This is Aerial with Hedda her guide dog.
Aerial Gilbert whom I met in November of 2004 is a blind rower. Two months ago she asked me if I were interested in joining the Junior Blind Olympics in L.A. I said "yes, of course." My family drove the rowing machine to the blind school's campus on Friday night so that the children were able to row until I could free myself from my duty at the Iron Oarsman on Saturday. Aerial was helping the children to row and once me and my family arrived she told me how much the kids LOVED rowing. The experience I got from joining the event was one of kind. I felt very humbeled by the childrens ability to cope and do a superb job running, jumping, rowing, AND having fun doing so. It was very rewarding to be there and give a hand showing an additional activity which blind people can enjoy to the fullest. I was asked to help out during a summer camp in Malibu for older visually impaired teenagers. I had no problem saying yes and I look forward to working with such an enthusiastic group. My family also enjoyed petting the lovely guide dogs who were so attentive to their masters. Count me in for next year!
Thank you Aerial from the Mullers.
Below is more about Aerial:
Director of Volunteers Aerial Gilbert
Aerial Gilbert is the director of volunteers for Guide Dogs for the Blind. She manages a vibrant staff of 500 dedicated volunteers who tackle a variety of jobs from giving campus tours to caring for the organization’s dogs and puppies.
Her own dog, a 3-year-old German Shepherd Guide Dog named “Hedda,” assists her in her daily travels. As a team, they demonstrate the enhanced mobility that is the essence of guide dog use.
Aerial is also an avid athlete. She rows regularly on San Francisco Bay and has competed successfully in the Sausalito Open Water Regatta, the Tahoe Regatta and the 33-mile Annual Catalina Crossing across open ocean. In September 2002, she competed in the first-ever Adaptive Division of the World Rowing Championships in Seville, Spain; her team took home the bronze medal. In August 2003, she competed in the adaptive division of the World Rowing Championships in Milan; her team came in fourth. In Summer 2004, Aerial will again compete with the United States Rowing Team in the World Championships in Banyoles, Spain. If enough teams participate, rowing will be sanctioned as an official Para Olympic sport in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
She is a member of the Board of Directors of Sonoma County’s Earle Baum Center of the Blind, a member the Volunteer Center of Marin, the Association for Volunteer Administration, and the American Council of the Blind and Guide Dog Users, Inc. She is a registered nurse with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.
Through her work with Guide Dogs for the Blind, her personal courage and spirited enthusiasm for life, Aerial has helped many others understand blindness. She shares her personal experiences in public presentations to fraternal organizations, businesses, schools and other groups. She has been featured in numerous publications, including Sunset, Outside and Family Circle as well as on the website: www.incrediblepeople.com.
Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.
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