon. It's one of the Paralympic venues where they have the Canada pavilion as well as Le Centre de Manitoba. My son came with me, as well as some friends. 100 Torchbearers turned up, the largest gathering of Torchbearers ever. The Mayor, Gregor Robertson and John Furlong, President of VANOC were there and I made sure I had pictures taken with both of them.

Afterward, my son and I went for dinner and then headed off to see the Opening Ceremonies. I'll be posting about that next!

The Countdown is On!

Yesterday evening I went to pick up my Torchbearers' uniform. Here's the logo on the back of my jacket.

One side of the left arm...

...and the other side. Colourful, isn't it?

These are the special mittens. You can see they look just like the red mittens everyone bought during the Olympics, but with two very important differences:

The maple leaves are made of grippy rubber instead of being fuzzy...

...and the top side of the mittens bear the Paralympic symbol, the Agitos. (Latin for "I move".) These are going to be rare as hen's teeth because they are only for the Torchbearers and won't be sold in stores.

Here's my toque.

A close up of the patch on the toque.

This is my official leg of the 24 Hour Torch Relay. Unbeknownst to me, VANOC used the 24 hour clock when handing out the relay times. You can imagine how surprised I was to discover I was running my leg at 2:37 a.m. !! YIKES! This means I have to be up at midnight to make the collection time of 1 a.m.!

It's going to be a really long (but exciting!) day for me because on Friday afternoon, I have been invited via the Mayor's office to a special Paralympic Torch Relay celebration at LiveCity Downtown in the afternoon and then we have tickets to the Opening Ceremonies in the evening. Somewhere between doing the torch relay and the celebration, I will need to fit a nap in!

They gave us all our info in these cool folders. I will be recycling mine into my Olympic/Paralympic ROD journal, which is in the works.

Inside was some postcards and stickers, which are also destined for my ROD journal.

When I went to pick up my uniform, there were a ton of people there to do the same thing. People in wheelchairs, people with guide dogs, local celebrities (I stood next in line to Mi Jung Lee, a local news reporter, who is also running a leg in the relay.) and everyday folks. It looked like a nice cross-section of British Columbians were chosen to participate in the Relay.

I also, by chance got to meet the Torchbearer who will be lighting my torch. His name is Kevin and he lives in my community. He's #146, I am #147.

I am really excited that in 16 hours, I will hold my torch in my hands and walk it into the official Paralympic history books. I know the moment is going to be fleeting ( as all the best moments of life are) but I will be savouring every second. Hopefully my guys will be able to get good photos and perhaps capture it on video as well. For one brief moment, I will literally get to be a luminary.

Back soon with a story to tell. It doesn't get any better than this!

Photo Gallery

Hi Everyone, I wanted to do a quick post to let you know there are some wonderful photos of the Paralympic Torch Relay so far, on the Vancouver 2010 website. They are very inspiring, especially the ones of one torch lighting another.To see them, click here. Be sure to bookmark the site and check back, as they are updating it daily.

Only 4 more days!!

Aqua Dog!

We went into Vancouver this morning to Spanish Banks to take Indy for a swim. It's a balmy 12C here today! This is the first time he's gone swimming in the ocean. He's splashed around in the tide line before out at Crescent Beach when he was a puppy, but all of his swimming has been in either rivers or lakes. I wasn't sure how he would be with waves, but being a true water dog (and a Pisces!) he didn't seem intimidated at all.

When we take him for a swim, he's interested in one thing only: fetching either a ball or more often than not, his aqua Kong. We have three of these and they are his favourite beach toy. This one is brand new, a freebie from the Kong company.



I'm telling you, when it comes to Labs, it's the only thing that stands up to their love of gripping something with their paws and chewing. Labs have webbed toes, so they seem to be more adept at using their paws like hands than most dogs, which results in them being able to rip things apart easier. We've bought many, many other toys and they last about 5 minutes. Indy has a Kong he's had since we first brought him home. He's gnawed that thing to death and it's still perfectly fine. Best money I ever spent, really!

I love this pic- that's sheer, unadulterated joy right there.

There's this gnarled old tree stump on the beach. I like the way it's all twisted and the bark has been stripped off by the wind.

View looking towards the North Shore of Vancouver.

ACK! This would have been a nice shot, if I hadn't gotten water on the lens. I didn't even notice-Indy kept coming up to me and shaking off and must have gotten the camera wet. Well...it's downtown Vancouver, anyway.

I had a couple people on the beach ask me about my Olympic experience, as I was wearing my blue jacket. One thanked me for volunteering, which, while totally unexpected, was very nice. It's nice to be appreciated.

It was good to get out for some fresh air and quality time with my sweetie and our dog, especially since I haven't been home much in the last 5 weeks.

While I am thinking of it, I wanted to thank everyone who either posted, emailed me or called to say such lovely things about my upcoming Torch bearing for the Paralympic Torch Relay. I am deeply touched to hear such kind words and thank you to everyone local who said they would come cheer me on! Only 5 more days!

HUGE News!!

Hello friends! I have HUGE news to share with you. I have been keeping a secret: On January 11th, 2010, I got a phone call informing me that I had been chosen to be 1 of 130 people in BC and 1 of 600 Canada-wide to carry the Paralympic flame!! As you can imagine, I was almost beside myself and I started crying on the phone. The gentleman who called me probably thought I was nuts, but his news really took my breath away.

I have finally been given permission to share this incredible news with all of you and I can't tell you how humbled I am to have a chance to become a part of Paralympic history. This is the first Paralympic Torch Relay ever.

I have the option of purchasing my torch and when my Father and Mother-In-Law heard, they generously sent me an early birthday gift, a cheque to cover the cost. I can't tell you how sweet that was. It means an awful lot to me.

For those of you who are local, I really hope that you will come down to share this special moment with me. It would be so wonderful to have some familiar faces in the crowd and nothing would make me happier. I will be carrying the torch at Robson Square, 800 Robson Street, Vancouver on March 12, 2010, between 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Please email me and let me know if you plan to attend so I can keep an eye out for you!

In addition to the torch, I will also be wearing and keeping this cool uniform:

The mittens are special-they are like the red Olympic mittens, but with two important differences: instead of having the Olympic rings on them, they bear the Agitos, the official symbol of the Paralympic Games and the maple leaf on the palm side is made of special grippy material to aid in the handling of the torch. These mittens will not be available in stores.

The torch for the Paralympics is steel blue, much like the uniform. More information about the Torch Relay can be found here.

So...all I can tell you in the midst of all this is that if you're going to dream, dream BIG. My story began with "Once upon a time, there was a little girl who loved the Olympics.." and it has the very best of fairytale endings.