Adirondack Ice Climbing and Skiing Trip

Not long ago the basic perception of the fierce Adirondack winters was about enduring rather then enjoying them. On March 13th, 3 juniors and 1 adult athlete of Team A Step Ahead traveled to the Adirondack Mountains in Lake Placid, New York. Edriss Crawley-Tate (AK), Sofia Castillo (AK), Victoria Cutrone-Foley (AK) and Craig Pratka (AK) not only endured but conquered the Snowy Mountains where the Olympic Games were held in 1932 and 1980.

The athletes spent the weekend mastering the ski slopes at the Whiteface Olympic Sports complex and ice climbing the technical faces of the Adirondack Mountains in the heart of the Keene Valley. As a group they learned the fundamentals and safety of skiing and ice climbing while mastering the technical aspects of both.

The weekend was a huge success for all. The level of confidence and pride the team walked away with was immeasurable. The athletes were accompanied by Amy Palmiero-Winters and Coach Dave Balsley.

Only a few weeks after returning from Beijing, China as a member of the U.S. Wheelchair Basketball team, below-knee amputee Jeff Glasbrenner competed in his 4th Ironman competition at the 2008 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. One of the newer members of Team A Step Ahead, Jeff is a multi-sport athlete who competes in running, triathlon and wheelchair basketball. In addition to his accomplishments as a triathelte at many distances, Jeff holds the record of 63 points scored in a wheelchair basketball game. Click the following link to view excerpts of his race at the Ironman World Championships:

http://www.astepaheadonline.com/jeffglasbrennerkona.html

Above Knee Amputee Runner Shatters Marathon World Record By More Than 45 Minutes

Hicksville, N.Y., January 20, 2009 - Sandy Dukat of Denver, Colorado, an above knee amputee and Paralympic athlete, shattered the world record for female above knee amputees at the PF Chang's Rock n' Roll Marathon in Phoenix, Arizona. On Sunday, January 18th, Ms. Dukat, a proud member of Team A Step Ahead, took on another athletic challenge by running her first marathon in a time of 4:40:46, breaking the previous above knee record of 5:27:04 held by another Team A Step Ahead athlete, Sarah Reinersten.

Prior to venturing into long distance running, Ms. Dukat has had a long and illustrious career in sports, competing in skiing, swimming, running, cycling, and triathlon. She has competed on the national and world stages in alpine skiing, culminating in a bronze medal in slalom at the 2006 Paralympic games in Torino, Italy. She has held records in swimming from the meters to 5 kilometer open water swims. She took first place at the New York City Olympic-distance triathlon in both 2007 and 2008, and won first place at the International Triathlon Union World Championships in 2008. In addition to her many competitive athletic accomplishments, in 2007 Ms. Dukat successfully climbed to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro - the highest mountain in Africa, with an elevation of 19,330 feet.

Reflecting on her first marathon after the race, Ms. Dukat said, "It is amazing how long you can push it and run fast and feel good and it is amazing how quickly it changes and you hit that wall. My marathon experience was fantastic and I'm thrilled with my overall finish. My result is a true testament to everyone who came together to support me. I want to thank Team A Step Ahead for always believing in me and for always challenging me, Coach Dave Balsley, Amy Palmiero-Winters for keeping me going and of course Erik Schaffer, owner of A Step Ahead Prosthetics who keeps making my legs faster!"

Ms. Dukat was accompanied throughout the entire race by her teammate Amy Palmiero-Winters, who is the world record holder in the marathon for female below knee amputees. Commenting on Sandy's marathon, Amy stated, "Anyone who knows Sandy knows there is nothing she can not do. Sunday's race was a true example of this. It was an honor to be a part of something so amazing." When not training and competing in sports, Ms. Dukat works for The Hartford as assistant program manager, sponsorships/ US Paralympics, coordinating their Paralympic Sponsorship program as well as doing motivational speaking.

Team A Step Ahead is a team of amputee athletes from around the world who compete in events including the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon, marathons, road races around the world, and the Paralympic Games. Team A Step Ahead's members have been very competitive against able-bodied athletes, placing and winning age group awards. Team A Step Ahead elite athletes hold or have held world records in the 100m, 200m, 400m, track and field events, the marathon and triathlons. Athletes receive training from coaches, prosthetists and physical therapists who are experts in working with amputee athletes, including world record-holding Paralympians. Team A Step Ahead is a program of A Step Ahead Prosthetics located in Hicksville, N.Y. The company's motto is "Live Life Without Limitations." For additional information on Team A Step Ahead visit www.astepaheadonline.com.

Kelly Bruno Interviewed on CBS News

Kelly Bruno of Team A Step Ahead was interviewed on CBS News regarding her participation in the 2008 US Open as the Open's first amputee ball girl.

Click here to watch the full video.

Kelly Bruno Featured in the New York Times, New York Post 

Team A Step Ahead makes a Big Impact at the Achilles Track Club Hope & Possibility 5 Mile Race

The adult and junior runners of Team A Step Ahead made a big impact at the annual Achilles Track Club Hope & Possibility 5 mile race. The event, held in New York's Central Park on June 22, is a 5 mile race that is open to able-bodied runners and athletes with disabilities. This year, Team A Step Ahead had 19 participants including 7 adult and 8 junior runners entered in a special relay and 5 adults who assisted the junior athletes.     

This year, through the efforts of Amy Palmiero-Winters and Karen Lewis of the Achilles Track club, 8 Junior Team A Step Ahead athletes were given special permission to hold a 5 mile relay within the race. Ranging in age from 18 months to 14 years, the juniors successfully completed the 5 miles around Central Park. Using a custom relay baton designed by A Step Ahead for the relay handoffs, the juniors demonstrated to all the runners and spectators that you can live your life without limitations.

The relay started off with a fast pace by Robert Berger who handed the baton off to Julia Brietenbach, followed by Alexandra Capellini, James Lozano, Cate Hughes, Anthony Desano, Larry Mantilla, and Jake Lillis.

The entire junior and adult Team A Step Ahead runners met Jake so they could all cross the finish line together as a team. Larry Mantilla (18 months old), the youngest member of Junior Team A Step Ahead was so excited at the end of the relay he crossed the finish line 3 more times to a resounding applause.  The juniors were assisted by Corrina Caval, Craig Pratka, Kuni Pinner-Raouf, Tony Carissimo, and Amy Palmerio-Winters.

The following adult runners participated in the full 5 mile race: Lauren Peters -- 50:29, Ben Simmons -- 51:31, Michael Laforgia -- 51:50, Shlomo Nimrodi -52:58, Peter Bremberg -- 58:38, Nick Androlia -- 1:08: 29 and Antoinette Dorazio -- 1:16:27.

Team A Step Ahead Triathletes Capture 4 Medals at the International Triathlon Union World Championships

Hicksville, NY June 11, 2008… On Saturday, June 7, four Team A Step Ahead athletes braved the cool air and cold water in Vancouver, British Columbia to capture four medals at the I.T.U. World Triathlon Championships. Competing against one of the largest fields of physically challenged athletes at a triathlon world championships, Team A Step Ahead once again excelled. The I.T.U. world championships are an Olympic distance triathlon consisting of a 1500 meter swim, 40 kilometer bike ride, and a 10 kilometer run.

In only her second major Olympic distance triathlon, Sandy Dukat took first place in the female above knee divison with a time of 2:57:50.  Only two weeks after breaking the world record in the Ironman triathlon in Brazil and despite two flat tires, Amy Palmiero-Winters took first place in the female below the knee division with a time of 2:25:55.  While working full time and studying to get in to medical school, Kelly Bruno posted one of her fastest times at the Olympic distance with a time of 2:33:48, taking second place in the female below-knee divison.  In the midst of training for Ironman Lake Placid, Tommy Koehler captured 3rd place in one of the most highly competitive male below-knee divisions in a time of 2:18:32. The water and weather conditions were severe enough to force the race organizers to cancel the swim portion for most of the age group competition.

The Team A Step Ahead triathlon team has a busy season ahead of it with more Ironman competitions for Tommy Koehler, Kelly Bruno, and Amy Palmiero-Winters, the New York City Triathlon/National Physically Challenged Championships, a first Olympic distance triathlon for Michael Laforgia, a triathlon in Tel Aviv Israel for Shlomo Nimrodi, and a first time ½ Ironman competition for John Tartaglio.  

Team A Step Ahead is a team of amputee athletes from around the world who compete in events including the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon, multiple marathons, road races around the world, and the Paralympic Games. Team A Step Ahead's members have been very competitive against able-bodied athletes, placing and wining age-group awards. These elite athletes hold or have held world records in the 100m, 200m, 400m, track and field events, marathons, and triathlons. Athletes receive training from coaches, prosthetists, and physical therapists who are experts in working with amputee athletes, including world record holding Paralympians. The company's motto is "Live Life Without Limitations."  For additional information on Team A Step Ahead, click here.

Amy Palmiero-Winters was quoted in Newsday on January 17th, 2008 regarding Oscar Pistorius being banned from competing against able-bodied athletes at the Olympic Games.

Click on the article to the right to view it, or click the link below to be redirected to the article on Newsdays web site.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/olympics/ny-lirun0117,0,6294974.story