It’s a first for adaptive athletes who literally pushed the limits and themselves.  Congratulations!!

Grant Korgan, lead by Tal Fletcher and Doug Stoup, made it to the South Pole on January 17, 2012 on the 100-year anniversary when Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova expedition reached the earth’s most remote spot.

The expedition originally included Grant Korgan of Lake Tahoe, a world-class kayaker and adventurer and John Davis, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist.  Both Davis and Korgan are athletes with spinal cord injuries.  Unfortunately Davis sustained an injury while training in South America that took him out of the bid for the South Pole, but he was there in spirit.

As he literally pushed himself 100 miles across the frozen Antarctic landscape, Korgan demonstrated the capacity of the human spirit to overcome life-altering injuries. And, perhaps more importantly, the team hopes to inspire people in all walks of life to help others achieve the seemingly insurmountable, to push their own everyday limits, and to live up to their ultimate potential.

Using custom-designed Nordic skis and sheer upper body strength, the specially crafted sit-skis will revolutionize the way parathletes participate in winter sports. The gear was as important as their technique, endurance and determination.

The expedition was lead by Doug Stoup and Tal Fletcher; they were accompanied by a three-person production crew. The team trained for a year with various missions in Alaska, Norway, Lake Tahoe and South America. The overall purpose of the project is to make strides for spinal cord recovery and to support California-based 501c3 non-profit High Fives Foundation, which helps adaptive winter athletes ideally get back on their feet and to their sport.

“My bones [were] clacking against each other. And you really can view this thing in any way you want,” Korgan said. “When I realized that I could see the beauty in any and all things, it brought another level of freedom.” Grant Korgan

It has always been Korgan’s goal to evolve from his sit-ski to stand and ski the last bit of mileage to the south pole. It was so cold and intense that until the last day, it didn’t look likely.  Korgan said it will be remembered as the greatest moment, second to his wedding with Shawna Korgan, who surprised him a quarter mile before the finish. “The Push” was streamed through live satellite calls daily from Antarctica in collaboration with SocialTyze, which can be viewed on Facebook Page “The Push: A South Pole Adventure.” It will also be featured as a full-length film in late 2012 and as a four-part television series on NBC.

Click here to learn more about The Push and High Fives.

Susan Frailey RN BSN from South Lake Tahoe recently published her breakthrough approach to nutrition in her new book, More Alive Now: Simple Nutrition to Change Your Life.

Through her innovative nutritional tools that make sense, are easy to follow, and will last a lifetime, Susan has joined Andrew Weil and Michael Pollan as a pioneer in the art of nutrition committed to help us achieve optimal health through simple daily decisions. As a mother of an autistic child, a full time health practitioner, entrepreneur and business owner, if Susan can do it, anyone can.

As a life long advocate of health and nutrition, Susan got serious about it when her son Dylan was diagnosed with autism at age three.  Deep inside she knew a cleaner diet would help Dylan, as well as herself, and she dedicated her life to find simple tools that she could easily integrate into both of their busy lives.

While on her journey, Susan realized that life changes change our lives, especially impacting our daily food choices.  With that in mind, she set out to simplify our nutritional choices and developed a breakthrough approach that is resonating with everyone.  More Alive Now: Simple Nutrition to Change Your Life focuses on nutrition and health as a living spiral, one we are on at all times, moving one way or the other. Life occurrences and daily nutrition choices dictate our position on this undulating mind/body/spirit continuum every day.

To guide us on our personal path to wellness, More Alive Now is designed to help us make choices that nourish our body and give us the necessary elements for cellular regeneration and, ultimately, health regeneration and movement up the living spiral of wellness.

Susan’s book includes the essential life-giving nutrients missing from the outdated FDA pyramid such as probiotic foods and beverages; oils, essentials fats and omegas, and minerals; and easy to follow steps for food combining to avoid gastrointestinal problems, and how to harness the pH power of foods to immediately improve our health and well-being.

In addition to a simplified discussion about nutritional choices that anyone can understand and implement, Susan has included useful charts that outline food combining, ph Balance foods and the More Alive Now food pyramid, as well as delicious recipes, meal planning tips, and resources for shopping.

Throughout the year, Susan gives demonstrations to make probiotic foods in Lake Tahoe and is also available for nutrition and body cleansing consultations.  She will be holding book signings and lectures for More Alive Now in the upcoming year.

In the meantime, to learn more about Susan’s story and to purchase More Alive Now: Simple Nutrition to Change Your Life, please visit www.MoreAliveNow.com. You can also find her book at Grass Roots Natural Foods in South Lake Tahoe and on Amazon.

About Susan:

Susan Frailey, founder of More Alive Now and OSANA Publishing, has a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, and has been a practicing registered nurse since 1984. A self-help advocate and researcher since her early twenties in the conventional and complementary healing realms, Susan has accomplished in-depth reading and practice into the alternative health regimes of Bernard Jensen, Harvey Kellogg, and Paul Bragg, along with studies of massage therapy, shiatsu, and reflexology.

She holds practitioner certifications in Matrix Energetics®‚ EMF Balancing Technique©, and is a level IV colon hydrotherapist who applies these experiences and modalities of health care in combination with her traditional nursing career. As a graduate of the Cathy Shea International School of Colon Hydrotherapy, and owner/operator of Evolutionary Healthcare, a digestive health and detoxification business for four years, Susan has acquired a tremendous amount of knowledge in nutrition, cleansing, and healing from herself, her clients, and clinical experience.

And she’s headed to the 2012 Winter X Games along with Sierra-at-Tahoe team riders, Hannah Teter, and Maddie Bowman.  Go get em girls!

It’s clear that Jamie dominates slopestyle and big air competitions all over the globe. From grom to female snowboard domination, we’ve followed Jamie through X Games Golds, TTR Championships, Signature Billabong outerwear lines, Rider of the Year, Dew Tour Championships, and Burton Open Championships. In the midst of a hectic travel and contest season, we’re happy to know that Jamie keeps it real right here at her home mountain.

She was even awarded Female Rider of the Year by both TransWorld SNOWboarding and Snowboarder Magazines in 2009.

Jamie is training hard these days, hoping to stay on top of the competition and win a place on the women’s halfpipe team, as her main event, slopestyle, is not an Olympic event. “The level of women’s riding is insane these days,” commented Jamie during some recent downtime in South Lake Tahoe . “This summer, all of the girls were going so big in New Zealand doing bigger tricks than ever. The competition is going to be intense this winter and I can’t wait.”

Jamie is a member of the Sierra-at-Tahoe Elite TEam.

Click here to learn more her home mountain.

Meet Gary Bell, back country pioneer and owner of Sierra Ski and Cycle Works (SSCW) in South Lake Tahoe.  The big fun in the small shop since 1980.Besides his laid back style, Gary is an expert when it comes to bikes and skis which stems from his years of exploring his backyard. It sustains him, and defines his life.  It’s been said that Gary’s ski and bike tunes make the rider. Gary and his long-time crew, Chris and Troy, make it a point to understand the skier or rider, the terrain they prefer, fitness level, and the fun factor expectation. This simple approach has lead to a successful business model that has fueled our healthy lifestyle for more than 30 years.

Running the shop since 1980, Gary pretty much knows everyone, or everyone knows Gary – wherever he may be – on top of Mount Shasta,  inside the Gold Museum of Peru, Mammoth, or the PCT at Mount Hood. “Hey, aren’t you the Spoke Junkie?” or “Your shop helped me out when I needed…”  The shop is a mini museum loaded with Lake Tahoe bike and ski memorabilia, and is a frequent stop for those who want to ride the latest vintage bicycle out front.

Gary fell in love with the mountains at age four during family ski trips to Alpine Meadows.  Seeking more time in the mountains than just weekend ski club trips from the Bay Area, Gary made the move when he turned 20 telling his mom and dad it was just for one ski season. Like any new dedicated ski bum back in 1976 Gary painted houses, shoveled snow off rooftops, towed people off the snow berm, and was a late night cook at the Nugget.  Soon he landed a ski teaching gig at Heavenly Valley while at the same time he practiced his aerials off the ski ramp into the lake at Bill O’Leary’s World Freestyle Training Center at Zephyr Cove.

During the summer he worked for Frank at Tahoe Bike Shop and at the Clean Machine for Bill Miller.  It was then when he and Geoff Clarke started building mountain bikes, aka Clunkers, that they sold for $600 each.  Gary, Geoff, Gene St. Denis and Big Daddy would ride their Clunkers on the Power Lines trail, and anywhere they could get.  This fearless foursome are responsible for connecting abandoned hiking trails that became Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride – a name coined by Gene St. Denis.

Gary purchased his first cross country skis from Jack Francis of Rock Bottom Sports which is the current location of SSCW.  When Jack closed his doors, Gary took over the space in 1980 and created a corporation with two partners that focused on used ski gear. The Ski Trading Company had three locations; one in Kings Beach, Squaw Valley, and its current spot on Hwy 50 in the middle of South Lake Tahoe, next to Safeway.  Gary and his friends loved the freedom of back country skiing and soon the shop was retrofitting the soft leather x-c ski boots with downhill boot cuffs to make them stiffer.

Always the innovator, Gary created a releasable telemark ski binding in the early 80′s, before Voile.  However, he never went anywhere with his original design, except up to Heavenly Valley. Soon he was kicked off the mountain for having an “illegal binding.”   After a ski meeting with HV mountain manager, Malcolm Tibbetts, Gary was issued a special pass that gave him permission to ride the lifts and use his newfangled gear.  Tough break Gary. You’re stuck in Tahoe!  By the mid 90′s, telemark skis and equipment were transformed to handle bigger all-mountain terrain – finally.  Like a kid in a candy shop, Gary happily introduced everyone to telemark skiing along with split snowboards to help us get further into the mountains.  Today,  SSCW remains the quintessential back country ski shop in Lake Tahoe that rents and sells skins, shovels, probes, beacons and avalanche safety & preparedness kits.

In 1983, the corporation changed its name to Sierra Ski and Cycle Works and became a full service ski and bike shop. SSCW carried SR, Raleigh and Specialized bikes, and became the top Specialized Dealer in Northern California in the mid 80′s.  By 1988, mountain biking had taken hold and Gary started TAMBA, the Tahoe Area Mountain Bicycling Association, along with Kathlee and Jesse from North Shore. The three developed a model program driven by volunteers who helped to build trails and educate riders to assist Don Lane, LTBMU Recreation Officer, and his staff.  Although never called upon, TAMBA even developed a bike search and rescue team, a first in the nation.  TAMBA continues strong to this day with a new fresh crew.

Gary mastered his technical bike handling skills in the early 1980s when he competed in bike trials. Sponsored by Raleigh and Yeti, he placed second in the Worlds and Third in Nationals in the Expert Division.  He quit the circuit when it felt like a job. Instead, he prefers to take his friends on epic multi-day bike adventures that, so far, have traversed the Sierra from Tuolumne to Buck’s Lake.  Those invited have learned to bring a head lamp, extra clothing, food, positive attitude, Advil and a water pump.  Besides skiing and biking, Gary was an avid white water kayaker and rock climber, and still makes time to go on long hikes, wind surf, sail his boat, and write a column for Taylor’s  Tahoe Mountain News.

While the two other original shops closed in the mid-80′s, Sierra Ski and Cycle Works is still open today in the same spot on Hwy 50. The shop’s success is due to Gary’s loyal and talented crew who keep him young and inspired.  Chris has been with Gary for 12 years, and Troy for almost 6 years.  Chris and Troy have set the pace for the next phase of the shop and are responsible for its ongoing success.

Each of them have their own following, expert mechanical skills, distinctive styles, and one thing in common with Gary — A passion for playing on skis or bikes, and for turning others onto it.  It’s a good fit. SSCW, the small shop with the big fun, is a full service rental and repair shop for bikes and skis that also sells new and used bikes, skis and gear that specialize in custom builds, of course. A specialty of the shop has become the ergonomically adjusted bike builds to help friends with chronic neck and back pain get out and ride their bikes with more comfort. Gary is also well known for his custom built wheels and bike tunes, just ask Soulcycler Rick Gunn.

Sierra Ski and Cycle Works 3430 Lake Tahoe Blvd. (Hwy 50), in the middle of South Lake Tahoe next to Safeway.

For more information about this South Shore institution, please call the shop at (530) 541-7505.

Open daily 9ish to 6ish.

Cheers!

www.SierraSkiandCycleWorks.com

Thomas O’Connor from Lake Tahoe legally changed his name to Santa Claus and he lives and thrives spreading his gospel of love, hope and forgiveness.

Santa has gone healthy and has a new diet book. He’s slimmer and trimmer than ever and spreading his gospel of love with impeccable taste.

Read his story.

The Santa Diet by Santa, www.thesantadiet.com

My name is Santa Claus. I’m a Christian Monk, as St. Nicholas was many centuries ago, and believe the healthiest diets incorporate love as their most basic ingredient.

I’ve decided to set a good example for others, especially children, and have developed a complete, common sense diet for physical, emotional, and spiritual health that practically everyone can use.

Numerous studies indicate the vast majority of Americans are overweight, stressed out, and spiritually undernourished. The Santa Diet is based on extensive research and my successful experience improving my own health. I believe our health depends on many interrelated factors, our goal is to achieve the very best balance we can, and what we absorb through our senses constitutes a substantial portion of our diet. To a degree, we become what we absorb — physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and through our senses. What we absorb constitutes our “diet.”

I’ve found we are as healthy as our relationships are with ourselves, others, our Creator, and our environment. I know for certain that we are here to love, that the opposite of love is fear, and that forgiveness is crucial to optimal health. Each of us yearns for nourishment and love. Most of us would like to become healthier. Often, we feel we don’t have the time, ability, strength, energy, resources, and motivation necessary to invest in healing ourselves. Of course, most of us can create the opportunity and decide to turn our less-than-perfect bodies into better functioning ones, improve our perception and emotional balance, and nourish our oft-dampened spirits.

What I’ve learned and managed to do for myself to become healthier requires less of almost everything: less money spent on processed food, less effort to exercise, less time worrying, fearing, stressing, and less energy judging myself and others.

Instead, I now spend more time enjoying myself and the gifts and blessings my Creator has given me, developing healthy relationships with family, friends, co-workers, and others, eating wholesome food, exercising moderately and regularly, hydrating and cleansing, meditating, moving-stretching-breathing, forgiving, receiving body-and energy work, exploring a variety of alternative therapies, and expressing and sharing love.

I find that I have “extra” time, resources, energy, strength, abilities, and an abundance of love. We all need love. Every day, we have the opportunity to connect with others — physically, emotionally, and spiritually. That is how the web of life is woven, strand by strand, building and nurturing relationships — loving.

If you are interested in becoming healthier, in loving, and in being loved, you will find ample, common sense material in The Santa Diet. I think you’ll enjoy the gentle reminders and will find yourself exercising, meditating, recognizing the gifts and blessings in your life, and enjoying a new peace, happiness, and, most of all, love.

Blessings, Santa in Lake Tahoe

To learn about Santa and to order his new book, visit www.thesantadiet.com

By 21, he’s taken his freeheel art to a higher level.

Meet Ty Dayberry of South Lake Tahoe.

Burnt out of alpine skiing by age 10 (what?), he was turned on to telemark skiing by his dad. Today, Ty is starring in several telemark films that capture the progression of modern day freeheel skiing.

Most recently he’s featured in “Flakes” by Powderwhore, “The Freeheel Life”,  and“Since We Last Spoke” by Lipstick-Films which show Ty laying down huge air.

He’s also a Heavenly High Roller team member.


Meet Namira. Belly dancer from South Lake Tahoe and ski pro.

Namira has been dancing since she was 5. Starting her long dance career with ballet she quickly moved into jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, tap, Polynesian, African, etc. until she fell in love with Middle Eastern style dance.

Today, Namira is a professional dancer who actually makes money doing what she loves. And, a great residual benefit of belly dancing is that it keeps her fit. Super fit. (You should see her ski.) She says that belly dancing in particular gives you great balance and core strength – perfect for the slopes – and any sport.

Namira has won several regional and national dancing competitions on her own as well as with her Lake Tahoe dance troupe, Jaouahir Tahoe. Jaouahir Tahoe has been dancing together for about five years and their primary objective is to have fun with good friends and encourage others, while promoting a healthy, positive, and athletic outlet.

Namira teaches  three belly dance classes at the Lake Tahoe Community College to keep you fit all winter. Choose from Conditioning for dancers on Mondays and Wednesdays at 5pm, Intermediate Bellydance on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:30pm and Beginning Bellydance Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7pm.

For more information, contact Namira at namira@namiradance.com

Photo by Michael Baxter

Meet Barbara Ricotta, RN, MA, L.Ac. of North Lake Tahoe.

Barbara discovered holistic wellness in the mid 1980s while working as a critical care nurse. Inspired by her many clients who were seeking a higher level of health and well-being, she subsequently embarked on a career in holistic health and wellness.

Barbara’s education includes a Master of Arts degree in Holistic Health Education, a Master of Acupuncture degree in Five Element Acupuncture with certification in Chinese Herbology, advanced practice in CranioSacral Therapy as well as a teaching certificate in Integrative Yoga.  To name a few!

Barbara’s 20+ years of study and practice of subtle energy medicine allows her to draw from a vast repertoire of vibrational healing modalities to provide her clients with a unique healing experience crafted specifically to their needs. Her lifelong passion and gift for helping others is also inspired by her time spent enjoying the outdoors.

“Every touch from you opened me so much that when you worked on my head, I had a sense that you my allowed me to see the golden light which resides within me. Simply awe inspiring treatment. I felt touched in such an incredible way!”  J.J.

Barbara offers Five Element Acupuncture and CranioSacral Therapy using Principles of Acupuncture which are described below.

Five Element Acupuncture

Classical Five Element Acupuncture is subtle energy medicine based on the five elements in nature (wood, fire, earth, metal and water) and emphasizes bringing harmony to the cycles of nature within the individual in order to restore and maintain optimal health and wellness. Classical Five Element Acupuncture works at the root of one’s Being. Each treatment is unique and specific to the individual. An ancient health practice for wellness and disease prevention, one need not have a specific physical, emotional or mental issue in order to seek treatment. (Acupuncture sessions offered in California.)

CranioSacral Therapy with Principles of Acupuncture

CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle method for detecting and correcting the adverse effects of stress on the nervous system. A single session can restore well-being, enhance immune system response, transform symptoms of various illnesses, pain and distress while also releasing tissue memory from previous injuries. Using gentle, yet mindful touch, restrictions release from the craniosacral system and connective tissue resulting in a sense of freedom, well-being, and improved movement. Combining these principles with the subtle energy network of acupuncture (points and energy channels) offers the possibility for even greater levels of health as the body, mind and spirit release deeper stress and return to a state of harmony. (CranioSacral Therapy sessions offered in California and Nevada.)

Barbara works out of two studios conveniently located in North Lake Tahoe, and a studio in South Lake Tahoe available by appointment.

Inside Pilates Bodies Studio
205 Stateline Rd.
Brockway, CA 96143 (next to Soule Domain Restaurant)

Yoga Spa Tahoe
880 Northwood Blvd.
Incline Village, NV 89451 (above High Altitude Fitness)

To schedule a free consultation and to book a session, please call Barbara Ricotta at 775-750-7619. I highly recommend her too!

“Barbara is truly a gifted healer…she has a sixth sense for what is needed, especially when I do not know what I need. I put her in charge and when I leave I feel worlds better. I have never encountered anyone who helps me as much as she does. She is generous with her time, energy, and knowledge, bringing all to bear to reinvigorate my energy, calm my nerves, and sooth my Spirit. I can’t say enough about her…highest recommendation!” LT, another happy client

Meet Anna Helwing, soprano vocalist.  Classically trained, Anna enchants the audience either as a soloist or backed by TOCCATA that accentuates her notes with dramatic dimension.

Anna resides in South Lake Tahoe where she teaches piano and voice courses in Lake Tahoe Community College, and works as a music director and organist for two churches.  Anna also sings with TOCCATA – The Orchestra and Community Choral Artists of the Tahoe Area.

Anna Hewkubg, soprano, came to California in 2002 from Wroclaw, Poland where she earned her B.A. and M.A. in English and American Literature (Wroclaw University, 1999). At the same time, she trained on the piano, and voice – the first at a state music school, and the latter in Technical University Choir of Wroclaw. Between 1989 and 2001, she toured extensively with the choir in over 20 countries.

Anna also graduated from the Wroclaw School of Organ (1995). In May 2008 she received a master’s degree in vocal performance at University of Nevada, Reno, where she studied with Dr Katharine DeBoer. Recently she performed in Germany and Poland, including the International Summer Academy of Early Music in Warsaw. Her solo performances have included Regina Coeli K.128 and Requiem by Mozart, selected songs by Chopin, St. Matthew’s Passion by J.S. Bach, Messiah by Handel, and a role of Amahl in Amahl and Night Visitors by G.C.Menotti.

If you’d like to hire Anna for that special occasion or for voice lessons, please contact her at helwinga@yahoo.com.

A benefit fund has been established to assist with medical expenses. If you would like to help, donations can be made at any Wells Fargo branch for the Dean Seppa Fund or online. Please leave a message for the Seppa Family at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/deanseppa

Dean’s family is so grateful for your positive thoughts and prayers.