Keith Burhans And Betsy Alison
Receive Fair Play Awards

The International Committee for Fair Play (CIFP) has honored a US Disabled Sailing Team-member Keith Burhans and US Disabled Sailing Team Coach Betsy Alison for the 2004 Fair Play Awards. The two sailors were nominated for the awards by IFDS and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Keith Burhans was honored in the 'Act of Fair Play' category, receiving Letters of Congratulations, while Betsy Alison has received a Fair Play Diploma in the category 'Sport Career.'

For some years now Keith Burhans has been developing a chair which enables quadriplegic athletes to helm a boat safely and competitively. When he narrowly missed out on being selected to represent the United States at the 2004 Paralympic Sailing Competition, Burhans was approached by Vasilis Christoforou, skipper of the Greek Sonar team. Burhans' ideas and coaching advice helped the Greek team complete a very successful championship, a win in race seven and second place in the final race, finishing in eighth place overall. "The willingness of Mr. Burhans to overlook national bounds demonstrates a true sense of fair play and sportsmanship as well as a respect for the improvement of his sport," read the nomination.

Two-time Yngling World Champion, Betsy Alison was nominated for her role as coach of the US Disabled Sailing Team and her efforts to "promote sailing and help sailors win medals." And she did just that. The American team went home with the bronze medal in the three-person keelboat (Sonar) event and silver in the single-person keelboat (2.4mR) event.

Photos by ISAF
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