Author: Rick Mc

International Women’s Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day :-), is marked on March 8 every year. …

The UN theme for International Women’s Day 2013 is “A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women,” while International Women’s Day 2013 has declared the year’s theme as The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum.

original on Facebook

I’m getting tired of holding up half the sky. … Would women please hurry up and take over. 🙂

I recently voted for Karen Cockburn as most inspiring Canadian female Olympian.

She’s high.

McKayla Maroney high.

And consistent.

Click PLAY or watch her vaults on YouTube.

Odd arm swing on the hurdle, though.

Utah’s Tory WILSON is the #1 vaulter in the NCAA.

Finalists for the AAI Award for top Senior Gymnast are Florida’s Marissa King, Penn State’s Sharaya Musser, Alabama’s Ashley Priess, Oklahoma’s Brie Olson, UCLA’s Vanessa Zamarripa and Michigan’s Katie Zurales.

Vanessa is the favourite, at this point. She’s been carrying the Bruins week after week this season.

I truly hope she wins Nationals at home. Vanessa, Kristina Baskett and Courtney Kupets have been my favourite NCAA gymnasts.

Kylee Botterman won in 2012.

… Inspiration porn is an image of a person with a disability, often a kid, doing something completely ordinary – like playing, or talking, or running, or drawing a picture, or hitting a tennis ball – carrying a caption like “your excuse is invalid” or “before you quit, try”. Increasingly, they feature the … quote. …

“The only disability in life is a bad attitude.”
– cancer survivor Scott Hamilton

This image of a little girl running on a set of prosthetic legs alongside Oscar Pistorius is often used as an example of inspiration porn.

Those who use the term, ABC’s Stella Young for example, should advocate for the abolition of the Paralympics.

They want everyone treated equally.

When I see Said-Elmahmoudi from Morocco put himself out there on the Karate Floor, I’m inspired to shut down this computer. And jump on to a mountain bike for a workout.

Click PLAY or watch him on YouTube.

If he can do it, what’s my excuse?

If I’m inspired by Mitchell Marcus and Jonathon Montanez, I’m inspired. It’s an emotional reaction.

I’m inspired too by people who overcome obesity, poverty, other hardships.

For the record, I feel there is a place in this world for the Paralympics.

Thanks MissEducated.

… In her time away from gymnastics, she became involved in endurance sports – marathons, triathlons – won the NPC National Fitness Competition (which qualified her as a professional IFBB fitness competitor), and became a dentist.

… “I started coaching youth gymnastics in August [2012], and by November, I had decided to compete again.” …

From gymnast to dentist – and back again

Desiree Walker – 33 yr. old – Level 7 Bars – 1st meet in 17 years

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Respect. 🙂

(via Masters Gymnastics)

I’m not getting much online from the big competition in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica won the men’s Team. Guatemala was second, Panama third.

Costa Rica’s Tarik Soto had the highest AA score in qualifying.

Guatamala won the women’s team, unsurprisingly.

AA
1. Ana Sofia Gomez 54.65 (Guatamala)
2. Monica Yool 53,400 (Guatamala)
3. Isabella Amado 49,300(Panama)

Leave a comment if you’ve got links to more substantial information.

Many of the top gymnasts were not 100%. Coaches still must try to select “winning” teams for Europeans hosted in Russia.

VAULT
Denis Ablyazin 14.075
Kudashov 13.255
Pavel Pavlov 13.125

P BARS
David Belyavskiy 15.030
Aleksandr Balandin 14.800
Nikolai Kuksenkov 14.000

H BAR
Nikolai Kuksenkov 14.950
Nikita Ignatiev 14.850
Daniil Kazachkov 14.100

Ablyazin ends up wtih 3 gold medals.

(via Full Twist)

Mustafina was taken out of day 2 Finals. To protect her knee.

BEAM
Eugenia Shelgunova 14.050
Polina Fyodorova 13.900
Ksenia Afanaseyva 13.775

FLOOR
Ksenia Afanseyva 13.600
Christina Goryunova 13.525
Alain Polyan 13.075

(via Full Twist)

full results on IG

Gymnast #391:

I’m also glad to see that some other older veterans like Pavlova, Myzdrikova, Kramarenko etc are still competing. Pavlova’s regional team won gold 🙂

Coach Cassie is looking to create MAG memorabilia.

Click through for more. Or to offer her advice.

SALES at Great West Gym Fest told me that men’s gymnastics is a great market. Little girl gymnasts have thousands of items to choose from each meet. The boys, very few.

I’d heard she’d stuck Maroney-like in podium training. WOGymnastike links to the video.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Grace Chiu is posting some pics on Facebook.

Brigid McCarthy is there — but why she’d leave sunny Australia for the cold and snow of Montreal, I have no idea — and posted notes on podium training for the Jr Russians, Romanians and Canadians.