The next poem we did was about Billy’s participation on the Special Olympics swim team in Wellesley. Billy was the lowest functioning person on the team, and didn’t even know he was in a race when he swam in the meets. We were just grateful that he could swim laps and get some exercise, so we took him to practice every week, but tried to avoid attending the actual meets because they were a bit of a nightmare for someone like Bill who didn’t understand why he needed to wait – and as all parents of swimmers know, there is a lot of waiting at swim meets. Then he would get disqualified for flipping over on his stomach when he was supposed to be doing the back stroke (he would make it almost to the end, so close!) or failing to touch the wall at the end of the race. Back in the day it seemed like he would never learn, although in fact he has.
India:
It sounds corny, but Karen's entire family are kind of heroes to me. The way they work together.
Ricky and Billy at a Special Olympics swim meet
Winning Gold Accidentally
Good tales begin “upon a time”
And often treat of love, or crime,
But may present a twist of sorts
As when the story turns on sports.
Mark well, this story’s far from whim:
Our Bill’s a boy who likes to swim,
And so, three years ago, thus keen,
He joined the Special Olympics team.
He practiced every Sunday night,
From winter’s dark to spring’s last light,
But his first meet, I must confess
Was far from what you’d deem success.
Too much pomp, and too much waiting
Combined to make it all most grating.
The other athletes seemed engaged,
But Bill did not, he misbehaved
and our experience that day,
Made me vow to keep away
From future meets, but this approach
Did not sit well with his coach.
She wanted those who trained to swim,
And so we tried again with him
At a swim meet this past spring
Not knowing what that meet would bring.
Last meet, we’d come at crack of dawn.
This time, we breezed in later on,
And, also unlike last time, Bill
Seemed content to simply chill,
Enjoying time among his peers
And hanging with the volunteers.
I thought I might relax; meanwhile,
Came Bill’s first event: free style
Nervous once again, I braced,
How would Bill fare in the race?
I worried he might pull a stunt
I needn’t have. He pulled in front!
Swimming fast with all his strength
He won the gold by half a length
He didn’t know it was a race,
But I just laughed to see his face,
When all the people cheered for him,
He broke into the biggest grin.
He grinned again when these same folk
Cheered for his second win – back stroke!
(A race where last time, though he tried,
Poor Bill had been disqualified.)
We left then, with the day’s success:
Two gold medals and not much stress.
Billy receiving gold at at the State Special Olympics meet at Harvard University
