Chad Hedrick - His parents owned a roller skating rink, at 17 months he was in roller skates.  By the time he was 2 he was skating circles around kids three times his age.  He won his first National Championship at the age of 8.  At the age of 16 he was the youngest in history to qualify for the Senior National Team.

He is 50 time World Gold medalist Champion inline skating, 9 time “overall World Champion Title.”  1995 inline skating at the Argentina Pan American games,  he won 4 gold and 1 silver medal.  In 2002 Chad switched to ice speed skating.  He is known for revolutionizing the sport of inline skating for his technique called “The Double Push.”

Check out his website http://chadhedrick.com/

Yup for those of us who skated rough in the late 80’s early 90’s it was a song on the radio “White Wedding” by Billy Idol. Now, two people take the idea to the next level by having a wedding on Roller Skates! 

Go USA!!

With the olympics coming up in Canada for 2010, many a focus turns to the events of Ice Skating and Ice Speed Skating. There is a long watched grace and style that caresses the stage everytime any skater goes and performs for the world.

However, there were more than just snow colds and blizzards here; there were hopes for the gold as Team Usa in Roller Skating hit Germany for the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships.

Check out the trailer for Drew Barrymore’s new movie about roller derby…Click link…

\”Whip It\” Roller Derby Movie

From FOX Atlanta…

Check out this new Pepsi “throw back” commercial featuring roller skates!

I found this article and thought I would share it. This article explains how exercise (such as roller skating) can help people with diabetes…

DIABETES EXERCISES
How does exercise help diabetes?
Exercise is a great way to help control weight and it also lowers the blood sugar level. It also lowers a person’s risk of heart disease - a condition that is very common in people who have diabetes.

Exercise can also help you feel better about yourself and increase your overall health.

What kind of exercises to be done?

There are no specific exercises for one to do. Choose any cardio exercise (walking, running, cycling, aerobics, skating, warm-ups and cool-downs, tennis, etc.) - anything that increases the heart rate.

Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart and keeps the exerciser’s muscles warm. Strength training builds stamina, while improving both joints and muscles. Warm-ups and cool-downs are essential for the safety of the exerciser.

No matter what kind of exercise one does, make sure to warm up before starting, and cool down when done. To warm up, spend 5 to 10 minutes doing a low-intensity exercise such as walking.

Then gently stretch for another five to ten minutes. Repeat these steps after exercising to cool down.

When you start an exercise program, go slowly. Gradually increase the intensity and length of the workout as one gradually gets more fit.

Consult a doctor about what kind of exercise is right for you, depending on whether one has any other health problems.

1. Aerobic exercise -

Aerobic exercise helps increase heart rate, as well as breathing rate. This makes one breathe more deeply and also makes the heart work harder. It is best to aim for a total of about 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week. Here are some examples of aerobic exercises:

· Take a brisk walk either outside or on a treadmill

· Dance classes

· Swimming

· Jogging

· Roller-skating

· Tennis or badminton

· Indoor stationary bicycle

2. Strength training -

Strength training, done several times a week, helps build strong bones and muscles. Some ways to do it:

· Join a gym to do strength training with weights.

· Lift light weights at home

3. Flexibility exercises -

Flexibility exercises, also called stretching, helps keep joints flexible and reduces the chances of injury during other activities. Gentle stretching for 5 to 10 minutes helps the body to warm up, as well as get ready for aerobic activities.

4. Be on the move throughout the day -

Being active helps burns calories. The more you move around, the more energy one will have.

« Walk instead of driving whenever possible.

« Take the stairs instead of the elevator

« Work in the garden or do some housecleaning every day

« Walk to the market; park your car ½ kilometer before the market.

Are there any risks associated with exercising for people with diabetes?

There are some mild risks, but the benefits far outweigh the risks. So, its necessary to moderately exercise daily the right way.

Exercise changes the way in which the body reacts to insulin. Regular and strenuous exercise makes the body more sensitive to insulin, and thus, the blood sugar level may suddenly get too low after exercising.

Therefore, it is important to check the blood sugar level before and after exercising, and follow the doctor’s advice as suggested for low blood sugar.

If the blood sugar level is too low or too high right before one starts exercising, it is better to wait until the level improves, and normalizes.

It is also important to keep a check on blood sugar level if exercising in extreme hot or cold conditions, because temperature affects how the body absorbs insulin.

Should one drink plenty of fluids during exercising?

Yes. While exercising, our body uses more fluid to keep the body temperature cool. Therefore, by the time one feels thirsty, he may already be getting dehydrated. Dehydration can seriously affect the blood sugar level in the body.

Drink plenty of fluids, water before, during and after exercise.

What safety tips to follow while exercising?

Exercise can affect and lower the blood sugar level, so pay attention to possible warning signs during workout such as:

· Sudden change in heartbeat

· if one starts sweating more

· feels shaky, anxious or hungry

· feeling weak or dizzy

If you feel this way, stop exercising and check out on a doctor. It might be hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. It is normally recommended to keep candy, glucose biscuits or juice nearby to treat hypoglycemia.

Exercise tips for people with diabetes:

· Talk to the doctor about the right exercise for you.

· Check blood sugar level before and after exercising.

· Wear the proper shoes and socks, so as to avoid infection and blisters.

· Drink plenty of fluid before, during and after exercising.

· Warm up before exercising and cool down afterward.

· Have some juice handy in case blood sugar level drops too low.

Written By: Tom Alter
www.diabetesmellitus-information.com

Here is an article I came across on CNN’s website…

Women’s roller derby dishes out fun, friendship and fitness

By Val Willingham
CNN Medical Producer

(CNN) — Amber Mori drives a forklift in a warehouse in Gaithersburg, Maryland. As a working mom, she’s on the go 24/7. But twice a week, Amber transforms into “Cykosis,” a fishnet-wearing, skatin’ diva, who bumps and jabs her way around a roller rink.

Amber Mori, aka: Cykosis, goes through a routine of sit-ups, pushups and stretches to improve athleticism.

Amber has been skating for more than a year as a member of the “Mason Dixon Roller Vixens” roller derby team. What started out as a lark has now become a passion for her. “I love it; it’s a great way to get out, be invigorated — and the companionship is wonderful,” she says. “And I’ve got legs as strong as pythons.”

Women’s roller derby started as a professional sport in the 1920s, when teams criss-crossed the country, jabbing and jostling and duking it out for money and, eventually, the national championship.

By the 1970s, roller derby teams (and their fans) started to wane.

But with the resurgence of the extreme sports craze, women’s flat track roller derby has made a comeback. Tired of pilates and Jazzercise, a lot of women started looking for more exciting outlets to stay in shape; the campy novelty of the sport piqued interest. Now, nonprofessional groups such as the Vixens are popping up all over the country. Video Watch the Mason Dixon Roller Vixens do their thing »

The games became so popular that the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association was established in 2004 to promote the sport by “facilitating the development of athletic ability, sportswomanship and good will among member leagues.” Not all women’s roller derby teams belong to the league, but the league hopes to offer rookie groups like the Vixens an opportunity to join.

Playing out of Hagerstown, Maryland, the Vixens started small — only eight women. Now their roster has more than 20 names, from “Stun Hun” to “Squeaky Bomb” to “Fanny Harmher.” The monikers, the costumes and the attitude are all in fun.

But the workouts are intense. Twice a week, the gals practice in order to stay flexible and in shape. Their coach, Travis “Groper Cleavage” McGlaughlin, puts them through sit-ups, pushups and stretches to improve their endurance. “They need to stay in shape,” he says with a laugh. “Racing around the rink may look easy; it’s not. It takes a lot of strength and stamina to just keep going.”

Team Captain Jocelyn Bassler, better known to her fans as “Skid Ho,” says roller derby is the best workout she’s ever had. A former high school athlete, Bassler was looking for a sport to keep her in shape when she discovered the rink. “Why go to the gym if you have roller derby?” she asks.

Mori agrees. Since joining the group, she says she’s dropped some weight and she’s not surprised. According to sports medicine experts, an average-sized skater can use 400 to 1,000 calories an hour in competition, depending on how fast they skate. “At first I had a lot of toning in my legs,” Mori says. “But since then, I think I’ve lost 16 pounds.”

The women will also tell you that along with the thrill of victory comes the agony of bumps and bruises. They’ve suffered a couple of broken bones, swollen ankles and jammed fingers. So practice also includes drills to teach the women how to fall correctly. “Because if you’re not prepared to fall, you just aren’t playing the game,” says Bassler. “It’s tough, but I love it.”

Dr. Stuart Willick, associate professor at the University of Utah Orthopaedic Center, knows it’s tough. The university’s sports medicine team provides on-site medical coverage for the Salt City Derby Girls of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. “We have recognized that these skilled and dedicated athletes are at high risk for various musculoskeletal injuries,” he says. “Furthermore, this population of athletes is generally underserved by sports medicine experts.”

In an effort to better understand roller derby injuries, Willick and his colleagues are undertaking what they call “the most comprehensive study of roller derby injuries to date” by compiling questionnaires from roller derby leagues all over the country.

By studying how athletes get hurt, they hope to figure out how to prevent future injuries and keep derby girls safely rolling. “There is a lack of medical knowledge concerning roller derby injury epidemiology, treatment and prevention,” says Willick. “We feel it’s important to better understand injury risk among these athletes in order to improve treatment and prevention protocols.”

Willick says his group has had more than 1,000 respondents to its electronic injury survey so far; he hopes to have the final results by summer. “The high response rate indicates that the athletes themselves feel that this is an important issue,” he says.

The Vixens will agree: Roller derby can hurt and is not for sissies. But injuries or not, these divas will tell you there is no other game in town, and if they get knocked down, they’ll just get up again and keep on

It is kind of cool to hear about people skating in different countries. I was surfing the net this morning and came across a news article all the way from India.

How much a seven-year-old girl can achieve in sporting events and tournaments? The answer might be difficult to answer, but Rishika Sawlani has won 16 medals by having excelled in skating. Rishika has been practising skating only for past two years, but she has won medals in all events she has participated in.

Rishika, a class I student of Sri Sri Ravishankar School here and resident of Ghoddod road, has the knack for skating. In last two years, Rishika has won eight gold, six silver and two bronze medals in national, state and district level competitions. The kid also won the National Level Youngest and Fastest Young Roller Skater of India award. The event was held at Kolhapur in Maharashtra in 2008.

Rishika’s success lies in her dedication towards the sport. She practises skating for more than three hours daily to maintain speed and balance in the game.

“On her fifth birthday, Rishika demanded roller skating shoes and I brought her one. She used to practise on her own, but we never took her seriously. Once she participated in a competition organised in her school and she won the first prize. Then we realised her ability and began to motivate her,” says Pankaj Sawlani, Rishika’s father.

Rishika is overjoyed with her success and dedication and wish to participate in international events. And her parents are happily supporting her.

“We have decided to switch Rishika to inland skating to compete at international levels. She hold good record in roller skating and has been taking coaching prior switching to Inland skating,” Sawlani added.

I found this article on http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1252317

As I was surfing the net I came across one of those websites that lets you submit your questions and “the public” can answer them for you.  The title of this particular question was “Is Roller Skating a Good Form of Exercise?” Intrigued, I clicked and found answers such as…

Absolutely! It builds leg, back, thigh, butt and ab muscles….not to mention the cardio!

Study after study have found that roller skating is a great source of exercise and is recommended by the American Heart Association.

Instead of going out for a run, try dusting off your skates and see what a 30 min skate can do for you! One of my favorite ways to skate is at a skating rink, it has air conditioning, great music, and even better if you invite a friend or two along!