Tessa Worley , today won the World Championship in the Reisen Slalom Event , for France , at the 2013 Schladming World Alpine Ski Championships . Interviewed after the event on ORF1 , she related her elation in English . This should come as no surprise to those that know that her father is an Australian . This fact was relayed to me when i met her , in Sestriere , when i was there as a Volunteer , working on the Race Piste as a Slipper , with both the Olympic & Paralympic Winter / Torino Games in 2006 .
At that time , i mentioned that i had met Zali Steggall at St Anton in 2001 , when she won the World Championship Special Slalom Event . We were on the Chair lift with her Mother when i started a conversation that led to her saying her father was an Australian and that she was aspiring to ski in the French National Ski Team . When i mentioned this conversation top some Aussies , they said that she had a better chance of progressing with her career , whilst in the French Team . They were correct in that , now we look back and see her steady progression through this season .
Whilst watching the scenes of jubilation , that occured , as Tessa waited for the end of the first run , of the first 30 skiers , i noticed @julian lizeroux , in the French Group . I had earlier had a chuckle as i watched Austrian TV , ORF 1 , interview Alberto Tomba . Being the SKI Icon that he is , he refused to use the German that he is able to speak . Bruno the Italian , that used to be his Manager / Trainer , thus translated the German / Italian content . At Bormio in 2008 whilst chatting in English with " La Bomba " , we were interupted by someone we both knew and that convo was in German . Perhaps he wanted to avoid too long an Interview today ?
Tainting today's news , is the relevation , concerning Oscar Pistorius . Noted the Paralympic issued the following statement : http://t.co/Jn7mHp1A
The great disappointment , that many will experience , is that he was responsible for changing so many peoples' perception of Disabled Sport . He fought hard for many years , for the right to be treated as a " Normal Athlete "! Attending London 2012 Olympics , as an Athlete , then going onto the Paralympic Games , as an Athlete , was certainly an extraordinary achievement . He had to miss the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a result of missing the qualification standard by a few tenths of a second .
Incuídental to all this , is the sponsorships that he has garnered because of his Sporting Triumphs . As i finish this post tonight , CNN show twice , within minutes a Self Promotion Ad , featuring many World Renowned Personalities . Amongst these , after President Jimmy Carter , until now , you will see Oscar saying "My Voice, My Right , My Voice Counts "! Wonder when this ad will be removed , or , amended ?
Gun Control is a subject that i have covered in many Posts and one thing that i am sure i mentioned , was the statistical imbalance created by the presense of Guns in the home . Seems likely that , this was another occasion where , things got out of control and unfortunate results were the outcome . US Government Authorities are presently trying to legislate for New Laws , to control access to Guns . As they debate , there continues to be loss of life , some of those losses would have been preventable , had the " Loopholes " been closed earlier !
Watching the " State of the Union Address " given by President Barack Obama , 12th Feb , it would have been clear , how many lives were lost , even since his Inaugeration , and before that when the Sandy Hook Massacre , focused the world on this US Dilemna !Seeing Gabby Giffords shuffle into the Senate Hearing last week , should have been enough , to remind the Law Makers of " There but for the Grace of God , GO I "!
