The colors of the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing might as well be orange and blue – with more than 30 athletes who either attend or graduated from the University of Illinois represented at the Games, those hues will be everywhere from today through Sept. 17.

"In 2004, we all joked that if Illinois had been its own country, we would have ranked really well in the medal count," wrote athlete and UI graduate student Jessica Galli in an e-mail from Beijing. "Illinois has a rich history within disabled sports, and I think our tradition of pursuing excellence is evident in the number of individuals we send to the Paralympic Games."

UI alumna Jean Driscoll – a Paralympic gold medalist who now works in the UI College of Applied Health Sciences – also will be a member of the U.S. Presidential Paralympic delegation.

Several UI-connected coaches and athletes took time from training on Friday to write about their experiences leading up to the events.

Below are excerpts from their e-mails:

Carlee Hoffman is a UI senior and U.S. wheelchair basketball athlete.

News-Gazette: What do you think of the facilities?

Carlee Hoffman: The village is really beautiful. It is full of streams, statues and these random serenity gardens, which makes it very relaxing.

NG: How do you balance the Games with your UI studies?

CH: I only have one semester left, which is an internship, so all my class work is finished. I will do my internship in the spring. It all worked out very well!

Jessica Galli is a UI graduate student and U.S. athlete in wheelchair track and road racing. Her racing schedule and blog are at www.jessicagalli.com.

NG: How did you arrive in Beijing?

Jessica Galli: The track and field team as well as the swimming team had the opportunity to head over to Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan, prior to traveling to Beijing. Thanks to efforts by the U.S. Department of Defense, both teams were flown on a chartered airline flight direct from Colorado Springs to Japan! ... On Sept. 2, we were chartered from Japan to Beijing and we moved into the Paralympic Village.

NG: Besides winning, do you have any personal goals for the Games?

JG: The Games offer so much more than competition. It is a time to meet people from around the world and to watch some of the greatest athletes compete. Although my main focus while here in Beijing is on my competition, I am looking forward to forming friendships with both my U.S.A. teammates and other athletes from around the world.

Adam Bleakney is a UI alumnus and wheelchair track and racing team head coach and athlete in wheelchair track and road racing. This is his third time at the Paralympic Games.

NG: How did you train for them?

Adam Bleakney: In truth, we began focusing on Beijing the day after the closing ceremonies in Athens.

NG: Besides winning, do you have any personal goals for the Games?

AB: Seeing the athletes I coach succeed and feel good about their experience is my major goal.

Mike Frogley is the UI men's wheelchair basketball coach and head coach of the Canadian men's wheelchair basketball team. This is his fifth Paralympic Games, and he's blogging at http://blog.chica go2016.org/index.php/author/mfrogley.

NG: What do you think of the Paralympic facilities?

Mike Frogley: The venue where we will play wheelchair basketball, the National Indoor Stadium, seats around 22,000 people and almost all the games are sold out now with two days to go before we start playing.

The second thing I have been impressed with is the level of accessibility. Every aspect of the Games is accessible with all of it built in. ... Next, the coverage of the games: The week prior to the games starting, the national TV started with various stories about the games and the athletes. It has been non-stop since then. Think of the awareness that creates when over a billion people get exposed to athletes with disabilities.

Patty Cisneros, head coach for the UI women's wheelchair basketball team and co-captain of the U.S. women's basketball team, shared an e-mail to her friends and family with The News-Gazette.

"Once we arrived, I was just in awe at the rich culture and history surrounding me. It actually got me a little emotional. I'm so blessed to be here and turn what I thought was such a tragic accident into something amazing.

"Yesterday ... we had our first 'friendly' game against China. This was cool because we have never played China. In fact, this is the first year the Chinese have ever had a women's wheelchair basketball team. It's so awesome to be a part of their development and help them make a name for themselves.

"I had a nostalgic moment thinking of winning that gold in Athens," she wrote of the U.S. 2004 Paralympic Games, when her team took first place. I want that moment again ... more than anything else!"

To read full interviews with the coaches and athletes, check Amy F. Reiter's blog at www.news-gazette.com/blogs.

For more on the Paralympic Games, head to www.paralympicsport.tv.