I was extremely pleased to see this piece on dear friend Laura Schwanger on the United Spinal site. I have known Laura for many years and admire her for the stone wheelchair athlete that she is. More than that, I respect her for being a gentle giving person who makes time to get involved with disabled children, paralyzed veterans, and community projects.

There is a quiet excellence to Laura. No fanfare needed, no spotlight wanted. A true rarity these days, and a person to be admired. My hat’s off to you Laura!

Local Paralympic Medalist Recovers from Breast Cancer and Excels in World Rowing Championships

More importantly, Ms. Schwanger’s sixth place finish in Munich qualifies her class boat for the 2008 Paralympic Games, to be held in Beijing, China.

Ms. Schwanger, who is a wheelchair user as the result of multiple sclerosis (MS), stated “I am honored and very proud of my success in this rowing competition. Being diagnosed with breast cancer last year was a shock to both my mind and my body, but I battled back against it. I think it’s very important for other women to know that they need to fight breast cancer as hard as they can, because many of us do survive it.”
Read the entire article.