“The training camp will allow our athletes to prepare for the upcoming Judo World Championships and is a unique opportunity for them to train and compete with the Great Britain team,” said Willy Cahill (San Bruno, Calif.), Head Coach from the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games.

The 2006 International Blind Sports Association (IBSA) Judo World Championships will be held in Brommat, France, June 29-July 3, 2006.  Selection of the U.S. World Team will take place following the camp.   

“The combined training camp and tournament will allow each team to share in the principals of Judo,” said USABA Head Coach Walter Dean (San Diego, Calif.).  The two teams have traveled to numerous countries together in the past, but this is the first time the Great Britain team will be visiting the U.S. to train.  Dean added, “We are hoping to continue to build relationships with other countries following the success of this camp, and at some point take the U.S. team to train in those countries as well.”

Among the athletes attending the camp is U.S. Paralympian Scott Moore (Englewood, Colo.), who made history with his performance at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia, as he became the first American ever to win a gold medal in judo in either Olympic or Paralympic competition.  He also won a bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games and the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games.  Moore is only the second blind athlete to receive a national ranking amongst sighted judo competitors and is currently the head coach at the Denver Judo Club in Denver, Colo. 

Also attending the camp are Sara Parson (Springdale, Ark.), Christina Thomas (Los Angeles, Calif.), Andre Watson (Upper Darby, Pa.), Lori Pierce (Arvada, Colo.), Robert Simpson (Ft. Worth, Texas), Myles Porter  (Toledo, Ohio), Johann Shockency (Andover, Minn.), Ron Hawthorne (Kansas City, Kan.), Emmanuel Brannon (Seminole, Fla.), Jordan Mouton (Houston, Texas) and Scott Jones (Little Rock, Ark.).  The coaches running the camp will include Willy Cahill, (San Bruno, Calif.) who was the Head Judo Coach from the Athens Paralympic Games, USABA Head Coach Walter Dean (San Diego, Calif.), Marc Vink (Riverton, N.J.), Jentry Kendall (Arvada, Colo.) and Paul Latimer (Upper Darby, Pa.).  Great Britain will bring six athletes from their National Judo Team.

Judo offers a variety of opportunities for people of all ability levels. With little adaptation for athletes who are blind and visually-impaired, judo teaches self-control and discipline—valuable tools both in competition and in life. Judo teaches confidence, discipline, and self esteem and is an outstanding way to maintain physical strength and stamina.

The British Blind Judo Team will also train with Coach Dean in San Diego, Calif. from April 11-17 at six different dojos including North Island Naval Station in San Diego, Calif., San Shi Dojo in Vista, Calif., Chula Vista Youth Center in Chula Vista, Calif., La Costa Judo in La Costa, Calif., Guerreros Dojo in La Puente, Calif. and at Mojica Judo in Baldwin Park, Calif.

For more information regarding judo for the blind and visually impaired, contact Head Coach Walter Dean at (760) 612-6435 or email WalterPDean@sbcglobal.net or USABA Executive Director Mark Lucas at (719) 630-0422 or mlucas@usaba.org.

The mission of the United States Association of Blind Athletes is to increase the number and quality of grassroots-through-competitive, world-class athletic opportunities for Americans who are blind or visually impaired. For more information, visit our website www.usaba.org.