OLYMPIC ADVENTURE : PACOIMA GROUP HEADED FOR JUDO COMPETITIONS IN ATLANTA.Byline: Luz Villarreal and Mary Beth Alexander Daily News Staff Writers Miriam Carranza's 9-year-old son was about to board a plane headed for the Olympic Games Olympic games, premier athletic meeting of ancient Greece, and, in modern times, series of international sports contests. The Olympics of Ancient Greece Although records cannot verify games earlier than 776 B.C. in Atlanta, and it was all she could do but hold him tight in her arms and sob SOB shortness of breath. SOB abbr. shortness of breath sob, n a short, convulsive inspiration, attended by contraction of the diaphragm and spasmodic closure of the glottis. . ``Behave, stay with your group, enjoy the things you see and think of me,'' she whispered whis·per n. 1. Soft speech produced without full voice. 2. Something uttered very softly. 3. A secretly or surreptitiously expressed belief, rumor, or hint: whispers of scandal. to Raul inside the terminal at Burbank Airport on Wednesday morning. ``It's his first time away from home without me,'' she said. Raul and five other Pacoima youths, clad CLAD canine leukocyte adhesion disease. in matching T-shirts and Olympic logo baseball caps, received an Olympic send-off with an entourage The e-mail program included in the Macintosh version of Microsoft Office. Combining the functions of Outlook with scheduling capabilities, Entourage was introduced with Microsoft Office 2001 for Mac, the first release of Office for OS X. of well wishers, teary-eyed family members and media to record the event. It was a big deal for the youths who were going on an all-expense paid trip as spectators to watch the Olympic judo judo (j  `dō), sport of Japanese origin that makes use of the principles of jujitsu, a weaponless system of self-defense. competitions. They also will get a chance to meet and work out with the American judo team. At the airport, they behaved like Olympians, proud and full of dreams as they marched through the terminal amid the clicking and flash of cameras and volleys of questions from reporters. ``It's a great opportunity,'' said 10-year-old Carlos Aguirre, who's earned an orange belt after three years of judo lessons. ``It's a great gift. I like judo because I can learn how to protect myself, avoid gangs, drugs and fights. I want to be a sensei sen·sei n. pl. sen·seis 1. A judo or karate teacher. 2. A teacher or mentor. 3. Used as a form of address for such a person. (teacher), and I want to compete.'' His mother, Maria Aguirre, looked on, wiping See wipe. away her tears with a tissue. ``I want him to go,'' she said. ``It's an opportunity not offered to many kids.'' Added Carranza, Aguirre's sister, ``It will serve them well to experience the Olympics Olympics Sports medicine An international competition among (traditionally) nonprofessional athletes trained in a particular summer or winter sport, which is held every 4 yrs in a selected city. See Paralympics, Special Olympics, World Medical Games. . This will inspire them to be athletes.'' The kids - ages 9 through 12 - are enrolled in a program with New Directions for Youth which is working to keep at-risk children out of gangs. Part of their program includes judo lessons, a sport chosen especially for its emphasis on self-discipline and respect for authority. For some of the children, it was their first time away from home. ``Most of these kids have never been out of Pacoima,'' said Sally Thompson, president and chief executive officer of New Directions for Youth. Thompson said organization leaders decided about four months ago to send some children who participate in the judo program to the Olympic Games as a reward for their hard work in school and judo classes. The six who departed Wednesday, Thompson said, had the best attendance in the classroom and gym, and their school grades showed the most improvement. ``We could only pick six. It was difficult,'' Thompson said. ``They were the kids who really were moving along.'' The youths are being accompanied by their judo instructor Charles Avelar and his wife Mara Avelar. ``This is an opportunity of a lifetime,'' said Avelar, a third-degree black belt. ``The children really worked hard for this. I believe this will reshape their lives. The ultimate dream, who knows, maybe one of them will be competing in the Olympics in the future.'' David Hernandez, 10, was thinking about his immediate future. ``I'll learn more moves so I can go to more tournaments and win more trophies,'' he said. Also selected for the trip were Cynthia Perez, 12; and Isaac Chavez and Cesar Zuniga, both 11. It took a bit of creativity and wrangling to arrange for the youngsters to go, Thompson said. America West Airlines America West Airlines was one of the United States' ten major airlines. The airline was based in Tempe, Arizona, and is now a part of US Airways Group. At the time of its integration into US Airways, the airline maintained two hubs, one at Phoenix Sky Harbor International offered the group a reduced rate to fly the children and the Avelars to and from Atlanta, Thompson said. New Directions board Chairman Tom Shapiro secured the tickets for the Olympic judo competitions, she said. The children will stay in a private home and return July 26. Parents helped raise money through bake sales “Bake Sale” redirects here. For the episode from the TV show 8 Simple Rules, see List of 8 Simple Rules episodes. A bake sale is a fundraising activity where baked goods such as doughnuts, cupcakes and cookies, sometimes along with ethnic foods, are sold. at judo competitions for the children's meals, Thompson said. (1) Raul Carranza, 9, consoles his mother, Miriam, who weeps during farewells at Burbank Airport. (2) The Pacoima young judo delegation heads for the flight to Atlanta. (3) The youngsters get their seating assignments for the Atlanta flight. (4) Maua Perez waves good-bye to her daughter Cynthia who's headed for the Olympics in Atlanta. Tom Mendoza/Daily News CAPTION(S): 4 Photos |
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