Teacher, wheelchair racer and dad: Tony Nogueira

The Star Ledger ran a story today (thank you to Kelly for sending this along!) about Tony Nogueira, a wheelchair racer from NJ who also teaches art. This video showsTony training for his races, at home with his family, during a race (he sure can change tires fast!) and talking about perceptions of people with disabilities.

Tony has the accolades and the attitude of a 20 year veteran of wheelchair sports.

"Last month in Philadelphia, he set the course record at the Broad Street Run, finishing the nation's second-largest 10-mile race in 32:05 and obliterating his 2003 record of 34:43.
According to his records, he has finished first in the Philadelphia Marathon, the Ocean State Marathon, the Lisbon Marathon and the Boston Half-Marathon, and has two second-place finishes in the New York City Marathon.
Tomorrow in Washington, D.C., Nogueira will compete in the Susan G. Komen National Race for the Cure, another event in which he has finished first.
When Portugal Day organizers asked Nogueira to list his achievements, it was a struggle.
"My trophies are in a box, and sometimes my kids play with them," he says." Via the Star Ledger

And his positive attitude has translated well to his kids. When his son noted that his father couldn't kick the ball when they played soccer, he was quick to add that his dad could play goalie. His wife expressed her happiness that her son understood that it really boiled down to just playing another position.

Click the title of this post to read the piece in the Star Ledger: The Art of Full Throttle Living.