Get Ready for the Paralympics!🏅
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Season 2: Episode 80 Description
In today's episode: 🏅 Ten News Correspondent Kenny Curtis joins us to share the inside scoop on the Paralympics. 🏆 Did you ever wonder what it takes to become a champion? 🏓 Paralympic table tennis Bronze medalist Jenson Van Emburgh is here with some advice. And, test your Paralympics knowledge on today's Trivia on the Ten. ✅
Sources
What is para-biathlon at the Paralympic Games - YouTube
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TRANSCRIPT:
Bethany Van Delft 0:07
Hey, Ryry. Are you okay over there?
Ryan Willard 0:10
I'm just really upset that the Olympics are over. It's my favorite sporting event.
Bethany Van Delft 0:16
Ah, well, I've got some great news for you then. The Olympics are over, but something just as cool is about to begin We really? You know it. Today we're going to give you the scoop on the Paralympics. I'm Bethany Van Delft. It's Thursday, March 3rd, and this is the Ten News.
Sound Bit 0:37
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Bethany Van Delft 0:44
The 2022 Winter Olympics have come to an end. But some of the greatest athletes in the world are about to compete in a whole new set of games, the Paralympics. Paralympians are outstanding, incredible athletes, and here to break it down for us is Ten News correspondent Kenny Curtis.
Kenny Curtis 1:09
Is anyone out there going through Olympics withdrawal, you know, just sadly staring at the TV while holding an empty bag of chips? I mean, for weeks, we got to cheer on some of the world's greatest athletes and now it's just over. It's a lot to process but don't give up hope just yet because we don't have to wait long for the next amazing international sporting event. The Olympics may be finished but the Paralympics are right around the corner. The Paralympics is the largest international sporting event for disabled athletes. It's a very similar format to the Olympics and features countries and athletes from around the world. The biggest difference is that every athlete who participates in the Paralympics has a physical impairment of some kind, just like this year's Winter Olympics. The Paralympics will be held in Beijing, and it will feature 736 athletes and 78 metal events. Wow. There will be six sports in two disciplines, snow sports, and ice sports. Snowsports will include alpine skiing cross country skiing biathlon and snowboarding. While sports will include para ice hockey and wheelchair curling. And just like in the Olympics, Team USA is predicted to be a dominant force since it began participating in the Paralympics in 1980. American pair athletes have won 315 medals. At the 2018 Winter Paralympics, the US scored the highest number of medals coming in at 36 total. Not too shabby. Yes, so Team USA is looking to defend its reputation at this year's games. One of the athletes doing the defending is Danny Arrovitch. Arrovitch was born without her left hand and forearm but it hasn't stopped her from having an impressive athletic career. She recently competed in the Summer Paralympic Games in track and field. While there she was noticed by the skiing team and encouraged to try out for cross country skiing. She took to it like a pro and will now be competing in the cross country event in Beijing.
Sound Bit 3:15
It's really exciting. It's kind of crazy. I get to go to the same continent as I just was in six months. But the opportunity to compete in both summer and winter despite a global pandemic going on, we feel really lucky that we still have the opportunity to compete.
Kenny Curtis 3:28
Fans should also keep an eye out for Brittany Coury. Coury broke her ankle in a snowboarding accident in 2003, which ultimately resulted in an amputation. But despite her injury, her love for the sport never faded. And she took home a silver medal at the 2018 Paralympics. Now, Coury is ready to go. Now one of the most popular Paralympic events to watch is para ice hockey. The sport is played by athletes who have a physical impairment to their lower body. Instead of skates. The players use what is called sleds a sled-type contraption made out of double blades. Athletes have two sticks that help them get around on the ice and handle the puck. The US's biggest competition in para ice hockey is Canada. These two nations have met in the finals several times, including the last Olympics in 2018. Now the US managed to come out on top at that time, but it's sure to be strong competition in the rematch. Let's do this. The Paralympics begin on March 4th on NBC. Make sure to tune in and watch some of these amazing athletes make history.
Bethany Van Delft 4:46
See Ryan, you've got the Paralympics to look forward to. And dude, I promise your mind will be blown.
Ryan Willard 4:53
Okay, you were right. The Paralympics are awesome. I can't wait!
Bethany Van Delft 5:03
Do you ever think about what it takes to become a champion? Paralympic table tennis bronze medalist Jensen Van Emburgh is here with 30 seconds of advice for you, Ten'ers.
Jenson Van Emburgh 5:15
My 30 seconds of advice to you guys is to, you know, never give up whenever you're having, you know, a difficult time doing something or you're in a different situation is to always never give up. And to look at that there's a light at the end of the tunnel, and just to stay positive, and just keep going and remain positive and that you know, it's only temporary and that you will overcome it.
Bethany Van Delft 5:45
Thanks, Jenson. To hear our full interview with Jensen Vandenberg tune in to the Ten News Gets Extra on Saturday, March 5th.
LizaBanks Campagna 5:53
That's great! Hey, Ten’ers, this is LizaBanks Campagna. Here to give you a quick recap of President Biden's State of the Union address from Tuesday night.
Sound Bit 6:08
Last year COVID-19 kept us apart. This year. We're finally together again tonight. We meet as Democrats, Republicans, independents, but most importantly, as Americans.
LizaBanks Campagna 6:28
On Tuesday night, President Biden addressed the nation for the State of the Union address. The State of the Union is given once a year by the President in front of Congress to talk about the most important issues that America is facing right now. And how the President plans to tackle those problems. Usually, the President will talk about their agenda and what they've got planned, like what laws they really, really want to pass to address the issues in the country. There's been a lot going on this past week, and many people were curious to see what Biden would say, especially when it comes to the war in Ukraine. President Biden spent the first 10 minutes of his hour-long speech talking about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and how strong and resilient the people of Ukraine have been in the face of adversity.
Sound Bit 7:06
Every Ukrainian their fearlessness, courage, their determination literally inspires the world.
LizaBanks Campagna 7:12
First Lady Jill Biden had the Ukraine ambassadors or guests, and the ambassador received a standing ovation from members of Congress when the President recognized her and thanked her for coming. 13-year-old Joshua Davis was also a guest of the State of the Union. Biden invited Joshua to come because Joshua has type one diabetes, and has been a champion of lowering prescription drug prices for American families.
Sound Bit 7:33
Imagine what it's like to look at your child who needs insulin to stay healthy, and have no idea how in God's name, you're going to be able to pay for it.
LizaBanks Campagna 7:41
February 28th was also Joshua's birthday. And President Biden made sure to wish him a happy birthday in front of the entire Congress. Can you imagine the president wishing you a happy birthday? I wish I was that cool when I was 13. Biden ended his speech by telling Americans the State of the Union is strong because we the American people are strong. He said, "We are stronger today than we were a year ago and will be stronger a year from now than we are today." I love this part of President Biden's speech because it ended on such a positive note and reminded me that even in the face of everything going on in the world, we got this.
Sound Bit 8:14
We're the only nation on earth that has always turned every crisis we faced into an opportunity. The only nation that can be defined by a single word possibility. And my report is this. The State of the Union is strong because you the American people are strong.
Bethany Van Delft 8:39
Coming up next...
Sound Bit 8:40
What, what, what's the big idea?
Bethany Van Delft 8:43
Trivia on the Ten. At this year's Paralympics, we'll see wheelchair curling, para snowboarding, and para-ice hockey. Plus, there'll be a winter event involving two tough challenges. A long-distance cross country skiing race that features a shooting competition. I know. Can you guess the name of this Paralympic event? Is it a) Botchya b) goalball or c) biathlon? Did you guess it? The answer is C. The biathlon requires athletes to have endurance and accuracy. It started as a nordic sport combining skiing and shooting. No way. Check it out at this year's Paralympic Games. That's all we've got for today. But before we go, here's a quick note for the grownups. Thanks for listening to the Ten News. Look out for our new episodes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and extras on Saturdays, the Ten News is a coproduction of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts and is distributed by iHeartMedia. The Ten News creative team is cheering for our Paralympians and includes Tracey Crooks, Pete Musto, Ryan Willard, Tessa Flannery, and Nathalie Alonso. LizaBanks Campagna and Kenny Curtis contributed to this episode. Our production director is Jeremiah Tittle. And our executive producers are Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan. I'm Bethany Van Delft and thanks for listening to the Ten News. Guess who I'm rooting for in the Paralympics? Everybody. I am I know. I'm the worst fan or the best fan!
