Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/817011
MAY / JUNE 2017 23 Free Fitness Fridays Get strong for summer with complimentary access to all group fitness classes and fitness areas every Friday in May. First-time Fitness Advantage members can sign up on a Friday in May and receive their first month free. Contact 206.839.4785 or fitnessadvantage@wac.net. Meet the athlete Mark Bathum By Mae Jacobson, Associate Editor Mark Bathum began skiing in elementary school. His week- ends and Wednesday nights spent on the Alpental slopes inspired him to begin downhill racing. Mark completed his junior and senior year of high school at Wenatchee Valley College while training at nearby Mission Ridge resort. Then, in 1986, at age 28, Mark was diagnosed with retinitis pigmen- tosa, a degenerative eye disease that eventually left him with no peripheral vision and night blindness. Mark continued to ski and won a silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics and two silver medals at the 2014 Sochi Paralympics. Q. Tell us about your experience at the Paralympics. A. e Paralympics are hosted in the same cities and venues as the Olympics. It's a very powerful and enriching experience because this is the only opportunity for disabled athletes to compete in front of a full stadium of spectators. Winning a medal is a joyous feeling, and sharing the medal with specta- tors is a magical thing. Q.How do you ski with limited vision? A. I follow a guide down a racecourse. He's 30 feet ahead of me in downhill and sometimes only eight feet in front in slalom. Part of your success depends on working and training with your guide. Q. What's next for you? A. I'm training for the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeong- Chang, South Korea. Q. How are you training? A. I li weights at the WAC as part of my routine. In the summer, I'll ski at Mount Hood, Oregon, which attracts racers from all over the world. I'll also be training at the U.S. Olympic training center in San Diego. Seafair race discounts e WAC is the official athletic Club of the Swedish Sea- fair Triathlon and a sponsor of the Seafair Torchlight Run. Receive a 20 percent discount on either event—or both— when you register online using WAC-exclusive codes. Email fitness@wac.net for the codes and discover your training options at the Club. e Swedish Seafair Triath- lon takes place Sunday, July 23, and the Torchlight Run is Saturday, July 29. More information at seafair.com. living fit triathlon / meet the athlete YO S E F C H A I M K A L I N K O