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Neville: Injured wrestlers have a role model to look to

Published February 1, 2007 at midnight

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When Regis cheerleader Lacey Henderson heard about the accident in Berthoud where two wrestlers lost their legs, she could instantly relate. "My initial advice to Tyler Carron and Nikko Landeros, even though it's hard, is to be positive, even when things look down." Henderson lost one leg to cancer when she was only 9 years old and has made it her mission since to counsel other young people facing the same situation. Henderson's actions are an example of how much can be accomplished against the odds. She wasn't expected to walk with her prosthetic leg until more than a year had passed. Instead, it took her only a couple of months. And when she announced she had every intention of learning how to do a back-handspring, friends and family regarded the idea as a long shot at best. "The first time I did one, everybody cried," she remembers. "Me, my mom, my coach, my doctors. Everybody." Then, she continues, "These days, amputee athletes aren't regarded as 'disabled,' just 'differently-abled.' I want those boys to know that they can wrestle again, it will just be a little bit different. And when they do, they will probably find that it's more gratifying than ever."

GIRLS' DAY OUT: Feb. 10 at the University of Colorado in Boulder is the only place to be for "Girl Power"! In celebration and recognition of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the Buffs are offering several programs designed to encourage young sportswomen to embrace health and fitness for life. CU's female athletes challenge all girls, up to eighth grade, to take them on in a Skills and Fitness Challenge. Doors at the Coors Events Center open at noon. Admission is free and includes a T-shirt, plus admission to that day's CU-Nebraska women's basketball game. In addition, to experience the school's club sports atmosphere, including some nontraditional sports, girls in elementary school are invited to the Student Recreation Center from 1 to 4 p.m. University club athletes will introduce the girls to kayaking, tae kwon do, fencing and softball. Ralphie the buffalo also will make an appearance. The mascot is a girl, after all!