Leanne Rochelle Merren

Nickname?: No comment

Date of Birth: January 22, 1979

Location: Kalamazoo, MI

Visual Classification: B1

Team(s) You Play For: WMU Broncos; I have also played for the Kalamazoo Chaos and the Michigan Striders

Position(s) You Play: Mainly center; can play wing

Introduced/Started Playing: Introduced to the game in 1990 at Sports Camp, and got involved in 1993. I attended my first adult tournament in Pennsylvania that year.

Awards/Achievements: Several plaques and trophies from Michigan youth tournaments; first place in the Youth Nationals in St. Augustine, FL in 1996; third place in the Pennsylvania tournament in 1997(?);third place medal in Kalamazoo in 1999, gold medal in Montreal, Canada in 2005.

Most Memorable Goalball Experience(s): It's a toss up. Winning first place in Florida in 1996, when the crowd came out of the stands and attacked us. It was the first time Michigan took first place in that tournament, and Florida had finally been defeated! I also loved the game we played for third place in Kalamazoo in 1999. The crowd was so loud whenever Kathy or Asya scored a goal, and I definitely took some bone-crushing hits from Lisa on New Jersey's team. I think the final score was 7 to 6. What a close game!

Most Embarrassing Goalball Experience: I may have just chosen to forget these moments, because I'm sure there were some. I do remember the time that Asya told me to move so she could throw from center, and I didn't hear her. She ended up doing a leap frog move over my head. That was a little painful to say the least. It was also very hard to stop laughing to carry on with the game.

Reason You Play: It helps keep me in shape, and because my husband won't let me stop even if I wanted to.

Comments: I've been playing for 13 years, and though I haven't been as competitive with it as some people are, it has been a lot of fun. Without goalball, I wouldn't have my husband, and I may have gained a lot more weight after having my two kids. I am also very proud to be married to such a determined, athletic goalball player! Even if it means I have to stay home for an entire month with the kids while he gets to go to Athens, Greece. We're always cheering for Team USA here at home!