Competition Corner is the publication of the Sports and Recreation Division of the National Federation of the Blind. Members can expect to read an update from the president of the Sports and Recreation Division as well as a variety of articles and web links that may be of interest to blind individuals who are interested in--or passionate about--health, fitness and recreational and competitive sports activities.

This edition of Competition Corner is out just in time for the Paralympics. Please read BLIND PEOPLE IN THE NEWS, BY LISAMARIA MARTINEZ in order to keep abreast of the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

Before we delve into the world of sports & recreation, let's rewind back to our national convention held in Dallas, Texas. I think we would all wholeheartedly agree that this convention was fantastic. Many convention-goers I spoke with this year, were quite excited to see that the S&R Division was all over the agenda! That's right, our first-ever Sports Extravaganza was a huge hit and many of our activities were published in the 111-page convention agenda.

Our Extravaganza would not have happened without Christella Garcia, vice president of the S&R Division. She spearheaded the whole event. Thanks Christella for all your hard work and dedication to the Extravaganza! Many thanks, of course, go to organizers of the Extravaganza. They were:

Super Skate Dallas
Maurice Peret
Joseph Hamilton
Chris Dodds
Tyler Maron
Annie Sawicki
Greg DeWall
Jordan Mouton
Kathy McGilvray
Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts, (DATES)
Aerial Gilbert
The University of Dallas Crew Team

Thanks again for making this year's convention memorable.

And finally, the S&R Board is anxious to start planning our next big event. We hope to continue making ourselves known in the blindness community. We hope to become the experts everyone approaches when they want to know about blindness and sports and recreation. That is why we have decided to create a website for the Sports and Recreation Division. If you have any ideas for content, Please contact Lisamaria Martinez at lmartinez217@gmail.com

From the editor. Several articles on the internet have been in cirrculation this past summer. I'd like to share links to these articles with you. I hope that some of you will find these articles as motivating and as inspirational as I did when I first read them. Happy reading!

Blind Boxer Inspires Ugandans

Follow the link below to read an inspiring article to all. This article was originally published in the New York Times on Saturday August 16, 2008. This blind boxer is the epitomy of Federation philosophy. I wouldn't want to mess with him. Blind Boxer Inspires Ugandans

Blind East Bay woman headed to the Paralympics in Beijing

This seconde link is about a friend of mine who has been training very hard to get to her second Paralympics. This article was published in the Oakland Tribune on August 19, 2008. Good luck to Jessie and the rest of the women's goalball team. Blind East Bay woman headed to the Paralympics in Beijing

Broadcasts of the 2008 Beijing Paralympics

This year Universal Sports will be broadcasting the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. Log on to: Universal Sports on September 6, 2008, to begin watching broadcasts of the Beijing Paralympics. Be sure to check out U.S. Paralympics for daily bideo broadcasts.

Note. This article is from the Beachbody.com newsletter issue number 320 which was circulated on Wednesday August 20, 2008. For more information about Beachbody.com or for more information about their newsletters, please go to www.beachbody.com.

Breakfast. It seems like forever since we've been told it's the most important meal of the day, but a recent study shows that it's actually true and not just Mom having been a nag. Breakfast is a key component of weight management. A study presented at the recent Endocrine Society's annual meeting showed that participants who consumed large breakfasts lost almost five times as much weight as the participants who followed a traditional diet. So what's the big deal about breakfast? And what is a big breakfast anyway? It doesn't seem like the lumberjack special at the local diner would do much to get the pounds off, so what should we be eating?

The study supported the idea that when we wake up in the morning, our bodies want food. You've burned through all the fuel from the previous day, and now your body is ready to burn anything, like muscle, to get a jump-start on the day. And if you skip breakfast, muscle is indeed what your body will burn. Later in the day, your brain is still in starvation mode from breakfast (or lack thereof), so your body will store all the calories you eat as adipose tissue, or fat, to save up for the next day when you try to starve it again. The study also found that serotonin (the chemical responsible for controlling cravings) levels were much higher in the morning, which is why breakfast is the meal so many of us are willing to skip. But if our bodies are left unfed, our serotonin levels drop, and the cravings for sweets begin to rise throughout the day.

Now, before you hit McDonald's for their 800-calorie Big Breakfast or, worse, their 1,150-calorie Deluxe Breakfast, or you swing by Denny's for a 740-calorie Grand Slam or 950-calorie All-American Slam with hash browns, keep in mind these were not the breakfasts the study participants consumed. The big-breakfast group had a 610-calorie breakfast as part of a 1,240-calorie day. Breakfasts included milk, lean meat (sorry, no bacon or sausage), cheese, whole grains, a serving of healthy fat, and one ounce of chocolate or candy to defray the sweets cravings. The other group's participants consumed 1,080 calories per day as part of a high-protein, low-carb diet. Both groups were on the diet for 8 months. The high-protein group lost an average of 9 pounds but the big-breakfast group lost an average of 40 pounds. And perhaps not surprisingly, the big-breakfast group complained less about cravings and hunger.

The big-breakfast group's breakfast consisted of 58 grams of carbs, 47 grams of protein, and 22 grams of fat. Study reviewers attribute some of the success of the big-breakfast group to the fact that the protein and healthy fats eaten kept the participants full and reduced cravings. They also said that nutritional requirements were well met, that there weren't empty calories consumed, as the breakfasts included lots of whole grains, fruits, lean proteins, and healthy unsaturated fats. So, bad news for the lumberjack-special devotees—a big plate of greasy hash browns, bacon, and biscuits with gravy isn't going to get the job done, unless the job is clogging your arteries.

Here are some healthy big-breakfasts, like the ones consumed by the study participants.

Chicken and the Egg

• 2 eggs, scrambled
• 2 slices whole wheat toast
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, roasted
• 1 grapefruit

• 1 packet instant oatmeal with 1 scoop protein powder
• 1 cup blueberries
• 3 oz. turkey breast
• 1 hard-boiled egg
• 1 oz. dark chocolate

• 2 whole wheat English muffins
• 2 poached eggs
• 2 slices low-fat Swiss cheese
• 2 slices Canadian bacon

• 1 cup cottage cheese (2% milk fat)
• 1 cup canned peaches in their own juice
• 1 slice whole wheat toast
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 vegetarian sausage links

• 1 can light tuna
• 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise (preferably canola or olive oil based)
• 2 slices whole wheat toast
• 1 oz. dark chocolate

Don’t forget to join the Sports and Recreation Division. For questions about joining please contact Lisamaria Martinez, president, for more details. You may also join our listserv by simply going to www.nfbnet.org and clicking on the link “Join or Drop NFBnet Mailing Lists.”