Oh, great, I get to play the gimp!

Congrats Noel

I was playing in a match and to my left was Noel playing in her match. If I would have won, I would have played Noel. Needless to say, I was not on and lost. My opponent then played Noel and Noel continued on her winning streak. I saw Noel do some superb and flawless shooting. She was pulling out jump shots, kicks, etc.---simply awesome.

She is truly a champion in all sense of the word...an inspiration to me and everyone around. Way to go Noel....keep on strokin'
 
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Playsome said:
We are so proud of Noel, who has been the perennial top female in our league for some time now. I was fortunate enough to watch her claim her title in Vegas, NOBODY has more heart than this lady. In the finals she had to play against a very determined and deserving opponent, Mary Rakin. With the score tied 2-2 Mary broke and ran, putting her on the hill. With all the pressure in the world on her, with all the hopes and prayers of her best friends/mentors and contemporaries that were there to witness it, Noel broke and ran right back! A champions response to a championship situation. Case game went back and forth and Noel came out with the victory, a victory that she got by digging deeeeep down, deeper than most of us are willing or able to go. It was the most inspiring thing that I've ever seen.
I know that it suprises many that Noel did this from a wheelchair but not me. Having known Noel for many years I've never seen her be stopped in any way from doing anything she wants to do, chair or not. We could use more people like Noel in this world............syott Marc
Click to expand...

Thank you for sharing this story, Marc. I am not familiar with many of the lady shooters, and especially from the West Coast.

This lady is a champion in more ways than a pool champion. I sure hope to read more about her and her triumphs again in the future. She is now officially on my pool map! :)

JAM
 
I have been a friend of Noel's for 10 years...She has been my scotch doubles partner in Vegas for about 6 of those years...We have always cashed except for once. And once fairly high...She is very self efficient...She likes no one to push her around in her chair..She says "I can do it myself"...I sometimes see her out late at night going or coming from the grocery store. She is very ept at taking care of herself....She does not look for help or pity....She is a very strong person mentally...
I was at every match she played and my wife kept score for her and I took her score sheets up and read the board for her because she can not see it plus it is too far away to see from the chair..
The girl who was rude , well, was very cocky...She did not shake hands before the match and being down 3 to 0 she took off her sweater, flipped her hair back serval times, and slammed the balls down while racking.....After losing she went up to Noel and said, "Well...I guess your just too good for me ""..But said in a sarcastic manner...Turned around and did not shake hands. Noel went after her, tapped her on the back and extended her and and the girl gave a limp. fast shake...Very poor sport...
I did not hear her say anything about playing a "gimp"..Not to say she did not say it but I never heard that part. I was hot anyway at her and that would of really heated me up....
Noel beat her last 4 opponets including the hot seat match 4 to 1....Pretty strong...
Only bad thing to come from this is I lost my doubles partner because she is a master now....Guess I better get off and start practing more...
 
She is world class in my book!!!!

JAM said:
I cried when I read about this story. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Noel Campos just sat there and endured the insult.

The 30-year-old Modesto woman needed a victory to advance to the quarterfinals of the Billiards Congress of America National 8-Ball Championships in Las Vegas earlier this month.

"She was playing an Asian woman who had been just walking all over (her opponents) -- really rolling over them," said Linda Barrett, Campos' friend of a decade who is also a billiards player. "(Campos' opponent) came up to the table, looked at Noel and said, 'Oh, great. I get to play a gimp.' "

Consider it an ill-mannered comment and a poor choice of words, especially when talking about someone who can't walk, let alone with the limp "gimp" implies. If the opponent thought she could trash talk her way inside Campos' head, she was sorely mistaken.

"It kind of fires you up," Campos said.

Over the next hour or so, from the elevated seat of her wheelchair, Campos won the four games needed to take the match. One of Campos' friends -- gee ... Barrett, perhaps? -- uttered loud enough for all to hear: "So you let a gimp beat you?"

Oh, yeah, and a legally blind gimp at that.

Campos went on to win the 32nd annual tournament's women's open division. Not the women's handicapped division. Not the handicapped women's open. The women's open, in which her opponents can, well, stand.

"What she did, for a woman coming from the Modesto area to be a national champion, would have been an accomplishment in its own right," Barrett said. "But that she did it from a wheelchair makes it that much more impressive."

Campos transcends billiards and the skills needed to win at that level. Her story symbolizes the human spirit, of overcoming physical barriers and societal prejudices to succeed.

She was born with a spinal condition that prohibited her from learning to walk. She can't see out of her left eye and needs to get within two inches of printed material to read it with her right eye.

A graduate of Beyer High in 1996, Campos learned to play billiards from her father while she was a teenager. It didn't take much to tap into her competitive juices.

"I wanted to be better so I could beat him," she said. But she didn't get serious about the game until she began taking lessons about nine years ago.

Campos began playing tournaments, struggling at first but always improving her game. Over the past five years, she began climbing in the national standings.

Meanwhile, she studied to become a computer programmer and became a private contractor to support herself and her billiards habit. She simply blows up the size of the type on the screen to the point she can read it.

"The thing that really hits you about Noel is that she's a very beautiful, sweet person," Barrett said. "She's got a great sense of humor. She's unassuming and very low key. But put her at a pool table, and look out."

Campos made adjustments to overcome her physical handicap, adding cushions to her armless wheelchair to give her the elevation necessary to see the table better. She also created a collapsible extension for her bridge -- a device that steadies her cue for difficult shots.

"She sent me the prototype," said Mark Griffin, chief executive officer of the Billiard Congress of America Pool League, which ran the national tournament Campos won at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas.

Playing from her wheelchair, squinting at the table, Campos wows some folks and inspires ill feelings from others.

A few years ago, her custom-made cue stick disappeared while she was at O'Brian's Tavern in north Modesto. Campos posted a $200 reward for its return. A few days later, she got a call.

"I asked him to read the inscription," she said. He did, and she knew it was hers. She made arrangements to get it back.

"I grabbed a couple big guys I knew, met him, gave him the reward and took the cue," Campos said.

She used it to win her recent national title.

"It's weird," she said. "Afterward, I was approached by I don't know how many people in the gift shop who congratulated me. But you'd also be surprised by how many people who saw my cue hanging on the back of my chair, and said, 'Oh, you're going to play?' in condescending tones. I got that a lot. Like I'm supposed to be sitting in my wheelchair with my cat and staring out the window?"

To the contrary, she picked up $6,000 for winning the tournament, and came away with gobs of billiards apparel.

"I wore a Hustlin USA shirt when I won the championship," Campos said. "There was a big expo there (at the tourney), too. The guy from Hustlin USA said, 'Come to my booth,' and he gave me a bunch of stuff. He said, 'Keep wearing it. You're making my stuff look good.' "

As for her trash-talking opponent? The tactic backfired in a big way. I mean, to call someone a gimp and then lose to her must be pretty unnerving.

"On this particular occasion, it had some effect," Barrett said.

Her vanquished opponent failed to play her way back into the championship bracket and earn a rematch with Campos. Perhaps she didn't want one.

"I ran into her later," Barrett said. "She seemed humbled."

By Jeff Jardine, The Modesto Bee: http://www.modbee.com/columnists/jardine/story/306124.html

That Hustlin' Clothing line sure does get around! :D

JAM
Click to expand...

I saw her down at nationals. I knew she was deep into the event. I am a master player and I keep up on all the womens events. I only went down for team this year. I walked into the main room and saw her in her chair.
I thought to myself,"wow, this girl has some heart". I watched her play, I was in total awe. Ya see, I am disabled also. Not to the extent of her condition,(had a total hip replacement a year ago) and have some knee problems. I do understand the condescending attitude that people can give you. And I understand the toughness you have to have.
I had tears in my eyes when I heard she won. I thought, now all of us masters players have to play this awesome player next year!!!! I wouldnt be surprised if she snapped off the masters next year!!!!
Noel, you represent what this sport is all about!!!
You inspire me more than you'll ever know.

PS Next time someone calls you a gimp, just smile and beat em.!!! LOL
 
Milo said:
I saw her down at nationals. I knew she was deep into the event. I am a master player and I keep up on all the womens events. I only went down for team this year. I walked into the main room and saw her in her chair.
I thought to myself,"wow, this girl has some heart". I watched her play, I was in total awe. Ya see, I am disabled also. Not to the extent of her condition,(had a total hip replacement a year ago) and have some knee problems. I do understand the condescending attitude that people can give you. And I understand the toughness you have to have.
I had tears in my eyes when I heard she won. I thought, now all of us masters players have to play this awesome player next year!!!! I wouldnt be surprised if she snapped off the masters next year!!!!
Noel, you represent what this sport is all about!!!
You inspire me more than you'll ever know.

PS Next time someone calls you a gimp, just smile and beat em.!!! LOL
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Milo. I have a friend who had a hip operation, and I know how painful and slow the healing process can be.

It is players like Noel and you that are truly inspirational to all players. Hope to meet you someday, if I ever drive cross-country again! :p

JAM
 
Land shark in Modesto

Nice post JAM. Great example of tenacity overcoming any and all odds.

Mental note: Check Modesto off my list for places to gamble. Got it!
 
Thank you JAM. This one gets printed out and saved. I need stuff like this and I sure appreciate you posting it. Wish I could have given you a rep but I have to pass it around a lil more. If any post deserves a rep this one does. Great stuff.
 
I play in the same BCA league she does in Modesto. She really is something special. Handed me one of my only break and run losses this season! She hands us guys our asses all the time. Everyone in Modesto is so happy for her.
 
NINEBALLART said:
I have been a friend of Noel's for 10 years...She has been my scotch doubles partner in Vegas for about 6 of those years...We have always cashed except for once. And once fairly high...She is very self efficient...She likes no one to push her around in her chair..She says "I can do it myself"...I sometimes see her out late at night going or coming from the grocery store. She is very ept at taking care of herself....She does not look for help or pity....She is a very strong person mentally...
I was at every match she played and my wife kept score for her and I took her score sheets up and read the board for her because she can not see it plus it is too far away to see from the chair..
The girl who was rude , well, was very cocky...She did not shake hands before the match and being down 3 to 0 she took off her sweater, flipped her hair back serval times, and slammed the balls down while racking.....After losing she went up to Noel and said, "Well...I guess your just too good for me ""..But said in a sarcastic manner...Turned around and did not shake hands. Noel went after her, tapped her on the back and extended her and and the girl gave a limp. fast shake...Very poor sport...
I did not hear her say anything about playing a "gimp"..Not to say she did not say it but I never heard that part. I was hot anyway at her and that would of really heated me up....
Noel beat her last 4 opponets including the hot seat match 4 to 1....Pretty strong...
Only bad thing to come from this is I lost my doubles partner because she is a master now....Guess I better get off and start practing more...
Click to expand...

Wonder who this "poor sport" is. Sounds like someone we all know well.
 
Playsome said:
We are so proud of Noel, who has been the perennial top female in our league for some time now. I was fortunate enough to watch her claim her title in Vegas, NOBODY has more heart than this lady. In the finals she had to play against a very determined and deserving opponent, Mary Rakin. With the score tied 2-2 Mary broke and ran, putting her on the hill. With all the pressure in the world on her, with all the hopes and prayers of her best friends/mentors and contemporaries that were there to witness it, Noel broke and ran right back! A champions response to a championship situation. Case game went back and forth and Noel came out with the victory, a victory that she got by digging deeeeep down, deeper than most of us are willing or able to go. It was the most inspiring thing that I've ever seen.
I know that it suprises many that Noel did this from a wheelchair but not me. Having known Noel for many years I've never seen her be stopped in any way from doing anything she wants to do, chair or not. We could use more people like Noel in this world............syott Marc
Click to expand...

I donot know or even heard of Noel until that comment that was made to her.
I will tell you what, I know Mary and she plays pro speed........God bless Noel and her victory. I hope we see more and more of this great player and person.
Good Luck Noel,
Frankie
 
Noel will be getting on the forum and telling her side to this article but just let me say something first....The girl Noel played NEVER called her a gimp....I was there the whole match and so was my wife and this never happened....
When Noel got back into town, this woman Linda who watched the match also, told Noel to meet down at Diamond Biliards to get her picture taken...Linda had already told the newspaper guy the story and it was 80% lies. This woman is known for lying to make herself look good and get attention...I myself had a problem with her lying in a past experience...
Noel feels bad because she was hood winked and the article came out and she never said this stuff.....
The part aboout her cue being stolen is true, and seeing poorly and being a good player and a nice person, that is true....She deserved to win, she earned it....She won all her last 4 matches before the finals, 4 to 1....
But this poor girl, whom Noel feels bad about because she was referred to as Asian, (what does your race have to do with anything), and also calling her a gimp was not true...That was all Linda's doing....
So Noel would like everyone to get off this girl because she was not heartless and never called Noel a gimp....
Noel will respond and tell her side also....
 
NINEBALLART said:
The girl who was rude , well, was very cocky...She did not shake hands before the match and being down 3 to 0 she took off her sweater, flipped her hair back serval times, and slammed the balls down while racking.....After losing she went up to Noel and said, "Well...I guess your just too good for me ""..But said in a sarcastic manner...Turned around and did not shake hands. Noel went after her, tapped her on the back and extended her and and the girl gave a limp. fast shake...Very poor sport...
I did not hear her say anything about playing a "gimp"..Not to say she did not say it but I never heard that part. I was hot anyway at her and that would of really heated me up....
.
Click to expand...

Well it was this quote from your first post that kind of teed me off too. Even if she didnt use the G word that kind of behaviour is unacceptable.
But let me just focus on the positive and say congrats to Noel. She is an inspiration.
 
Yeah, but calling someone in a wheel chair a gimp is a lot worst than being mad and not shaking hands after a match....It is just that Noel feels bad that the girl got accused of saying it when she did not...
Plus Noel is the kind of person that would never mention in a article something negative about a person even if true.......
I told her the same thing. Try and take the good pictures of you and the article as a plus and forget about what happened with the other person...
 
Im glad this isnt true

NINEBALLART said:
Noel will be getting on the forum and telling her side to this article but just let me say something first....The girl Noel played NEVER called her a gimp....I was there the whole match and so was my wife and this never happened....
When Noel got back into town, this woman Linda who watched the match also, told Noel to meet down at Diamond Biliards to get her picture taken...Linda had already told the newspaper guy the story and it was 80% lies. This woman is known for lying to make herself look good and get attention...I myself had a problem with her lying in a past experience...
Noel feels bad because she was hood winked and the article came out and she never said this stuff.....
The part aboout her cue being stolen is true, and seeing poorly and being a good player and a nice person, that is true....She deserved to win, she earned it....She won all her last 4 matches before the finals, 4 to 1....
But this poor girl, whom Noel feels bad about because she was referred to as Asian, (what does your race have to do with anything), and also calling her a gimp was not true...That was all Linda's doing....
So Noel would like everyone to get off this girl because she was not heartless and never called Noel a gimp....
Noel will respond and tell her side also....
Click to expand...

I am relieved the gimp comment is not true. Congrats Noel on your win!
See ya in the Masters next year.
 
Milo said:
I am relieved the gimp comment is not true. Congrats Noel on your win!....
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing. The Modesto Bee journalist who wrote the article must be like the TMZ of that newspaper. That just isn't far to misrepresent what happened in an effort to sell papers.

A good thing that came out of this whole mess, though, is that Noel Campos may be posting on AzBilliards Discussion Forum. I can't wait to read her words. She will be a huge asset to this forum. :)

JAM
 
NINEBALLART said:
Yeah, but calling someone in a wheel chair a gimp is a lot worst than being mad and not shaking hands after a match....It is just that Noel feels bad that the girl got accused of saying it when she did not...
Plus Noel is the kind of person that would never mention in a article something negative about a person even if true.......
I told her the same thing. Try and take the good pictures of you and the article as a plus and forget about what happened with the other person...
Click to expand...

Glad to hear of the discrepancy. Congrats to her for her win.

I was thinking it might be interesting to see her and Shane Van Boening do some kind of an exhibition together. That could be a very uplifting event.
 
Noel is trying to get on the forum so she can give her side and also to just talk and answer any questions you might have...
For some reason it says her account does not exist so she is working on the problem, but she also works 8 hours everyday so be patient...
 
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