By Tamas Mondovics
Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay, a program of Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation, enjoyed the spotlight last month, after a record setting day during the National Junior Disability Championships.
The tournament was held July 16-22 in Middleton, Wisconsin, with hundreds of athletes from across the country participating.
The Adaptive Sports USA Junior Nationals is for athletes ages 6 to 22 with physical disabilities and is the oldest and largest continuously held competitive sports event in the country.
When it was over the Hillsborough County team in its Small Team Division posted nine national records along with top team honors.
According to the sports coordinator for Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay, Andy Chasanoff, the team’s three athletes competed in track and field, swimming, archery, and weightlifting.
In all, Eric Lowry, 17, of Land O’ Lakes, Danielle Kanas, 12, of Lutz, and 15-year-old
Logan Krepop of Parrish won 18 gold, 11 silver, and four bronze medals.
One of the gold medals came when Danielle shattered the old national record in the javelin by a stunning six meters.
“They worked so hard in practice, and their hard work really paid off,” Chasanoff said. “They were very focused and very supportive of each other. You could see the effort they put forth.’’
A signature program of Hillsborough County’s Parks and Recreation, Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay offers year-round sports and recreation programs to promote healthy lifestyles, independence, and personal growth for people with physical disabilities.
For info on Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation Paralympic Sport Tampa Bay visit www.hcflgov.net.
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