Jennifer Hoover Your site is good! I want people to understand that all people are just the same in God's eye's. If you know of any sites or anything elas that you think might be helpful. My Email:[email protected] My URL:Visit Thank You!

Lauren Mazur - 01/27/00 15:34:07 Favorite Sport: swimming Your Favorite Team: AASCYYour Favorite Male Athelete: Richard (of course!) Vicky, Thanks for putting Richard's story in your web site. It is layed out nicely. I espcially like the way you layed out the pictures. I am going to forward this to all I know. Kind regards, Lauren

Gina - 01/29/00 01:21:14 My URL:Visit Your Favorite Male Athelete: Richard Mazur Your Athelete of the Year: Richard Mazur Comments:Just stopped by to see Richard! Nice job!

The following is an accumulation of information and replies to my email and other email I have received in regard to the most recent information posted on the front page of Sports & Disabilities.

From: Vicky Davis Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 10:06 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Eliminating S14 athletes in 2004 Dear Ladies & Gentlemen, I would like to address an issue that has recently been brought to my attention in regard to some countries entering athletes into a division of swimming, who were later identified as not qualifying under the guidelines as "Intellectual Disability." I am an individual who is an observer and interested in seeing that all individuals who do properly qualify under IPC guidelines, have an opportunity to participate in all competitive sporting events that they work extremely hard for. As I understand from what I have read in a media release dated January 29, 2001, some countries were identifies as having entered athletes who did not qualify for the S14 swimming event fairly. It seems to me that the approach your organization has chosen unfairly penalizes "ALL" athletes throughout the world for something a few may or may not be guilty of. Hasn't this problem been one that all amateur sporting events has encounter, including both Olympic and Paralympic games? What type of events would we have if all participants of any given sports were eliminated from Olympic and Paralympic games every two years? Eventually there wouldn't be any events left. This runs along the lines of Track & Field when an one athlete was found to be using a banned substance. All runners competing in the same event were not subsequently banned from the following Olympics. You simply must find a more balanced approach to resolving this problem. You have the ability to test people for drug abuse and take their right to participate away without penalizing all athletes from all countries. It seems to me that there are many qualified individuals to test and evaluate these athletes before they compete. I implore you, as a great supporter of all athletes able bodied as well as athletically challenged to reevaluate the upcoming 2004 Athens games. I have followed the US Swimming Team members who have worked so very hard to be ready for the Paralympic Games, they have from everything I have read and seen participate fairly and deserve the opportunity to represent the USA. Any additional consideration on behalf of these athletes would be greatly appreciated. Just as a note of information I maintain a website dedicated to disabled athletes and will be following this story with great interest as will those individual's who visit my site.

Dear Ms. Davis We appreciate the disappointment that the IPC's decision with regard to the participation of athletes with intellectual disabilities in the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games will cause many athletes, their families and friends. However, we hope that you will understand that this decision has been taken in the best interests of all current and future Paralympic athletes. We do not believe that athletes with an intellectual disability could be assured a fair competition under the eligibility system and protest procedures presented to IPC by INAS-FID. I would like to remind you that this decision is not based on the cheating of members of the Spanish Basketball team at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. The IPC had an independent investigation commission examine the eligibility system used by INAS-FID for the Sydney Games. Please remember that this investigation showed that two thirds of all registration forms of athletes with intellectual disabilities were invalid! (This did not imply that their intellectual disability was questioned, but that there was no system in place that guaranteed all athletes' eligibility.) Therefore, I am sure that you agree that such a system clearly needed considerable improvement. Therefore, the IPC's decision is not at all short-sighted, but rather long-sighted as we stand for fair rules, regulations and competitions for all athletes regardless of the type of their disability. The IPC will support INAS-FID in its efforts to establish a new eligibility system and protest procedures, which will meet our conditions in the best interest of all athletes. We already took a first step in showing our serious commitment to this group of athletes in 2001 by inviting INAS-FID back into the Paralympic Family after the suspension following the Paralympic Games. We sincerely hope that you understand this decision. Kind regards, Susanne Reiff

Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 9:21 PM [email protected] Subject: denial of intellectual disabilities into 2004 games Dear Sir, What a shame that your committee has decided to deny the S14 class athlete entry into the 2004 Paralympics. You have made a decision that only hurts the athletes that have honestly prepared for these games since Sidney 2000. I have never heard of making a decision because you can't decide how to catch those that choose to cheat. What next? Do we decide to ban specific sports from the Olympic Games due to cheating via doping? What steps need to be made to allow these hard working and deserving athletes entry into the 2004 Paralympics? What plans has the IPC made to rectify this injustice? Sincerely, Laurie Karr Head Coach Buckeye Swim Club Columbus, Ohio

Dear Lauren I understand that you and your son are extremely disappointed in the IPC decision but I also I believe you are either unaware or misinformed of the full facts. Difficult decisions need to be made all the time and these have to be made looking at the all the facts - what is fair for all without looking at it emotionally. Making accusations and 'finger point' without all the facts does not help anyone. For a start it was not only one part of the Spanish organization who were found to be cheating the system. There were 3 swimmers who competed in Sydney also who were not eligible. There are also more swimmers who are no longer competing international because they have not reached the necessary criteria. At the IPC Assembly in 2001 INAS was invited back into the IPC but with some very strict procedures that needed to be followed. These were the conditions applied by all IPC member nations. Unfortunately INAS has not met there obligations, in other words they have not fill the conditions laid down by the Assembly - the member nations. The conditions are in regard to eligibility criteria/classification and protest procedure. INAS has not met these conditions and the reason that we will not see, in swimmings case, S14 swimmers in Athens. It would be helpful if there was productive dialogue to work on a responsible classification system for S14 swimmers. Regards Anne Green Chairman IPC Swimming

From: Victor Machcinski Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 3:56 PM To: [email protected] Subject: support for the S14 athletes and the INAS-FID My grandson, age 16, is autistic and mentally impaired. He has developed mentally and physically under the tutelage of his mother, Lauren Mazur, to the point where he is on the varsity swim team and a sophomore at Dublin High, Ohio. There are many more like him who are penalized by the banning of all S14 athletes from the 2004 Paralympic games in Athens. The reason given is some cheating by a few in Spain claiming intellectual impairment when none existed.A certified medical statement would circumvent this loophole. Please re-consider. Dr. Victor A. Machcinski

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