Grit And Games: Getting To The Paralympics, A Connecticut Story

New England winters are a good time to lean into our favorite winter activities or get more sleep! Author, Katherine May writes the act of wintering goes beyond the season. It can be a period of reflection and down time when life throws the worst at us.   Before we close out the year, we listen back to my conversation with May about her book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times. She writes we “must learn to invite the winter in. We may never choose winter, but we can choose how.”  How are you wintering? GUEST: Katherine May - author of Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times  Cat Pastor contributed to this program which originally aired February 19, 2021.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six athletes with disabilities — and with ties to Connecticut — represented the U.S. at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, bringing home four medals. Fairfield University trained two medaling para swimmers, Colleen Young and Matthew Torres,  while Laura Goodkind,10th in the trunk and arms mixed double sculls in the 2016 Paralympics, most recently won the PR2 mixed doubles sculls at the 2020 Olympic Trials. Children with disabilities are placed with integrated sports teams, designed by the Special Olympics Connecticut, in nearly all schools across the state. GUESTS Matthew Torres - Para-swimming Bronze Medalist, Paralympics Tokyo 2020; Junior at Fairfield University Anthony Bruno - Head Coach, Men’s and Women’s, Swimming and Diving, Fairfield University  Laura Goodkind - Two-time Paralympian, Para-rowing (2016, 2020). Graduate of The Forman School, Litchfield Maggie Vanoni -Sports Reporter, Hearst  Beau Doherty - President, Special Olympics Connecticut  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharks. They’re among the apex predators of the ocean, swimming with stealth and agility across our blue planet. But more than that, they’re sources of myth and fear, stirring imaginations with their serrated jaws and cutting dorsal fins. So what, then, does it take to photograph these -- and other -- awe-inspiring marine creatures? This hour, we talk with underwater photojournalist Brian Skerry and preview his upcoming appearance at The Connecticut Forum. Plus, with Memorial Day just around the corner, what should New Englanders keep in mind as they hit the region’s beaches and dip into its shark-inhabited waters? We find out and we also hear from you.  GUESTS: Brian Skerry - Renowned underwater photographer and author of several books, including Shark (@Brian_Skerry) Dr. James Sulikowski - Marine biologist and professor at the University of New England Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right before Christmas, the international space station passed over New York City carrying astronaut Kayla Barron, a member of NASA’s Artemis Program--the program aims to put the first-ever woman on the moon. Barron was part of another groundbreaking group-- she was one of the first women commissioned as a submarine warfare officer in the US Navy.  This week Where We Live, revisits our best conversations. Barron joined us earlier this year to talk about her training for the next set of missions to return to the moon.  What's it like to be an astronaut? Do you have a young, aspiring astronaut in your life? GUESTS: NASA Astronaut Kayla Barron - Member of NASA’s Artemis team; she’s also a Navy Lieutenant Commander and Submarine Warfare Officer  Cathryn Prince - Visiting assistant professor of journalism at SUNY Purchase and author of the nonfiction book A Professor, A President, and A Meteor: The Birth of American Science Cat Pastor contributed to this show which originally aired January 8, 2021. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1985, Robert Ballard discovered the Titanic wreckage off the coast of Newfoundland. But his explorations didn’t stop there!  This week, we showcase our best conversations of 2021. Robert Ballard joined us earlier this year to talk about his new book, Into The Deep: A Memoir From The Man Who Found Titanic.  We hear about his amazing adventures and his recent attempt to find Amelia Earhart.  We also learn what Ballard discovered about himself. What questions do you have for this great explorer? GUEST: Robert Ballard - Author of Into The Deep: A Memoir From The Man Who Found the TitanicSupport the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.