|
Jeff Penner
ACHIEVEMENTS IN WHEELCHAIR SPORTS:
1994
- Began Mono Skiing (Downhill) - Became a certified level one downhill
Track 3 Ski Instructor. Has continued to volunteer as an instructor
two/three nights a week teaching bi and mono-skiers and has since become
a Level 3 Instructors Examiner responsible for certifying instructors. Jeff also competed in the Canadian
Championships in 97/00/01, however the podium has alluded him this far.
Maybe 2002 will be the year.
1996 - Competed at his
first Canadian National Alpine Ski Championships in Kimberly B.C. Down
Hill , Super G , Giant Slalom, Slalom .
1998
- Competed at the Canadian National Alpine Ski Championships for
persons with a physical disability. DH, SG, GS
, S
2000 -Canadian National
Alpine Ski Championships for the disabled
DH - dnf, SG - cancelled, GS - , S -
2001 - Canadian National
Alpine Ski Championships for the disabled
DH- , SG- , GS- , S- .
1994
- Founded the Ontario Modified Waterski Association (OMWSA) and held 10 waterski clinics, introducing 70 people (16 children)
to the sport of adapted waterskiing the first year. These people
had Cerebral Palsy, paraplegic, quadriplegic, amputee, Spina Bifida,
Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy and among others. Jeff's
true love as an able body was waterskiing and has skied disabled since 1983 when he started on a home made ski
his father and brothers helped him make.
1994
- Founded the Ontario Modified Hand cycling Association (OMHA) again
introducing children and adults to yet another recreation activity many
thought impossible.
1994
- Started coaching and playing sledge Hockey. His team is now the team to
beat in Canada. In 1999 two of his students
Bradley Bowden and Billy Bridges made the national team and competed for Canada in the World Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah, Gold medalists.
1986
- Played for the Canadian Mens National Wheelchair basketball Team,
winner of a silver medal at the Pan Am
Games in San Juan Puerto Rico. Also competed in Table Tennis but had to
forfeit match to play in Gold Medal Basketball Game.
1987
- Played for the Canadian Mens National Wheelchair Basketball Team
winning a silver medal at the World
Championships at the Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sport Games in England.
1988
- Played for the Mens Canadian National Wheelchair Basketball Team
Competed in the Paralympic Games in South Seoul Korea Placing 4th. Wheelchair
Basketball
1990
- Played for the Canadian National Wheelchair Basketball Team, bronze
medal winners both years, at the World Stoke Mandeville Games in England.
1996
- Named as a program coach to the Canadian Mens Wheelchair Basketball
Team in which he helped pick the team placing Patrick Anderson, (one of
his Jr.) on the team for his first time. Patrick is now arguably the best
player in the game today.
1997
- Followed up by attending the national mens training camp and the America's Cup as a team Canada program coach(regional playoff
for a Paralympic spot to Sydney 2000 held in Winnipeg) Team Canada - Golden
1997
- Won the first ever World Junior Wheelchair Basketball
Championships hosted in Canada as the Canadian teams assistant
coach, placing two of his local junior players on the starting line up.
Wheelchair Basketball Domestically
1984
- 1990 - 6 time member of the Ontario Wheelchair Basketball Team, winning
5 Canadian Silver medals and 1 gold medal.
1984
- 1991 - President of the Twin City Spinners Wheelchair Sport Inc.
1987
- founded Twin City Spinners 1st Annual Junior
Wheelchair Sport Camp. The 3 day camp hosts 24 full time participants and
3 day students. The camp is open to physically disabled children,
aged 4 to 21 years of age. The children participate in different
wheelchair recreational activities, such as tennis, basketball, swimming,
tag, talent show, obstacle course and more. The children are
encouraged to work towards independence in acts of daily living.
Jeff attended all three days of the camp as program director up till
1997.
1988
- founded S.W.A.D. (Spinners' Wheelchair
Activity Days) - a spin off of the Junior Camp, this is a series of
different recreational opportunities, every second Saturday.
Activities include the camp activities plus, water skiing, sailing,
swimming, scuba diving, Blue Jay Games, bowling, badminton, floor hockey,
T-ball, and sleigh rides and any other recreational activity that comes
along!
1992
- 1997 September - founded the Twin City Spinners Junior Wheelchair
Basketball Team. In 2 short years he coached his team of 15
youngsters, aged 10 to 21 years, to become the Canadian National Junior
Wheelchair Basketball Gold Medalists. Since then his team has 3
Repeated in 95,96,97. and
place 4th in the North American Basketball Championships in 1993.
1996 - 99 Assistant coach for the Ontario Mens Wheelchair
Basketball Team. Accumulating two gold medals and one silver.
1997
- Awarded Ontario's Male Coach of the Year.
1998
- Inducted into the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Hall Of Fame
Midland
- Jeff also played a big roll in helping the town of Midland, Ontario get
their wheelchair basketball program up and running, putting on a number
of clinics and collecting names of interested disabled people in the
area, while in communication with Midlands Park and Recreation
Department.
Dominican Republic - 1999 Jeff was sent to the Dominican Republic by the Canadian Paraplegic
Association, Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association and the federal
government to teach the game of basketball to the Dominican players.
Cuba - 2000 Jeff having done such a outstanding job in the Dominican Republic was asked to represent Canada again and lead the way, this
time teaching the Cuban coaches about the sport of wheelchair basketball.
Jeff
believes in community partnerships with organizations such as Parks and
Recreation and Children's Treatment Centres, sport clubs and
rehabilitation hospitals, developing recreational programs. He has
created many partnerships to offer an even broader range of recreational
activities the physically challenged can now participate in, including
sailing, sledge hockey and waterskiing.
He
has in the past worked with local schools to adapt track and field and
physical education programs, for the integrated, physically challenged
students.
Jeff's
public speaking engagements, emphasize the benefits of recreation is
inspiring, motivational and refreshing. His motto is: YOU CAN DO
IT, ANYTHING, YOU JUST MIGHT HAVE TO DO IT DIFFERENTLY! Jeff speaks
to children and adults and is always well received. Through his
company, Olympic Wheelchairs he is able to help people with disabilities
reach their utmost potential in life. He is an expert in maximizing
mobility and is able to "set up" wheelchairs so it becomes an
extension of your body. Jeff has enhanced the lives of many
people. He takes the "dis" out of disability. He
never gives up even when others have.
|
