"Stars, Stripes, and Reaching New Heights" - Ed Salau Selected As Keynote Speaker for 2008 Adapted Sports Day
The 12th Annual Adapted Sports Day will be held on Saturday, November 22, 2008 from 9:30 am – 3:30 pm at the Student Recreation Center on the campus of East Carolina University. This unique event is a collaborative effort of the East Carolina University Department of Campus Recreation & Wellness Adapted Recreation program, ECU Health & Human Performance, Pitt County Community Schools & Recreation, and the local community’s Support Team for Active Recreation (STAR). Adapted Sports Day introduces individuals with and without disabilities to a wide variety of adapted sports such as rock wall climbing, wheelchair volleyball, slalom course, bowling and billiards, tai chi, hand cycling, racquetball, wheelchair rugby, wheelchair tennis, shuffleboard, tennis, quad rugby, power/wheelchair hockey, innertube water polo, and bocce’.
In celebration of the 2008 Olympics/Paralympics and ECU's affiliation with the Wounded Warrior program the theme this year is "Stars, Stripes, and Reaching New Heights" and the keynote speaker is Ed Salau. Mr. Salau is a native of Eastern North Carolina who lost his leg in combat to a rocket propelled grenade. Following recovery from his injury, he became a PSIA certified ski instructor, climbed Mount Rainier, ran the Army 10-Miler and hand cycled in the Marine Corps Marathon. He served 11 years in the Marine Corps and was enlisted in the Army National Guard at the time of his injury. He has received the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two gold stars. As a civilian, Ed currently works as the Veterans Service Organizations & Charitable Organizations Liaison with the Wounded Warrior Battalion - East at Camp LeJeune. He has a Bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University and a Masters degree from Boston University. Mr. Salau's story has been featured on HBO and Nickelodeon. Past speakers have included wheelchair tennis player Harriet Enzor, Paralympic swimmer and runner Rudy Garcia-Tolson, wheelchair marathoner and basketball player Jean Driscoll, Paralympic swimmer Trischa Zorn, power hockey player Shawn Hessee, sprinter Brian Frasure, climber Mark Wellman, hand cyclist William Brady, golfer Bob Ronne, swimmer and road racer Ron Curll, the “Charlotte Crash” Quad Rugby team, and the “Port City Wheelers” Wheelchair Basketball team. Last year's keynote speaker, Dr. Harriet Enzor is expected to return and conduct a wheelchair tennis session and North Carolina Paralympian Heather Erickson is expected to attend.
A $5.00 registration fee covers breakfast, lunch, the keynote presentation, all instructional sessions, entry into facilities, and parking. Registration will be conducted on-site beginning at 8:30 am on the event date. Adapted Sports Day is open to participants of all ages and ability levels, students, spectators, and family members. East Carolina University’s Student Recreation Center is a state-of-the-art 150,000 square foot facility which includes six multi-purpose courts, an indoor running track, a 27 foot climbing wall, an indoor swimming pool with both lap and instructional areas, a concourse and juice bar, three multi-purpose rooms, and a 10,000 square foot weight and fitness area. Additional activities for bowling and billiards will be conducted in the Mendenhall Student Center which is directly adjacent to the Student Recreation Center. If you would like further information or are interested in serving as a volunteer or sponsor please contact David Gaskins at 328-6387.
