Tatyana Goes For Gold

The Flier has a piece on wheelchair athlete Tatyana McFadden. She's headed off to Beijing for the Paralympics where she hopes for some bling.

McFadden will have plenty of chances at gold at this year's Paralympics, which kick off with the opening ceremonies Sept. 6. She has qualified to participate in the 100-, 200-, 400-, and 800-meter track events, in addition to competing as a member of the 4x100-meter relay team.

The 100, the event in which she won silver in 2004 and also held the world record earlier this year, is her strong suit but, according to McFadden and her coaches, there is the chance for success across the board.

The Flier also says this about her legacy in Howard:

In July, after years of pushing and a testimony by McFadden in front of the Maryland General Assembly, the "Fitness and Athletics Equity for Students with Disabilities" bill was put into effect. The new legislation was a huge breakthrough in that it will require Maryland public schools to provide disabled students with equal access to physical education programs and high school sports teams, either among themselves or with able-bodied students.

Schools have three years to comply, and it is estimated that it will cost more than $2 million statewide to implement the program.

While McFadden is headed off to college and won't reap the benefits of the bill, her sister, Hannah, a wheelchair athlete going into seventh grade at Lime Kiln Middle School and already a swimming and track star, will have an easier time.