Tacky goes to Olympics

Here’s one name Olympic oddsmakers haven’t heard yet: Tacky the Penguin.

But the star of the children’s book “Tacky and the Winter Games” (Houghton Mifflin) is an unconventional athlete, just the sort of underdog who can get the crowd on his side and then come through at the last moment.

In this story by author Helen Lester and illustrator Lynn Munsinger, Tacky and his Nice Icy Landers teammates train hard for the bobsledless, ski jumping and speed skating events, and they even come up with their own anthem. It begins, “With our beaks held high and our bellies held low, we’ll do our best in the ice and snow!”

They are the picture of sportsmanship, even when they see medals come and go.

Snow-sport safety

Seeing the extraordinary athletes at the Winter Olympics in Turin is supposed to inspire the rest of us – especially youngsters.

But, rushing out and heading down a mountain at high speeds on a snowboard or skis without the proper training and conditioning can be dangerous.

The American Physical Therapy Association suggests exercises to help prevent injuries:

Rotation: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and arms stretched out in front of you. Try to look behind you, and twist your trunk and arms as far as you can in the direction you are looking. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat in the opposite direction.

Flexion: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Squat all the way down and wrap your arms around your bent legs and hold for 30 seconds.

Extension: Kneel on the ground and grab your heels with both hands. Look up toward the sky and push your stomach forward as far as you can. Hold for 30 seconds. Remember to breathe normally.

Hamstring stretch: Lie on the floor with your feet against the wall. Slowly walk up the wall until your legs are at a 45- to 60-degree angle with the floor. Making sure your heels stay in contact with the wall, bend your knees and bring your buttocks closer to the wall. Hold position for 3 minutes.

The American Physical Therapy Association is a national professional organization representing more than 66,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students.