GASTON: ONE YEAR LATER

[atomic-fly]

I hope I'm not breaking any rules, but it seemed appropriate.
The below article is just a small sample of what some of the
people in the Katrina disaster will face. While some will get some relief, a lot will fall through the cracks.
I am sending a check to Dan and his wife. I know it will be a drop in the bucket, but It's gotta start somewhere.

If you feel like helping Dan,
His home address is:
Dan Nicholson
2601 Montrose Ave. Richmond, VA 23222




RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH
AN ATHLETE'S ENDURANCE TEST
A MEDAL-WINNING CYCLIST FINDS THAT HOME DAMAGE TAKES TOLL ON PERFORMANCE

Date: Sunday, August 28, 2005
Section: Area/State
Edition: City
Page: A-10
By Jim Nolan
Times-Dispatch Staff Writer
Contact Jim Nolan at [phone]
or [e-mail]


Memo: GASTON: ONE YEAR LATER

Dan Nicholson is a world-class athlete living in a Third World home.

On Aug. 30, 2004, the remnants of Tropical Storm Gaston destroyed his house in the 2600 block of Montrose Avenue, across the street from Battery Park in the city's North Side.

Now, a year later, the 1926 stucco structure is little more than a shell. Nicholson, 34, a gold-medal Paralympic cyclist, has no money to fix it. And the prolonged debt and stress brought on by the storm's devastation is threatening to derail an accomplished career and drive him from the city where he was born.

"We love the city," he said, standing in what used to be his living room, with his professional training bikes propped against an exposed wall.

"But it's been so tough lately that every once in a while you just feel like leaving," he admitted reluctantly. "I've been close to having to quit."

Nicholson, who was born with cerebral palsy, has been cycling competitively for more than 12 years. Considered one of the best in the world, he won Paralympic gold medals in 1996 in Atlanta, in 2000 in Sydney, and at both the European and Pan-American Cycling Championships in 2003.

He and his wife, Elizabeth Thompson, bought the 1,700-square-foot home with the idea of restoring it and settling down to start a family.

Instead, life these days is confined to a cramped second floor, with a makeshift kitchen consisting of a microwave oven, a mini-refrigerator and a jury-rigged sink connected to plumbing from the bathroom.

One step into the home is a reminder that some Richmonders have yet to recover from the property devastation caused by the storm, which killed eight people in the region and left millions of dollars in damage after dumping three months of rainfall on the city in six hours.

Nicholson's finished basement is now a dark, silty hole. The first floor has no walls, counters, cabinets, kitchen appliances or plumbing.

The water that day rose to the ceiling of the house and washed away Nicholson's conversion van. Across the street, the deluge submerged the sunken tennis courts of Battery Park like fish furniture at the bottom of an aquarium.

"We lost everything we own," said Nicholson, who at the time was preparing to depart from the U.S. Olympic training facility in Colorado Springs to participate in the Paralympic Summer Games in Athens.

After almost returning home, Nicholson decided to go on as planned to the games. He shared a silver medal in the team sprint -- a result he deemed disappointing considering he was favored to win medals in two other events.

He was also less than satisfied with his performance at the U.S. Nationals earlier this summer but still managed to qualify for the World Games.

"It's been really stressful, and I think it's really taken a toll on my performance," said Nicholson.

But his hardship also brought out the best in his friends, teammates, co-workers and sponsors.

During the flight back from the Olympics last year, teammates passed a hat and collected $1,100 for him.

Home Depot, which employs Nicholson in the lawn-and-garden section of one of its Broad Street stores as part of its Olympic Job Opportunities Program, provided an emergency generator and donated cabinets to help the rebuilding effort.

Conte's Bicycle and Fitness Equipment on West Broad Street has continued to provide Nicholson with bikes and cycling equipment.

"I'm really thankful to all of them," he said.

Despite the generosity, Nicholson said he's not sure how much longer he'll be able to justify the investment of time and money in his cycling career, given the demands and debt of the house that Gaston dismantled.

A $5,000 FEMA grant was a drop in a bucket full of bills: It barely covered the cleanup, and the Nicholsons did not have flood insurance.

"It wears on you after a while," Nicholson said, still managing to crack a smile. "But it would be nice just to be able to sit down on a couch and turn on the TV and be comfortable."


http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=1321