Date: Fri 02-Apr-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

water-ski-disabled-club

Full Text:

Ability Conquers Disability In Local Water Ski Club

(with cuts)

BY STEVE BIGHAM

If you are out on Lake Zoar this summer, you may see champion water skiers Al

Golabek and Mark Heiftje training. They often attract a large crowd of

onlookers.

Boaters cheer with excitement as the two men soar over ramps, zig zag through

slaloms and gracefully rip through the calm lake water. What the spectators

don't know is that Al and Mark are both 100 percent blind.

As members of the Lake Zoar Water Ski Club, the two men have beaten the odds

and become two of the world's top disabled water skiers. And there are a lot

of disabled skiers. It's the kind of sport that allows top-notch athletes to

excel, no matter what their limitations might be.

Ski jumping is a different story. It takes a brave soul to actually go off one

of those jumps, so you can imagine the kind of courage it takes to do it

blind.

In August, Al and Mark are headed to London's chilly Lake Heron to compete in

the 1999 World Disabled Water Ski Competition.

And their trainer, Joel Zeisler of Newtown, will be right there every inch of

the way -- almost. He doesn't actually go over the jump, but he lines up his

proteges using his voice and they do the rest.

The Lake Zoar Water Ski Club has been in operation on Housatonic Drive along

the shores of Lake Zoar for more than 20 years. It was in 1991 that the club

diversified into teaching the disabled with the introduction of Mark into the

club. In time, the club found itself running a number of clinics that

introduced people with various disabilities to water skiing.

"I remember Mark called and said he wanted to learn to jump. At the end of the

conversation he said he was blind," Mr Zeisler recalled. "I said, `that's

fine. It doesn't change anything at this end.'"

Al, 30, who lost his vision in a motorcycle accident soon after high school,

joined the club soon after. Already a barefoot skier, the Bethel resident

simply wanted to take his skills to the next level.

To date, the club has produced four world records, while winning one world

championship and three national championships.

In some cases, the club came up with techniques that had never been used

before. The key to good jumping for the disabled is the communication between

coach and athlete and this threesome is constantly working to improve. Earlier

this month, they were in Florida for training during which time they worked

out with Mr Zeisler's children, Dan and Julie. They are both professional

water skiers, who grew up in Newtown and now travel with the tour. Al and Mark

also ran into Australians Bruce and Toni Nevell, two of the world's top

skiers. Bruce's 222-foot jump is the current world record.

Both Al and Mark have a close, but competitive relationship, which allows them

to push one another. Last year, Al set a world record in a national disabled

tournament. Ten minutes later, Mark beat that mark by a foot.

"They're so good. Sometimes I forget that Al and Mark can't see," Mr Zeisler

said.

Al admits there were some down times after his motorcycle accident. But, these

days, his life is more fulfilling than ever. The 30-year-old Bethel resident

is also a licensed plumber and accomplished wood craftsmen, specializing in

the construction of wooden canoes. He uses all kinds of power equipment.

"I walk out of that shop everyday with all 10 fingers," he joked.

Mr Zeisler, a resident of Newtown since 1967, is also a champion skier. These

days, he keeps busy with his coaching and calls himself a full-time father to

his three-year-old son Adam. Mr Zeisler and his wife, Lynn, are hoping to get

more disabled skiers involved in the sport. They don't have to be competitive

skiers, just people looking for some fun and excitement in a safe environment.

Currently, Mr Zeisler is also training two 12-year-old skiers -- both blind.

The club is fully insured and is a non-profit/tax exempt organization. It

operates through donations from private and corporate sources. No membership

fees are changed, although those who ski on a regular basis may be asked to

help with the cost of gas for the boat.

For more information on the Lake Zoar Waterski Club, call 426-0666.