Dakotafire Get your spark here.
Blaine Schulz from Jamestown has been selected to compete in Snowshoeing as a member of Team USA for the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games in PyeongChang and Gangneung, South Korea, Jan. 29 through Feb. 5.
Blaine Schulz
Schulz, 32, is a graduate of Jamestown High School and is currently employed at Wal-Mart. Blaine has been involved in Special Olympics for 24 years. In addition to snowshoeing, he has trained or competed in aquatics, bocce, bowling, soccer, figure skating, speed skating, and track and field. Blaine will be representing Jamestown and Special Olympics North Dakota at the world games for his fifth time.
“I will have the opportunity to represent my local teammates, North Dakota, and United States by doing my best and being an ambassador for Special Olympics,” Schulz said.
He was also a member of the 2009 USA Snowshoeing team.
Blaine is the son of Terry and Marna Schulz of Adrian. They, too, will be traveling to the Winter Games in South Korea to cheer on their son and the North Dakota team.
Other Team USA members attending from North Dakota include Alpine Skiing athlete Thomas Mikkelson of Grand Forks; Head Snowshoeing Coach Cindy Schopper of Valley City; Team USA medical staff Dr. Julie Biehm of Fargo; and Law Enforcement Torch Run Kevin Arthaud of Bismarck.
In preparation for the World Winter Games, Special Olympics Team USA athletes and coaches attended a training camp in Albany and Lake Placid, N.Y., Dec. 10-14, 2012. The training camp was the first time the Special Olympics Team USA delegation was together prior to the 2013 World Winter Games. The camp offered a variety of team building activities and sport-specific training in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, speed skating, figure skating, floor hockey and floor ball demonstration.
Schulz has also been training in Adrian and has been able to better his time even since the December training in New York. Blaine’s times at the end of December were 1:58:38 in the 400m, 8 seconds improvement from Lake Placid; and 1:01:23 in the 200m. Schulz made this 200-meter time even though the 200-meter race was less than 10 minutes of running the 400m.
Schulz has also been a faithful trainer at a fitness center in Jamestown.
His most recent surprise was a pair of new showshoes, new yellow Northern Lites racers, courtesy of a very generous donation by the Peace Officers Association.
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To keep up to date on Schulz’s training for the Games, see his Facebook page: “Blaine’s Olympic Journey.”
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Donations to the Special Olympics of North Dakota may be mailed to 2616 South 26th St., Grand Forks, ND 58201.
