Paralympic Profile: Lisa Banta
Goalball, the Premier Blind Team Sport, Hooked Banta in One Practice
Aug 13, 2008
Only hounding from New Jersey’s Association of Blind Athletes got Banta, a Boonton, NJ-native, to try goalball, and even then, it was the promise of another sport that sealed the deal.
“They enticed me by telling me I could do track, too,” says Banta, a field athlete who owns the US B2 discus record and won a silver medal in Sydney. “In the meantime, I tried goalball.”
It was a life-changing decision. After one practice with some inspirational blind athletes, Banta was hooked.
Within a year, Banta was first alternate for the US Paralympic team in Atlanta. In 2000, she was on the US team that took sixth in Sydney. Banta was part of the US’s 2002 IBSA world championship team. Prior to the Athens games in 2004, she was among the first disabled athletes receiving residency at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
The US women’s goalball team won the silver medal in Athens.
Next month, she anchors a veteran team (including Jen Armbruster and Asya Miller) that is among the favorites to win gold at the Beijing Paralympics.
Goalball Banter with Lisa Banta
What excites you the most about goalball?
Goalball is an exciting sport to me because it is a competitive team sport for the blind. In addition, the sport is unique: everyone is on the same playing field. Not only are you competing with your blind peers, but with sighted people wearing blindfolds.
What's your fondest goalball accomplishment?
My fondest accomplishment in goalball is our first-place finish in the 2002 World Championships. The team played great and we all were in sync. Another fond memory is my first Paralympic opening ceremony in Sydney: it was such an amazing feeling to walk into the stadium representing the United States.
Paralympics and Dsabled Sports Movement
What does the disabled sports movement need for it to hit the next level?
I think there is a lot more awareness out there for disabled sports. However, until the media catches up, it will always be on the back burner. The next level would be TV coverage of the Paralympic Games. I am absolutely, no questions asked, richer for being a Paralympic athlete. My involvement in the sport of goalball has been awesome. I am so glad that I have had the opportunity to meet some of the greatest Disabled athletes in the world and travel around the world. I am so thankful for the people in the sport of goalball who have helped positively influence my life and aided me in becoming a great athlete.
Is this the best Paralympic team you’ve been on?
I am so proud to be on this Paralympic team. I have been competing with some of my teammates for 10 years and it feels so natural to be on the court with them. I feel like my team is another part of my family. The Paralympics are shaping up to be very competitive. There will be no easy game and each game will be intense.
What are some of your life goals outside of sports?
Some of my life goals are to be a supportive wife to my future husband, Jake Czechowski, who coaches me, to have a family, to continue to be successful at my job (health and wellness coordinator programs for the Southern Arizona Association for the Visually Impaired), and to enjoy life. What brings me enjoyment includes reading, scrapbooking, listening to music, hanging out, and working out.
Pool play begins September 7 at the Beijing Institute of Technology Gym; the finals are on September 14. The Audio Network will provide live coverage.
The US men's and women's Paralympic goalball teams are developed and selected by the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA), based in Colorado Springs.
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