Dreaming of Gold
By Tabi King  Didn't we all dream of Olympic Gold? I'll never
forget watching four-time Olympic gold medalist Olga Korbut show us
what gymnasts can really do. Other memorable moments were watching
Nadia Comaneci define gymnastics with perfection; watching Carl
Lewis run like the wind; and my favorite Olympic moment--the 1980
miracle on ice when the Americans beat the Russians in hockey, then
went on to Olympic gold.
These were the moments that fueled my youth. I tried every sport
possible. Track, gymnastics, softball, soccer, skiing. You name it,
I played it. Not very well, mind you. I was the one that came out
year after year, and I'm sure each time the coach would say to
himself, "Oh, no, here she comes again." But, I knew if I worked
hard enough and tried hard enough, one day I would go to the
Olympics and win a gold medal.
I never did. It was not in the cards for me.
However, the value of teamwork, dedication, sacrifice, and focus
are not lost on those that tried and never made it. For those are
the lessons far more valuable than a gold medal--the ones you learn
when you never give up, and you realize it's okay not to make the
team or take on the responsibility of back up right wing on the
soccer field. Sometimes the destination is the journey: the person
you become when you give it everything you have.
It's worth more than a medal.
Platform for Dreams
The Paralympic Games represent so much more than the biggest
disabled sporting event in the world. The Games are the platform
where dreams are built--where a child who sits in a wheelchair or a
boy missing both his legs can look to their role models and
dream.
Rudy Garcia-Tolson is a role model for thousands of people
around the world, disabled or not. He has that gift of letting you
know you have a choice. Just because you're missing a couple of
legs has no bearing on the fact that you can run a mile in 6:20 or
win a Paralympic gold medal in swimming.
For Jake Frank, Rudy is Michael Jordan. Jake is five years old
and lives in South Dakota. He also is missing both his legs. When
he was born, his parents did not know what their options were.
Aren't little boys supposed to run, climb trees, and play Little
League? Then along came Rudy, who opened Jake's world and showed
him that missing your legs has no bearing on what you can and
cannot do.
Jake Frank just won first place in his weight category in
wrestling. He plays on his Little League baseball team, and he
swears that one day he will beat Rudy in swimming.
Does this story sound familiar?
Dreams Can Unfold
Sometimes all you need is something in front of you that lets
you know it's possible. Each of the 205 US athletes who competed at
the Paralympic Games overcame a challenge, had tremendous focus,
unbreakable determination, paid a big sacrifice--and have
incredible strength to get them to their dream. For the many who
did not make it, that's okay. The dream you hold inside will take
its form in a way you never expected.
There are many wonderful disabled sports organizations designed
either to teach you a new sport or to groom the champions of
tomorrow. It doesn't matter which way you go. It just matters if
you go.
Congratulations to all the Paralympic athletes. And to those who
didn't make it: keep trying, never give up, and let your Olympic
gold unfold in its true form.
Some disabled sports organizations are the Challenged Athletes
Foundation: www.challengedathletes.org; the US Paralympics:
www.usparalympics.org; and Disabled Sports/USA:
www.dsusa.org.
A comprehensive directory of disabled sports organizations is
available at the American Academy of Physical Medicine &
Rehabilitation (AAPMR) website: www.aapmr.org/condtreat/athletes.htm Tabi King is director of programs & development for the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) and has been working in disabled sports and the O&P industry for over 12 years. 
Table Of Contents - December 2004
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