Well, I can parallel park (both sides) like a champ again, so I must be fully recovered!

The World Championships in Paris are just over three weeks away. Since the last World Championships, the various categories have changed, mainly to discretize formerly broad groups into smaller groupings that better represent different ability levels. This applied to my category, which is basically the “you don’t fall into any of the other categories, so we will just plop you here.” This meant that my category was the largest and most competitive in the competition (men and women). This year, my category was broken down to better separate climbers of very different abilities. Some competitors do not have any apparent impediments. Others have minor ones, such as having one leg slightly shorter than the other, but with full muscle function. I was probably the most “disabled” and would have fallen into the “less able” category this year. However, because the minimum number of participants was not met, I will be competing with the big group. The competition this year looks even fiercer and larger. All the women stand a good 5 to 10 inches taller than me!

Short (5’1″), negative ape-index, gimpy. I picked the perfect sport!

Tickets have been purchased, accommodation has been arranged, the list of food destinations is long.