Three current or former students of the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs will share insights into the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic games beginning at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 22 on the UCCS campus.
Adam Wheeler, a current master’s student, and winner of the bronze medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, will be joined by alumni Asya Miller and Jennifer Geisheker in providing an insider’s view of the two competitions. Miller, who earned a master’s in criminal justice in 2008 and was named Outstanding Criminal Justice Student, earned a gold medal in goal ball competition at the 2008 Paralympics. Geisheker, who earned a master’s in public administration in 2008, is a United States Olympic Committee staff member who worked at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
“All of our students bring a unique perspective to the classroom,” Terry Schwartz, associate dean, School of Public Affairs, said. “But the experiences of these three individuals are so unusual that they deserve to be shared and celebrated.”
Wheeler, Miller and Geisheker are expected to talk about their experiences fas part of a networking reception for other School of Public Affairs alumni and friends of the program, including community leaders.
Miller participated in goal ball, a sport designed exclusively for athletes who are blind or have severe visual impairment. The sport was invented in 1946 to aid in the rehabilitation of blind WWII veterans. In 1976, the sport was added to the Paralympic games. The sport’s object is to roll a ball into an opponent’s goal using bells inside the ball to guide player movement. Men’s and women’s teams are fielded. The sport is played in more than 50 countries and is governed by the International Blind Sport Federation.
Wheeler, 27, participated in Greco-Roman wrestling in the 96 kilogram (211 pounds) weight class and earned a bronze medal. He currently is attending the Colorado Springs Police Academy and attending classes part-time at UCCS.
Wheeler was one of 12 individuals with UCCS ties who participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. More than 30 UCCS students train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Reservations are required to attend the event in UC 116. To attend, contact Mary Lou Kartis, 262-4182 or [email protected].
UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in northeast Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado, and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The University offers 30 bachelor’s degrees, 19 masters’, and four doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 8,000 students annually.