Paralympic athlete spoke at Cross Island YMCA

BY CHRISTOPHER BENINI

Wednesday, August 6, 2008 7:48 PM EDT

When Jeff Glasbrenner began speaking from his wheelchair to the more than 200 summer camps kids at the Cross Island YMCA, they probably didn’t think they were looking at an athlete that would represent the U.S. in Beijing.

However, Glasbrenner, who is originally from Wyoming, is a U.S. Paralympic wheelchair basketball player that will represent the U.S. in the Paralympic games in Beijing this September.

“He was very smooth and inspirational,” said Karen Johnson, who is the Director of the summer camp at the Cross Island YMCA. “He was incredible and really got the children motivated.”

Glasbrenner started the day by doing tricks in his wheelchair, and then he went on to tell the children about his inspirational story. He lost his leg when he was 8 in a farming accident, but it wasn’t until the next year that an incident occurred that motivated him to overcome his disability.

Glasbrenner told a story about how he was sitting on the couch flipping through the channels on the television when he asked his mom to bring him a soda. His mom responded saying, ‘Alright, but this is the last soda I am ever bringing to you.’ It was from that point on that Glasbrenner knew that he had to take initiative and not use his disability as an excuse.

“He was very real and moving,” said Johnson. “He told about his life like it was, and I think the children appreciated that.”

Meanwhile, Johnson said that the way he closed out his speech was the most touching and greatest motivator of all.

“Anyone can be disabled at any given moment,” Johnson said. “And really, everyone is disabled in their own way; we all have something about us that is a disadvantage.”

Johnson said Glasbrenner really tried to tell the children to reach for their highest potential and don’t hold anything back no matter if you have any problems or disabilities.

After he spoke to the children, he went down to the local park and the kids played basketball with Glasbrenner.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CROSS ISLAND YMCA
Jeff Glasbrenner a U.S. Paralympic wheelchair basketball player spoke to summer campers at the Cross Island YMCA.