Athlete has a gift for speed

Sure, Kelsie Kellen wanted a medal. What elite track and field athlete wouldn't?

But when she took her spot on a New Jersey track at last month's International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation Junior World Games, the loudspeaker announcement gave her a much greater reward:

"Kelsie Kellen, for the United States of America."

It was her first international competition, and she was thrilled to represent her country.

Later, it hardly seemed to matter that she finished out of the medals in her five events.

"I did really well. I had two personal bests!" she said afterward.

At 13, Kelsie gets it: To outcompete other athletes, you first have to outcompete yourself. In just two years, that attitude has pro- pelled her to the top of her age and functionality group in wheelchair athletics.

a life-changing meeting

Kelsie and her family--mom Kelli, dad Scott and big brother Steffen--were living in St. Louis, Mo., when they went to a home show featuring accessible furnishings.

There, a woman asked if Kelsie wanted to try riding a hand-powered bike.

She did. She'd seen her friends ride their bikes and it had looked like fun--and also like something she wouldn't get to do. Born with spina bifida, Kelsie has only limited use of her hips and minimal feeling in her legs and feet.

The stranger at the home show turned out to be Kelly Behlmann, coach of a St. Louis team of disabled athletes ages 5 to 21.

Meeting her opened the door for Kelsie to try all kinds of wheelchair sports--hockey, archery, tennis, air rifle and rock climbing among them.

But it was on the track, in a borrowed racing chair, that Kelsie discovered her gift for speed.

"It didn't take long before I was beating everyone, including most of the boys," she recalled with a grin.

At her first meet, she got a sliced finger, heat exhaustion and a medal. She was hooked.

Many more meets and a roomful of medals, trophies and plaques followed, and Kelsie became known as a local superstar, Behlmann recalled.

MOVING TO SPOTSYLVANIA

Usually she travels with her mom, but when she was invited to a training camp last year in Colorado Springs, Colo., she had to go on her own.

She had already learned to handle baggage claim--including how to keep her cool when another passenger insisted on helping.

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Want to race?

There's no team nearby for Kelsie Kellen to practice with, so she and her mother would love to hear from other Fredericksburg-area wheelchair athletes interested in practicing together and possibly forming a team.

Kelli Kellen can be reached by cell phone at 618/830-6644.

How to help

Most of Kelsie Kellen's travel and training expenses come from the bank of Mom and Dad.

But to help with some of the costs, the Kellen family has set up a fund for tax-deductible contributions through Wheelchair Sports USA.

Donations may be made in Kelsie's name to WSUSA Athlete Development Fund, 1236 Jungermann Road, Suite A, St. Peters, Mo. 63376.

Or use the Web site wsusa.org, click membership, then "ADF donations" and look for Kelsie's link.

Olympic dreams

Like the summer Olympics, the Paralympic Games are to be held in Beijing this year. They'll be seen Sept. 6-17 on streaming video via the Web site http://en.paralympic. beijing2008.cn.

Kelli Kellen plans to project the games on a big screen in the basement so the whole family can watch.

Viewing the games is more than just entertainment for 13-year-old Kelsie Kellen. In 2012, she hopes to be on the U.S. Paralympic team in London.

"I know I'm good at it, and I know that if I work hard enough I will be in the Paralympics," Kelsie said.

It's a realistic goal, according to Coach Kelly Behlmann of the St. Louis, Mo., DASA Dynamites, Kelsie's former team.

"She's got a natural ability--not just her physical ability but her mind-set and her dedication," Behlmann said.

Kelsie watches her nutrition and indulges in soft drinks on Sundays only. And she cross-trains as a swimmer, practicing with a non-disabled team at the Spotsylvania YMCA.

"Not only is she a great athlete, but she's a good person," Behlmann said.

When a new boy joined the St. Louis team, Behlmann recalled, he was in awe of Kelsie the superstar.

Kelsie took a break from her own training and showed him how to work his gloves and use the brakes on his racing chair. She went with him around the track, giving pointers and encouragement.

At the end of the lap, Behlmann recalled, Kelsie held back just a bit so the newcomer could enjoy the great feeling of crossing the finish line first.

--Laura Moyer

Date published: 8/15/2008

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