Bowling Green State University Athletics
Coach Van De Walle Checks in from Egypt
April 24, 2008 | Volleyball
April 24, 2008
ISMAILIA, Egypt - BGSU volleyball Head Coach Denise Van De Walle is in her fifth year as the assistant coach of the USA National Sitting Team. Van De Walle and the USA National Sitting Team are currently in Egypt competing in the first ever World Organization Volleyball for the Disabled Intercontinental Cup. The WOVD Intercontinental Cup is a pre-paralympic event bringing both men and women of nine nations together, Netherlands, Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Russia, Iran and host Egypt.
The USA National Sitting Team has already qualified for their second appearance in the Paralympics after finishing fifth at the 2006 Sitting Volleyball World Championship.
Day 1-2 in Egypt
We all met in Chicago for the start of the trip. It was really good to see everyone and we were all excited about going to Egypt. We took off around 4:00 pm for Frankfurt. It was a pretty smooth flight on a 747, but hardly any of us were able to sleep. It was just too crowded and hot on the plane. It took about eight hours to get to Frankfurt and then we had a two hour layover before going to Cairo. The Frankfurt airport was interesting as it was under construction everywhere we looked. Lines were long to go through security but we managed to get to the front of the line because of Head Coach Mike and player Hope being in wheelchairs. That was nice! The flight to Cairo was four hours and by the time we landed everyone felt like we had been traveling for days! It's six hour time change from BG to Cairo so we lost a day in our travels. Getting luggage was easier than expected. The temperature outside was HOT, over 100 degrees but dry heat. When we walked out of the airport it felt like your face was blasted by an exhaust pipe from a car...hot, dry heat! We boarded a greyhound type bus with the men's sitting team from Germany for a 60 minute drive to Ismailia. We were stopped on the way by police and since we don't understand Arabic we just sat and watched while things happen around us. The drive was interesting. It seemed like all we saw were military compounds with guards in lookout-type towers. Of course there is sand everywhere as we are in the middle of a desert area. Two hours later we arrived at the Ismailia Olympic Village where the event is being held. We were packed in the bus and the luggage area was so tight that when the driver opened the doors it all came tumbling out to the ground, kind of funny how it is when you travel overseas.
When we arrived at our site we waited for the check-in process to finish so we could go to our rooms. Everyone was curious what the lodging would be like. A good way to describe it would be dorm rooms from the 60's. The beds are like boards not a mattress but a board. I won't really go into a lot of detail but it's going to be an interesting week. The good news is that we have access to the internet and we have an old air conditioner in our room that works! That was our prayer and it was answered. We met for dinner and were served baked chicken, carrots and french fries. We can't drink the water here so we are buying two liter bottles and carrying them with us everywhere we go.
The tough part of being here is that very little English is spoken so it's been hard to ask certain things or to get answers. For example, I tried for an hour to get someone to tell us how we could make a call out from the phone with an International calling card and each person I ask told us something different, so we still don't know how to do it since everything they've told us hasn't work. The compound where we're staying is right across the road from the Suez Canal. Across the canal is desert, miles and miles of white sand mounds. I feel like I'm in a movie when I see this area, the guards and police, etc.
Thoughts of the day: I am very thankful to live in the United States. Even a bad day at home is a better day than many have it here. I am thankful for the many blessings
For more updates on Coach Van De Walle's travels with the USA National Sitting Team visit www.BGSUFalcons.com as Van De Walle continues to check in with journals on her travels.
