[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 55 (Thursday, May 1, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3916-S3917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO ELIZABETH O'DONNELL

 Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
very special

[[Page S3917]]

American, Ms. Elizabeth O'Donnell of Kenmore, NY. I am proud to 
announce that Ms. O'Donnell is one of three winners of the 1996 HEROES 
Awards from the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. This honor is 
given each year to three individuals who make outstanding and unique 
humanitarian contributions to local sports programs throughout the 
United States.
  In 1976, Elizabeth O'Donnell abandoned her lifelong dream of 
professional ice skating to find a more fulfilling challenge. It was at 
that time that Ms. O'Donnell left the Ice Capades to teach blind and 
handicapped people of all ages to ice skate. Motivated by her love of 
the sport and desire to share the freedom of movement, as well as the 
physical and psychological benefits which accompany skating, Ms. 
O'Donnell founded the Skating Association for the Blind and Handicapped 
[SABAH].
  In her 20 years as coach, administrator, and president of SABAH, Ms. 
O'Donnell has taught more than 8,500 physically challenged people to 
leave behind their wheelchairs and crutches and learn to skate with 
specially designed walkers and harness systems. A number of Ms. 
O'Donnell's students have even learned to overcome their disabilities 
as a result of her coaching techniques.
  Ms. O'Donnell's work might best be summarized in the words of Buffalo 
mayor, Anthony Massielo, the person who nominated her for the 1996 
Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association HEROES Award: ``For those 
people who might have known `sports' as an abstract, Elizabeth has 
succeeded in translating the joy of achievement and accomplishment, 
which is so often overlooked in competitive sports, into a triumph of 
spirit.''
  Mr. President, I want to give my warmest congratulations to Ms. 
O'Donnell and to the people whose lives she helps make better. Her 1996 
Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association HEROES Award is richly 
deserved.

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