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the new lenox patriot | June 13, 2019 | 13
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From the Editor
Start seeing the ‘able’ and not the ‘label’
Sean Hastings
sean@newlenoxpatriot.com
I
have had the chance
to cover a few amazing
events over
the last three weeks. I
covered the Cop on a
Rooftop, I talked to New
Lenox resident Nick Winter
about the documentary
he made about his brother
with autism and most
recently I covered the
Torch Run.
All of which deal Special
Olympics in a way.
The Cop on a Rooftop
raised more than $1 million
for Special Olympics
Illinois and the recent
Torch Run benefits
Special Olympics, as
well.
At June 4’s Torch Run,
Special Olympics athlete
Rikki Kirsch was there to
give a speech at the closing
ceremonies. It was
nfyn
From Page 10
visit OPPrairie.com.
FROM THE HOMER HORIZON
Seventeen Porters make
college commitments official
Lockport Township High
School has always taken
pride not only in how its
athletes perform while at
the school but also in how
they perform after they
graduate and go on to play
her 26th of the kind in the
last two years.
She recently gave
a speech at a charity
hockey game in front of
1,500 people. Her mother,
Chris, was far more
nervous than Rikki was,
Chris said.
Rikki told her mom, “I
got this,” shrugging it off
like it is no big deal.
First off, Rikki’s speech
at the closing ceremonies
was near perfect. She
read calmly, smoothly,
loudly and always making
sure to look up at her
audience.
The eye contact is a
tough one to nail down
for most when giving
speeches, but she did it
with ease.
Seeing that made me
think of what Winter said
in his documentary and to
me during our interview.
He wants people to start
seeing the “able” and not
the “label” for people.
And for someone like
Rikki, that “able” is that
she can give a speech
better than most, she participates
in nine sports,
she rides horses, and that
is just what I gathered in
my short time with her
in college.
A couple of weeks ago,
17 more of those studentathletes
announced their
intent to play at the next
level as Lockport held its
final signing day of the
school year on May 22 in
the Porter Room at East
Campus.
The Porters baseball
team had its 36th-straight
winning season this
spring. It had plenty of
talent, as they had five
athletes sign to play in
at the Torch Run event.
She went to state with her
relay team for track and
field.
And five years ago,
Rikki did not have the
confidence to do what
she does now, her mom
said. But Special Olympics,
being what it is, has
helped give her a chance
to do exactly what she
wants.
Mayor Tim Baldermann
also touched on
that topic, saying that
Special Olympics gives
its athletes opportunities
they may not have a
chance to get otherwise.
The smiles on everyone’s
faces as she gave
her speech and as the
runners from the New
Lenox Police Department
and Village ran into the
Commons said it all. And
the fact that all the runners
are on a volunteer
basis is what is helping
push society toward the
inclusivity that Chris is
hoping for.
Route 30 was shut
down from nearly Gougar
Road all the way to the
Commons entrance, as
they ran down the busiest
road in New Lenox. The
college in May. They are
John Gallet (University of
Wisconsin-Whitewater),
Justin Gasper (Dominican
University), Jack Mladic
(University of Wisconsin-
Oshkosh), Logan Strutz
(Triton College) and Collin
Woulfe (St. Xavier
University).
Reporting by Randy Whalen,
Freelance Reporter. For
more, visit HomerHorizon.
com.
I-80 ramps were also
blocked off by officers
in both directions to let
them run by.
Of course, that is for
safety, but it was still a
cool sight to see police
car after police car with
lights on and a group
of people running with
Torch Run shirts on.
Chris knows it’s tough
to do, but she hopes that
one day everything can
come “full circle” in a
sense, where the athletes
can come to Cop
on a Rooftop and Torch
run, and then the police
officers can come to the
Summer Games that they
raised the money for.
These athletes are
capable of more than they
sometimes get credit for.
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