News | Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP)

Best BORP Basketball Camp Ever

Posted on: August 15, 2017 11:05 pm By: Trooper Johnson

We held the BORP Basketball Camp July 17-23 at James Kenney. During the week we had 10 kids attend the camp with seven of the kids staying overnight. The camp includes a combination of morning conditioning, afternoon basketball, and evening social time for the kids.

During the week the kids pushed 18 miles during their conditioning workouts, including their push across the Bay Bridge. They played basketball for 24 hours on the court which included a mix of sport specific skills instruction and scrimmages. On the final day of the camp, they visited the Cycle center for a seven-mile ride before heading to the gym for four hours of basketball, followed by an hour on the ice for a skating session.

In addition to the kids attending the camp, Christie Levine and James Bohnett dropped in to talk to the kids and run some of their favorite college drills.

It was the best camp ever.

See more pictures on Facebook

http://www.borp.org/best-borp-basketball-camp-ever/

Two New Classes Come to BORP’s Fitness Studio

Posted on: August 14, 2017 10:13 pm By: Betsy Dorsett

Ralph Somack is a Tai Chi and Pa Kua (Ba Gua) practitioner based in Oakland. He is a retired PhD chemist with 30 years of Tai Chi experience. Ralph teaches Tai Chi and Pa Kua at 3 Satellite Affordable Housing Associates Senior living centers and has taught at the South Berkeley Senior Center, Piedmont Gardens assisted living center, St. Joseph’s retirement residence and Brookdale in Naples, Florida. Ralph is a former student of Tai Chi Grand Master Y-C Chiang and is Board Certified by the Tai Chi for Health Institute to teach Paul Lam’s Sun style Tai Chi program for Arthritis and Fall Prevention. This is an evidence-based method approved by the US and Australian Arthritis Foundations and the CDC. He is passionate about teaching Tai Chi to help people live healthier, less stressful lives by focusing on fundamental Tai Chi and Qi Gong principles of movement, body awareness, alignment and mental focus. He also enjoys windsurfing.

Tai Chi for Arthritis & Fall Prevention
9 -10AM Tuesdays

This is an evidence-based method approved by the US and Australian Arthritis Foundations and the CDC. Participants will learn and practice the Tai Chi program developed by Dr. Paul Lam of the Tai Chi Institute and sanctioned by the Arthritis Foundation, the National Council for Aging and the CDC to benefit people with arthritis and balance issues and shown to: 1. Improve physical condition, muscle strength, coordination and flexibility 2. Improve balance and decrease the risk of falls 3. Ease pain and stiffness, for example, from osteoarthritis 4. Improve sleep and enhance overall wellness, 5. Reduce stress and develop tranquility, inner balance and empowerment. This program consists of a set of gentle QiGong warm up exercises combined with the first 12 movements of the powerful Sun style Tai Chi system. No previous Tai Chi experience is required and the course is open to all ages and varying abilities, and is wheelchair friendly.

Dragon Heart Style Pa Kua
10:15AM-11:15AM Tuesdays

Pa Kua is an internal Chinese martial art based on the Daoist principles of the I Ching, combining Tai Chi with the ancient spiritual practice of circle walking. Circle walking develops body posture and structure, teaches us to focus the mind, body and spirit and is a relaxing, excellent form of meditation. Pa Kua (or Ba Gua) is characterized by changing directions while holding various static postures with the upper body and executing various “palm changes” done in a smooth and flowing manner likened to a “Dragon soaring in the clouds”. Each part of the body coordinates with every other, generating the maximum amount of power available relative to the individual’s size and weight. Participants will learn the basics of Pa Kua, including a set of Qi Gong warm up exercises, the Chinese Tea Cup exercise, the “Mud-Walking” technique, the 8 animal form Circle Walking Exercises and the first four of the eight “Mother” Palm Changes. The focus is not on the martial arts applications but on exercise, health, mindfulness and of course, having fun! The course is open to all ages and varying abilities.

Classes start in September. Click here to sign up.

http://www.borp.org/two-new-classes-come-to-borps-fitness-studio/

Family Friendly Central Park (Lake Elizabeth) in Fremont

Posted on: August 10, 2017 8:19 pm By: Bonnie Lewkowicz

Pelicans on Lake Elizabeth with Freemont’s golden hills in the distance

Central Park encompasses 450 acres in the heart of Fremont with activities for the whole family including reserved and drop-in picnic sites, children’s play areas, basketball, tennis, fishing, skate park, boat rentals, and launches. A 2-mile paved, level trail circles 80-acre Lake Elizabeth with Mission Peak providing a backdrop. There’s plenty of parking and it’s an easy half-mile stroll from the Fremont BART station along city sidewalks with curb ramps. Weekends can be quite crowded and summer temps can be high so plan accordingly.

Located at Paseo Padre Parkway at Stevenson Boulevard. For more information, click here to visit the park’s website.

http://www.borp.org/family-friendly-central-park-lake-elizabeth-in-fremont/

Camping Options Increasing

Posted on: July 26, 2017 5:00 pm By: Bonnie Lewkowicz

Cabin at Clear Lake State Park

For those that enjoy camping in Northern California but no longer want to or can’t sleep on the ground, there’s good news. Rustic cabins are popping up at State and local parks. The newer cabins being installed are fairly similar in design and amenities so you mostly know what to expect from site to site. The unfurnished cabins typically sleep 4-6 in platform beds (some bunk beds), and you must bring your own bedding and in some instances mattress pads. There’s no kitchen or cooking inside the cabin, but outside you’ll find a barbecue, fire pit, and picnic table. Many are equipped with electricity, heaters, and lights, and some even have cooling fans. Rates range from $60-$100. Disabled discount passes generally don’t apply.

Here is just a sampling

North Coast: Patrick’s Point State Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.

Clear Lake: Clear Lake State Park

Shasta: MacArthur Burney Falls State Park

Bay Area: Samual P. Taylor State Park and Spring Lake Regional Park in Santa Rosa. One is coming this fall at Del Valle Regional Park in Livermore.

http://www.borp.org/camping-options-increasing/

BORP Cycling Assistant Abdullah Mojaddidi Talks About Training, Nutrition, and the Revolution!

Posted on: July 21, 2017 9:36 pm By: Betsy Dorsett

With Revolution fundraising and training in full swing, we thought we’d check in with BORP Adaptive Cycling Assistant Abdullah Mojaddidi to find out how he trains and gets ready for big bike rides.

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I am a 31-year-old SCI athlete who has been involved with BORP 4 years now. After one year of being involved with BORP’s adaptive cycling program, cycling became my new favorite passion. It’s now been almost 3 years as a staff member for the adaptive cycling program!

What’s one interesting or unexpected fact about yourself?

On average, I hand cycle at least 60 miles a week

What kind of bike do you ride?

I ride a Top End Force RX

What is your favorite thing about cycling?

My favorite part about cycling is the body position that I am in. As a paraplegic for 11 years now, sitting is painful. On the bike, laying so low to the ground and recumbent, my body feels so relaxed and comfortable. My other favorite part is, of course, going fast!

How do you train for longer rides?

To train for longer rides, I focus on proper diet and long periods of physical training. Since cycling is an aerobic exercise, I prepare my body two days in advance in diet or calorie intake. I typically consume 1,500 to 2000 calories a day. Physical training occurs 6 times a week in a gym or on the cycle for at least 1 hour. If I am in the gym, my workout consists of high repetition and low weights. On the bicycle, I have to at least average above 100 cycles per minute for more than one hour.

Do you try to eat any specific the day/night before a long ride?

Yes! I drink plenty of electrolytes and eat fewer carbohydrates and more protein. While carbohydrates break down faster than protein, they both provide the long lasting energy an athlete needs to go that extra mile.

What about the morning of–what do you like to have for breakfast before a ride or race?

I typically have three servings of proteins, 2 servings of carbs and one cup of a smoothie with vitamins, chia seeds, flax seeds, and apple cider vinegar

What’s your favorite fuel to keep you going while you’re cycling?

I enjoy bringing snacks like cliff bars, protein bars, and plenty of water and coconut water!

What’s one piece of advice you have for other hand cyclists?

“If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail”

What is your favorite part of the Revolution?

My favorite part of the Revolution is seeing people enjoy a well-deserved massage after a long ride!

The Revolution Ride & Festival is BORP’s most important annual fundraising event, but it’s also a lot of fun! The event brings together the entire BORP community, including cyclists of all ages and abilities, for a day of riding bikes, having fun and celebrating in California’s beautiful Wine Country.

The money raised for the Revolution provides critical support for all of BORP’s programs, from wheelchair basketball to power soccer to adventures and outings, and everything in between. At BORP, we believe that sports and recreation provide a path to greater achievement to which all people should have access, and the Revolution helps us make that a reality for people physical disabilities and visual impairments in the greater Bay Area.