"I had a renewed sense of hope, well
being and inclusiveness. Our circle
widened, James met people with their
own stories, and they had a bond that
has helped us all remember that beauty,
fun, laughter and yes, joy, continues
even in the midst of illness and loss."
Like the athletes he has trained,
adaptive water skiing has opened more
doors for Ray than he imagined. Ray
holds seven world records and 11 world
championship titles in waterskiing,
having traveled to Australia, Belgium,
France and Italy for competitions.
"It wasn't until I was disabled that
I found I was a natural-born athlete. It
sparked a flame in me," says Ray who
has run three Boston marathons and
holds titles in wheelchair basketball,
tennis and roadrunning."
The humble athlete reiterates that's
not his program's focus and wants to
motivate others through his successes.
"My message is never ever let go of your
dreams, you never know what you can
accomplish." Ray says.
For more information about
Adaptive Aquatics, visit
www.adaptiveaquatics.org.
— Allison Westlake
For more photos from Adaptive Aquatics
programs, visit Alabama Power's NewsCenter.
news.alabamapower.com/
S hor el i ne s | 2013 Vol:3
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