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CWAer Aims to Realize Dream At 2004 Paralympics in Athens
Jim Harlan is a world-class cyclist, a fearless skier who takes on Colorado's double black diamond slopes and - between his jobs as a ski patrol dispatcher and a preschool teacher - he occasionally squeezes in some rafting, kayaking and fishing.
Few able-bodied people do half that. Harlan does it all without use of his legs and only limited use of his hands and arms.
Harlan, who encouraged the Crested Butte Professional Ski Patrol to affiliate with CWA Local 7781 last year, has been a quadriplegic for 20 years. He broke his neck two weeks after graduating from high school, when he dove into a pool and landed in shallow water. At the time, he was a track star headed to college on a full scholarship.
The accident ended that dream, but Harlan didn't lose his passion for athletics or competition. He speeds down snow-covered mountains on a mono-ski, which has a small seat and "outrigger" devices for balance, and he's raced his way to a world championship on a hand cycle, a hand-cranked bicycle.
"I've been very lucky," he says as he chats between dispatch calls about his races and travels, and the family of close-knit coworkers he is part of in Crested Butte, a Rocky Mountain community four hours from Denver. Harlan has been a dispatcher there for 11 years.
Now Harlan is training for the ultimate event, the Paralympics in Athens this summer, held in conjunction with the Olympics. He will race in Georgia in May in hopes of qualifying for the U.S. Disabled Cycling Team.
His victories over the past three years, since a friend introduced him to the hand cycle, bode well for his chances on the Paralympic team. He won the gold medal for the 22-mile race at the World Championships in Germany in 2002 and has twice been the U.S. champion.
He says competition is getting tougher, with more disabled athletes in the field. So he's training harder than ever. Toward that end, Local 7781 has set up a fund to help him with training and travel costs.
Harlan, who has CWA stickers on his bicycle, said he's extremely grateful for the union's help and support. He races a Freedom Rider bike provided by the manufacturer, and he hopes to gain other sponsors. But he said they're hard to come by for disabled athletes.
He said he's learned from talking to Olympians, able-bodied and disabled, that they all worry about balancing training with the need to pay the bills.
"Last summer was stressful in that regard," he said. "My responsibilities - my family and my house payments and my coach telling me what he needs from me - trying to find that happy medium was very difficult and I know this next summer is going to be even more so. And this year there's a lot more at stake."
How to Help
Checks to assist Jim Harlan in his pursuit of a gold medal in Athens this summer may be made payable to "Crested Butte Ski Patrol/Paralympic Fund" and sent to Ruth Monte, CWA Local 7781, P.O. Box 1661, Crested Butte, CO 81224.
Few able-bodied people do half that. Harlan does it all without use of his legs and only limited use of his hands and arms.
Harlan, who encouraged the Crested Butte Professional Ski Patrol to affiliate with CWA Local 7781 last year, has been a quadriplegic for 20 years. He broke his neck two weeks after graduating from high school, when he dove into a pool and landed in shallow water. At the time, he was a track star headed to college on a full scholarship.
The accident ended that dream, but Harlan didn't lose his passion for athletics or competition. He speeds down snow-covered mountains on a mono-ski, which has a small seat and "outrigger" devices for balance, and he's raced his way to a world championship on a hand cycle, a hand-cranked bicycle.
"I've been very lucky," he says as he chats between dispatch calls about his races and travels, and the family of close-knit coworkers he is part of in Crested Butte, a Rocky Mountain community four hours from Denver. Harlan has been a dispatcher there for 11 years.
Now Harlan is training for the ultimate event, the Paralympics in Athens this summer, held in conjunction with the Olympics. He will race in Georgia in May in hopes of qualifying for the U.S. Disabled Cycling Team.
His victories over the past three years, since a friend introduced him to the hand cycle, bode well for his chances on the Paralympic team. He won the gold medal for the 22-mile race at the World Championships in Germany in 2002 and has twice been the U.S. champion.
He says competition is getting tougher, with more disabled athletes in the field. So he's training harder than ever. Toward that end, Local 7781 has set up a fund to help him with training and travel costs.
Harlan, who has CWA stickers on his bicycle, said he's extremely grateful for the union's help and support. He races a Freedom Rider bike provided by the manufacturer, and he hopes to gain other sponsors. But he said they're hard to come by for disabled athletes.
He said he's learned from talking to Olympians, able-bodied and disabled, that they all worry about balancing training with the need to pay the bills.
"Last summer was stressful in that regard," he said. "My responsibilities - my family and my house payments and my coach telling me what he needs from me - trying to find that happy medium was very difficult and I know this next summer is going to be even more so. And this year there's a lot more at stake."
How to Help
Checks to assist Jim Harlan in his pursuit of a gold medal in Athens this summer may be made payable to "Crested Butte Ski Patrol/Paralympic Fund" and sent to Ruth Monte, CWA Local 7781, P.O. Box 1661, Crested Butte, CO 81224.