[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 5, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4903-S4904]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




ANTHONY FILIPPIS, SR. AND THE MICHIGAN ATHLETES WITH DISABILITIES HALL 
                                OF FAME

 Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I rise to recognize a remarkable 
man and his organization--Mr. Tony Filippis, Sr. and the Athletes with 
Disabilities Hall of Fame.
  Winston Churchill once remarked, ``We shall draw from the heart of 
suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.''
  And that is exactly what Mr. Filippis did.
  When tragedy struck in 1929, Mr. Filippis found inspiration not only 
for

[[Page S4904]]

himself, but also for the 1.7 million disabled persons living in my 
home State of Michigan. Seventy-five years ago, almost to the day, Mr. 
Filippis's legs were mangled in a train accident, forcing amputation.
  Frustrated by the discrimination plaguing him in the years that 
followed, he sought change. And change he found.
  Mr. Filippis accepted a position as the apprentice of Carl Wright, 
who worked for a company that made his prosthetic legs; 10 years later 
they founded their own company, Wright & Filippis.
  Since its founding, Wright & Filippis has grown into one of the only 
companies in the United States that offers complete equipment services 
for the disabled, from state-of-the-art prosthetic limbs to public 
education about rehabilitation.
  More remarkably, however, is what Mr. Filippis has done for the 
spirit of the disabled community in Michigan. In June 1999, he founded 
the Athletes with Disabilities Hall of Fame.
  Annually, the Hall of Fame recognizes the top Male and Female 
Athletes of the Year, as well as identifying a Lifetime Achievement 
Award winner and other Hall of Fame inductees.
  The Hall of Fame, however, does more than recognize the immense 
athletic achievement of Michiganians with disabilities. It also tells 
their stories so that other people with disabilities can draw strength 
and inspiration from them.
  It tells stories of people like Cheryl Angelelli who, despite being 
confined to a wheelchair due to spinal cord damage, has proven herself 
a formidable opponent in a swimming pool.
  Among other achievements, she claimed a national title with one gold 
and four silver medals at the 1999 U.S. National Disability 
Championships. Ranking 10th in the world and second in the U.S. in the 
100-meter breast stroke and the 200-meter individual medley, she earned 
a spot on the paralympic swimming team for the 2000 Games in Sydney, 
Australia.
  It tells stories of people who also give back to their community. Ms. 
Angelelli is a member of several advisory councils for people with 
disabilities and her expertise is sought by the management of concert 
halls and stadiums on how to make their venues more accessible to their 
disabled patrons.
  In the manner that Churchill called for, Mr. Filippis took his 
painful experience of discrimination and used it as fuel to try to 
prevent those with disabilities today from feeling the same sense of 
alienation he had. Through his organization, others with disabilities 
can be honored for their achievement and be a source of motivation to 
others.
  We appreciate his hard work and thank him.

                          ____________________