First Posted: 2/28/2014
It’s go time!
For half of her 18-years, Stephanie Jallen has been training and dreaming of participating in the Paralympic Games representing the USA and her dream is about to become a reality.
Jallen, an 18-year old senior at Wyoming Area, left for Sochi, Russia, to compete in Alpine skiing as a part of the US Paralympic ski team. She will compete in four events out of five, excluding downhill, giving her four chances to medal for her country.
“I’m extremely excited,” Jallen said, “and I can’t wait to actually get there and I’ve been looking at it watching the Olympics for weeks now and now that I’m finally getting to go it’s just an unbelievable feeling.”
Jallen embarked Fridayon her two-day journey with family and friends on hand to see her off. Departing at 1 p.m. from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport at Avoca, her first leg of the journey took her to Newark, NJ, airport before heading to Munich, Germany, were she would meet up with the rest of her US Paralympic teammates. According to Jallen, she would arrive yesterday, nine time zones later.
Jallen was born with CHILDS syndrome (Congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform erythroderma and limb defects) which affects the left side of her body leaving her left arm and leg, which has been amputated, underdeveloped. To date there have been only 60 known cases around the world.
When Jallen was nine-years old, she attended a ski camp for the handicapped where she immediately fell in love with skiing. Jallen often stated, “I felt free when I was on a ski.”
Over the years, she found Ernie Baul from Danko’s All American Fitness in Plains. Baul trained Jallen over the years preparing for her ultimate goal. Jallen admitted, “I thought Ernie would take it easy on me since I was only nine-years old, but no, right off the bat, he worked me hard and I’m very grateful he did.”
Jallen added, “I’m glad I stuck with it even though I wanted to drop it more than once. I’m glad I had the support I did otherwise I wouldn’t have made it.”
Jallen had a busy week prior to leaving for Sochi. Ten days ago there was a fundraiser for her in Scranton as a send-off. This past week she was on TV with WBRE and radio with KRZ.
On Thursday, her high school honored her by wearing red, white and blue clothing. She was presented with a bouquet of red, white and blue flowers as a gift from the Wyoming Area School District just before leaving school .
Jallen will put her skiing career on hold after Sochi while she goes to King’s College in the fall. Jallen said, “I want to leave all options and doors open, but I’m planning on going to college. I’m probably going to put competing on the elite level on the back seat until after college and if I do, I do and if I don’t, I don’t.”
She said she will continue to train over the years to keep her body strong and healthy and if she wants to get back to the elite level, it will be an easy transaction.
“When I go out there I’m going to do my best and if it’s meant to happen it will happen and I’ll take the love from my family and America with me and do the best I could,” Jallen said.
The Paralympic Games from Sochi will be broadcast on the NBC family networks, NBC and NBCSN.
For a complete broadcast schedule, go to http://www.teamusa.org/News/2014/February/19/Television-Schedule-Set-For-Sochi-2014-Paralympic-Winter-Games.
Opening ceremony will be broadcast live at 11 a.m. on NBCSN on Friday, March 7, and the closing ceremony Sunday, March 16, at 3:30 p.m.
The Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games review show will be broadcast on NBC on Sunday, March 22 at 1 p.m.
