David Greig and Teresa Skinner wear multiple hats. He is the coach for sprinters Taylor Swanson and Lindi Marcusen. She is the coach for wheelchair racer Lauren Fields. All of them are Paris-bound.
By the time they get there, the training will mostly be done and Greig says their job description as coaches will morph into something else.
“We just manage stress for the athletes, you know, making sure there's food on the table, making sure they have what they need, have water, have ice, just doing time checks with them, sit them down, plan the day out, make sure they adhere to that.
"We don't want them to get disqualified. It's our worst fears that they're, they don't make something because we've messed up," he said.
Greig and Skinner are veterans of Para sports coaching at the highest level. In Paris, she will help coach nine U.S. wheelchair racers.
“I get to be there with Adam Bleakney, who is the head coach at University of Illinois, who is my mentor. And I have learned so much from him over the years. And so, it's another opportunity for me to continue to learn and grow with him. And he's the coach that Lauren's going to go to after the Games. So, I get to watch that whole transition happen," she said.
In addition to his track duties, Greig serves as the high performance chair for the National Wheelchair Basketball Association.
"I'm working with the CEO of the NWBA. He's never been to a Paralympics, so I'm kind of working with him and the president of the board and we're meeting sponsors and meeting partners and just kind of the behind the scenes stuff to make sure we're, the team is ready," he said.
Part of Greig's job is to also help market wheelchair basketball with an eye toward the Paralympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
“We're trying to make some strategic connections with some projects in our pocket to be able to bring people and rally them on board with, with what we're hoping to do in the next four years,” he said.
Greig and Skinner have worked hard to raise the profile of Para sports not only nationwide, but in the Inland Northwest. He says athletes from around the region are moving to Spokane to train with them for high-level competitions. But people with disabilities simply looking to be more active are also seeking out the organization.
“That’s what's really special about our program is that we offer that myriad of opportunities and it's a safe space for people with disabilities to just come and be active and pursue some goals and have some fun," he said.
Sixteen years ago, the first ParaSport Spokane-sponsored athlete competed in the Paralympic Games.
“That joy that I felt then is the same joy and excitement that I feel this time with another rookie and another young athlete who just gets to experience this whole amazing world for the first time and be a part of the United States and be a part of history and be a part of making a Paralympic team as a high schooler," she said.
Skinner and Greig are inviting people to a send-off for this year’s Paralympians Sunday evening at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience exhibit in downtown Spokane. The event will run from 5-7. The athletes and coaches will leave for Paris on Tuesday.
