2006 IPC Athletics World Championships

28 August - 10 September 2006


A couple of weeks after my return from Salt Lake City, I went to Assen, The Netherlands for 2 weeks for the 2006 IPC Athletics World Championships. My first time at a competition (other than the Paralympic Games), I was excited to to be here. This was the first time since I started working for the IPC that I had had the opportunity to meet the athletes who give me a job. This picture is of one of the heats for the Men's 100 meter. The 4th guy from the right is the "Fastest Guy on No Legs." He races with two prosthetics and is not far off from competing with the able-bodied 100 meter runners.

At the competition, besides some other medial tasks, I managed the Athlete Outreach Programme which was aimed at informing athletes about Anti-Doping and Doping Control issues that they should be familiar with as elite-level athletes. This was the best part of my day. When the competition began, I set up a booth outside of the Athlete Dining area where athletes could stop and participate in a Doping quiz and win prizes (though small). It was a great way to interact with the athletes and get to know them. This part of the day made me smile and put me in a great mood for the rest of my evening.

The Outreach Booth















Two Athletes participating in the "Doping Quiz"















Working at this event gave me a great perspective on what I enjoy doing during my work day and what I don’t. I realized that I do not get near enough people interaction and that sitting at a desk all day answering emails is not my most favorite thing to do. Interacting with athletes, teams, coaches and doctors in real-life event-type situations made me feel like I was at home. Maybe it is a sign, maybe not….but it definitely made me think about what I want to do next in my “career.”

Where to Next: Lausanne, Switzerland