Is
There a Doctor in the House?
This
Team USA Doctor Worked On and Off the Court
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| Dr.
Jim Christensen |
He's
been involved in the past coaching and officiating Special Olympics for about
five years, but Dr. Jim Christensen feels the desire to get involved again…this time as a doctor.
"Joining
Team USA's medical staff sounded interesting, so I accepted the offer to apply
and managed to get chosen," said Dr. Christensen, an OB-YGN who has been
practicing for eight years. Even though he coached and officiated basketball
for Special Olympics North Dakota's State Games, his involvement as medical staff
will offer him a whole new approach to the Team USA experience. His wife also
serves on the Board of Directors for North Dakota, so their devotion to Special
Olympics crosses a wide array.
"I'm hoping we have no hitches and are prepared as much as we can be for the athlete's experience," he said. "I really look forward to working with the athletes and seeing China at the same time." He has never been to China before, but he shared that his only anxiety is directed towards preparing ahead of time to ensure the athletes will have a safe and healthy trip for the World Games.
Dr.
Christensen has been an OB-GYN physician in Detroit Lakes, MN for eight
years, and before then, spent most of his life in North Dakota until 1995 when
he moved to Grand Rapids, MI, then Detroit Lakes. He has two children, Thad,
age 31, and Mike, age 22.
Athlete
Profile
Texas Athlete Takes Sports to Higher Level
Marcus
Gary will be competing in soccer at the 2007 World Games
in China. He is a well-rounded Special Olympics athlete who also competes in
aquatics, basketball, bowling, bocce, cycling, tennis and volleyball.
His interest in sports has led Marcus to take some to the next level.
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| Marcus
Gary's favorite sport is basketball but he is thrilled to be going
to 2007 World Games to compete in soccer. |
It
was the prospect of a high adventure trip to the Bahamas with the Boy Scouts
two years ago that prompted Marcus, of Huston, TX, to take his swimming skills
to the next level. To participate in the trip, he needed to
be certified in SCUBA, so Marcus signed up for a class.
"It was amazing, he just did it instantly," said his mother, Dana. She said Marcus was already a good swimmer and confident in the water, so it wasn't too difficult for him to get his certification. Plus, he received a 100 on the written test. "He's never stop trying on anything he's tried," she said.
In
fact, Marcus' success spurred the rest of his family to get their SCUBA certifications too and the entire family spent a vacation in the Caman Islands.
Marcus
earned his Eagle Scout designation in November 2006 by collecting school supplies
for an outreach center his church sponsors. "It's one of those things that if someone would have told me ‘Your son will be an Eagle Scout' I would have thought they were being mean," Dana said. "But, he actually did it."
Marcus
began cycling through Special Olympics last year after riding in the MS 150,
a two-day charity bike tour from Houston to Austin, Texas. Marcus' parents and his sister, Meredith, also took the challenge. "I didn't know if he could ride the bike that far, but he went off and left me," said his mother.
"We do a lot of cycling as a family," said Dana, who explained that they ride almost every day and take longer rides of several hours on the weekends.
As
for his trip to China, Marcus looks forward to traveling and seeing the sites
of China, including the Great Wall and pandas. His parents, sister and grandfather
are planning on going to watch him compete.
He will begin practicing in February with the Texas soccer team going to the
Games, and enjoys playing any position but goalie.
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