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Invacare Top End is proud to be the title sponsor of the Greenville 2013 Para-Cycling Open, taking place April 19-21, 2013 in Greenville,...
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Invacare Top End is proud to be the title sponsor of the Greenville 2013 Para-Cycling Open, taking place April 19-21, 2013 in Greenville, South Carolina.
Para-cycling is a cycling competition for athletes with physical disabilities governed by the International Cycling Union (UCI). “Handcycling is serious sport that continues to grow,” said Chris Peterson, director, Invacare Top End. “We are excited to support the 2013 Para-Cycling Open because handcycling is great exercise and as the sport grows, more people are able to participate and see those health benefits. This, combined with Invacare’s commitment to the European Handcycling Federation, shows our united front to the sport and will enable us to grow hancycle awareness and further encourage an active lifestyle.”
Team Invacare handcycle athletes including Muffy Davis, Matt Updike, Mark Ledo, David Randall and Monica Bacio will be there to compete for the win and get their first looks in advance of next year’s World Championships. For more information, visit www.greenvillesc2013.com.
Paul Schulte has designed a new basketball carrying bag that straps right to your chair so that traveling by airplane is a bit easier. An upholstery upgrade that includes 3-inch leather flaps and aluminum plugs in now available on the Invacare Top End Schulte 7000 Series BB, Pro BB, Pro Tennis and T5 7000 Series Tennis Chairs. Nice!
Top End has produced a great poster featuring Team Invacare athletes who competed at the world’s second largest sporting event in September and left London with some serious hardware. Visit us on facebook to order.
Team Invacare’s Patrick Anderson has been shortlisted for the prestigious Laureus Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award.
"It's an honor to be shortlisted," Anderson said in a statement from Wheelchair Basketball Canada. "That's going to be a tough group to stand out in though. Win or no, the acknowledgment is a team accomplishment and another feather in the cap of our program and the wheelchair basketball community in Canada."
The 33-year-old led Team Canada with 34 points in a 64-58 win over Australia in the gold medal match at the London Paralympics in September. Anderson was also first in tournament scoring, first in total rebounds and had the first two triple-doubles in Canadian history. Anderson now has three gold medals and one silver medal in Canadian Paralympic competitions. He uses an Invacare Top End Schulte 7000 Series BB chair and was fitted by Paul Schulte, the design engineer here at Top End.
There were plenty of athletes competing at the 2012 London Paralympics in Top End sports chairs from Invacare.
The Invacare Top End Eliminator OSR Racing Chair is the chair of choice for many athletes on the track who had their sights set on winning in the wheelchair divisions. There are many distances from short to long (100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m and marathon), so most athletes specialize in one or the other.
On the road, there are four main classification groups in the sport of handcycling and these are primarily based on the athlete’s level of spinal cord injury. Athletes racing in the H1, H2 and H3 divisions use a reclined, aerodynamic position handcycle such as the Invacare Top End Force RX with a welded back. The H4 division includes athletes who prefer the power of the kneeling position and are amputees or have low spinal cord injuries. The athletes to watch in this division were Ernst van Dyk and Oz Sanchez, both of whom were on the victory podium in Beijing. They both use highly customized Top End Force K Handcycles.
Wheelchair Tennis has a Quad division and Open division for both men and women. Medals are awarded in each division for singles and doubles matches. Many renowned players use the Top End T-5 7000 Series Tennis Chair to compete.
Nick Taylor competes in the Quad division, the only player in the world using an Invacare Arrow Power Wheelchair.
Wheelchair Basketball is super exciting to watch and utilizes a classification system to keep the teams playing on an equal terms, so it is how the coaches mix and match the strength of each player on the team against their opponents that can make or break a game. Athletes that compete in wheelchair basketball have either leg amputations or paraplegia and use a wheelchair that is customized not only for them but also for the position they play on the team.
On the Men’s side, Team USA was led by team captain Paul Schulte. Team Canada has the legendary Pat Anderston and David Eng. All of these prominent players use the Top End® Schulte 7000 Series BB Chair to compete. The USA Women have dominated in the past. Becca Murray, Mary Allison Milford, and Rose Hollerman, to name just a few, were a part of this illustrious squad.
Learn more at the Top End Facebook Page. There is also a great deal of information on the Paralympic Games’ website and the Team USA site.
Congratulations to Team Invacare’s Paul Schulte! Paul was inducted into the NWBA Intercollegiate Hall of Fame in March for his great contribution to his team and leadership. Paul was inducted along with his former coach Jim Hayes. Paulis also co-captain for Team USA, and shares his insights on the great sport of wheelchair basketball in a new video: "We shoot 3 pointers, too."
This is the handcycle you can take on the trails! The Invacare® Top End® Force™ CC Handcycle is lightweight yet robust with extreme climbing gears, gigantic 559-26” bike wheels equipped with mountain bike tires and a stop-on- a-dime front disk brake! The design is a cross between an Invacare® Top End® Force®™ R Handcycle and the Invacare® Top End® Force™ G Handcycle with 6.5” of ground clearance and aggressive back angle adjustments that allows you to get out there!
The Invacare® Top End® Force™ X Handcycle, already the ultimate racing machine with its super stiff and ultra-lightweight custom reclined frame with integrated back and headrest, is even more aero, stiffer and lighter! The frame is now fabricated with slick one piece side frames plus multiple enhancements to allow a more reclined position without interferences. Check out the sleek new drop outs, red caliper brake and the way the cables are routed through the head tube!
Team Invacare’s Kurt Fearnley finished second in the 2012 Boston Marathon behind Josh Cassidy of Canada. In unseasonably hot conditions with a number of athletes dropping out, Fearnley finished in a time of 1 hour 21 minutes 39 seconds.
Cassidy and nine-time Boston Marathon winner Ernst van Dyk of South Africa pulled away early as the best downhill coasters, opening up a lead of over two minutes in the first 15km. Fearnley and the chasing pack pulled back van Dyk but could not get close to Cassidy as a pack. Fearnley made a move after 26km on his own, quickly pulling away from the pack but unable to close in on Cassidy.
"I gave it a good shake out there and didn't leave anything behind. That's two second places in two starts here to two different winners and to finish well ahead of the pack is a positive to take out of the race," Fearnley said.
Invacare Top End’s new website is now live! With customer feedback in mind, the new, bolder look matches the brand promise of Making Life’s Experiences Possible. New videos and photos have been added, as well as, updated product information and Team Invacare athlete bios. Check it out at www.TopEndWheelchair.com.
Paralympic gold medal winning athlete Mary Allison Milford has met with children from Wasson High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
She arrived at the school's gymnasium to speak to fourth graders who were in awe of Milford's achievements as part of the United States team that won wheelchair basketball gold at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.
Milford was at the school as part of the Classroom Champions initiative pioneered by Steve Mesler, a key member of the US bobsled teams which won gold at the 2009 World Championships and 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
The initiative seeks to connect students in high need schools with elite athletes to help motivate them.
Previously, Milford had communicated with the students via video, discussing the importance of setting goals and sportsmanship, as well as sharing her Paralympic experiences. Read more
A great week of track racing culminated with the Oz Day 10K Wheelchair race where top competitors from 12 countries sprinted through the streets of Sydney. Team Invacare's Kurt Fearnley took 1st for his 8th consecutive title and Matthew Lack from NZ placed 3rd. An up and coming athlete, Rheed McCracken, who uses an Invacare® Top End® EliminatorTM OSR Racing Chair, placed 2nd in the Junior Category. Kurt and Matthew had tough competition in the 2012 GIO Oz Day from Josh Cassidy (Canada), Roger Puigbo Verdaguer (Spain), Kota Hokinoue and Nobukazu Hanaoka (Japan). Congrats to all!
In the women's competition, Michelle Stillwell, also racing in an Invacare Top End Eliminator OSR Racing Chair, broke 3 WR on the track in the T52 division: 100m - 19.42, 200m - 34.97 and 400m - 1:08.57. Wow-that is smoking fast! At the Oz Day 10K, Maddy de Rozario was first, edging out Paralympic Gold Medalist Shelly Woods (UK) and Australian team mate, Angie Ballard, was in third with top competiors, Christi Dawes, Diane Roy(Canada) and Edith Hunkeler(Switzerland) in hot pursuit!
Pat is a key member of the Canadian Men's National Wheelchair Basketball Team, which is among the top wheelchair basketball teams in the world. Pat worked closely with Paul Schulte to produce his new Invacare® Top End® Schulte 7000 Series Basketball Wheelchair, which he will use in the upcoming Paralympic Games in London.
The Canadian Men are the defending silver medalists from the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. They won back-to-back Paralympic gold medals in 2000 and 2004 and have reached the podium at five of the last six consecutive World Championships.
The LeMond Revolution Fitness Handcycle Trainer is a direct drive indoor trainer from Top End, specially adapted for our Invacare® Top End® ForceTM Series Handcycles to mimic the inertia of a rolling cycle.
The LeMond Revolution Trainer features High-Inertia Technology (HIT), designed with a large, weighted, fly wheel that mimics the feel of a rolling handcycle. The Revolution spins freely when the pedals aren't engaged and delivers progressive wind resistance similar to real-world conditions.
The LeMond Revolution is available with or without the Power Pilot which measures all of your workout data. After his first test ride, Team Invacare's Matt Updike said: "This trainer is super smooth and feels as real as the road!"
Krige Schabort was back in Hawaii and won the Honolulu Marathon for the 8th time. Remember his racing chair was totaled after getting hit by a car.
Here is what he says about the replacement Invacare® Top End® EliminatorTM OSR Racing Chair: "The new racing chair is a winner. Eight wins here for me. Huge rain storm the night before the race and the roads were super dirty. Conditions were very windy and the race was hard.... my time 1:38. Zumi... 2+ minutes behind me; third... Pierre Fairbank of France. Now I can add Honolulu to my 2011 wins list."
Mary Allison Milford plays for the USA Women's Basketball team and sent us this great photo.
She says, "I'm in love! My chair came yesterday, and it is awesome! It's been the talk of Lakeshore. I feel fast, can turn on a dime and it is even easier for me to shoot! I couldn't be more pleased! GO USA!"
This year's 26.2 mile race will be bigger, better and THE most competitive race in the U.S. ever! Plus it will boast the largest U.S. one-day prize purse ever at $7,250. The field limit is 80. Mark your calendar for February 5th and register early!
The USA men's and women's wheelchair basketball teams went undefeated in the Parapan American Games which took place Nov. 12 - 20 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The top three countries qualified for the London 2012 Paralympic games. The men’s and women’s teams are in!
Team Invacare's Paul Schulte is currently the captain of the USA men's team, and in the Gold Medal game, he played 23 minutes, scored 16 points, had four rebounds and two assists. Paul currently competes using an Invacare® Top End® Schulte 7000 Series BB wheelchair as do key play-makers of Team Canada, David Eng and Pat Anderson. Team Invacare's Becca Murray led the women's team with 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists! Mary Allison Milford is our newest member of Team Invacare. Congrats to all.
Amanda McGrory sets NYC Course Record
Team Invacare's Amada McGrory smashes the NYC Marathon course record by over two minutes. She left the pack around the half-way mark and pushed the last 13 miles on her own. Wow! The 25-year-old McGrory, of Champaign, Ill., finished the 26.2-mile course through the five boroughs of New York, in one hour, 50 minutes, 24 seconds. McGrory, a four-time Paralympic medalist, also won the Paris and London Marathons one week apart this year in her Invacare® Top End® EliminatorTM OSR Wheelchair. She was followed by Shelly Woods of Britain (1:52:52) and Tatyana McFadden of the United States (1:52:52).
Get a free helmet, front and rear safety lights, safety mirror and water bottle/cage with purchase of any Invacare® Top End® handcycle. This is a $200 value so you don't want to miss this. Starts November 1! Order today from any authorized Invacare provider.
Receive free shipping to the continental USA, in addition to the options above, when purchasing an Invacare® Top End® ForceTM - 2 Handcycle only. A $350 savings!
The new ultra lightweight Invacare® Top End® RevealTM wheelchair combines a sleek, modern design with the latest frame material technology: 7005 aluminum. Using this material makes the Reveal wheelchair rigid and strong which translates to an energy efficient ride, while keeping the chair's weight under 20lbs! The Reveal wheelchair debuts in the rigid wheelchair market with the concept of offering high end technology, adjustability and minimalist design at an economic price point. There is a world of possibilities with the new Invacare Top End Reveal wheelchair! Launched November 4th.
Invacare® Top End® Handcycles give athletes a competitive edge, and this was on full display at the UCI World Championships of Disabled Cycling in Roskilde, Denmark, September 9-11. Riders on Invacare Top End ForceTM Series Handcycles won a total of 11 gold medals and 16 medals overall. Double gold medal winners were Joel Jeannot of Team France, Monica Bascio of Team USA and Mark Rohan of Ireland. Other Gold medal winners included Ernst van Dyk, Matt Updike, Cassie Mitchell and Muffy Davis.
“I am most proud of the international flavor of these medal winners,” said Chris Peterson, director of Invacare Top End. “Riders from seven different countries won medals using Invacare Top End handcycles. It’s great to see the international reach and power of these products.”
The event was attended by 350 athletes from around the world. It is an important one, as, for many, it serves as the last qualifying event for the 2012 Paralympics in London, England. For more information visit www.paracycling2011.dk.
Basketball and Tennis Chairs
Our Invacare® Top End® Schulte 7000 Series BB Wheelchair and Invacare Top End T-5 7000 Series Tennis Wheelchair launched this fall with 7000 aluminum frame material and design upgrades! The material changes will reduce the overall weight by 2-3 pounds and the design enhancements add unbeatable performance.
Head tube improvements feature precision components that maximize stiffness, reduce play and improve overall responsiveness of the casters. Axle receivers have a new “locking washer system” which minimizes axle play so that a player’s rear wheels are secure and solid for a confident feel. Faster, stronger, lighter. Technology that wins!
Jerry Baylor is this year's National Veterans Wheelchair Games' Spirit of the Games Winner, which is awarded each year by Invacare to the most deserving athlete demonstrating our "Yes, you can" attitude. His personal story is totally amazing and inspirational. Jerry will be awarded an Invacare Top End XLT Handcycle.
“I never stopped," he said. "I got up in the hospital, got in the wheelchair and kept going. Now I make it my mission to get other people to go to the Games. That's all I talk about. That's why they call me ‘Bull'." He credits the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers - a local wheelchair sports organization - with getting him going in the first days after his accident. See all of the results and photos from this year's games!
Follow the truly inspirational journey of Rich Dixon who will be riding his quad-adapted Invacare® Top End® ForceTM Handcycle along the Mississippi river from north to south this fall. He created this great video showing his handcycle with a quad set-up which was made possible by close collaboration with his local provider and Top End. Check out the elbow activated brake and a double tap fork mounted shifting system.
