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Overcoming obstacles is old hat for students
Games allow them to see others excel
By Amy Donaldson
Deseret News staff writer
WEST VALLEY CITY — Jennifer Sansom, who is wearing a coveted Roots beret, sits at Tuesday's sled hockey game as concerned with her hot dog as she is the game. She and her father, Bob, are surrounded by her classmates from Granite District's Hartvigsen School, which teaches students who are severely retarded and disabled.
The 52 students may not understand the rules of sled hockey or have any idea where Norway and Estonia are. They might not even understand why they are at a Paralympic event in West Valley as some can't even cheer for the players, and others don't know that they should.
But what these students do understand is something about overcoming obstacles, one of the reasons a teacher at the school purchased tickets to the game with some of the grant money he got from the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.
"This gives the kids more experience in the real world," said speech pathologist and 10-year Hartvigsen veteran Charles Gray, "and in knowing what's possible."
What's possible for these youngsters, mostly ages 12 to 22 in Tuesday's group, varies from student to student. It's also substantially different from those schoolchildren sitting around them cheering and screaming for everything from the guy leading the wave to the six goals scored by Norway.
The ultimate goal is self-sufficiency, but often those who love them settle for understandable communication.
Some students, like Jennifer Sansom, are not only able to speak, but they are Olympians themselves.
"Most of these kids are involved in the Special Olympics," said Gray, who organized an Olympic education program with the $500 in grant money he received from SLOC. "We've been studying the Olympics for two years. We've studied Summer Games, Winter Games, the Paralympics and Special Olympics, and how it's all part of that same Olympic spirit and competition."
The students at Hartvigsen have attended both Olympic and Paralympic events, and Gray hopes the events inspire and encourage them in their own lives.
"Some of them are capable of some of these things," he said. "But anytime the kids get out and experience different situations it gives them more life experience. . . . It teaches them what they can accomplish."
Bob and Jennifer Sansom went to the Paralympics opening ceremonies with a group from the school. He's enjoyed the events with the school so much, he went out last week and bought tickets to the bronze medal game in sled hockey.
"It's wonderful for the kids," said Bob Sansom, who'd never been to a hockey game before the Olympics and Paralympics. Then he looked out over the ice and admired the athletes playing a game he knows very little about. "This is just amazing."
Jennifer Sansom recently participated in the Special Winter Olympics where she skied. She's also competed in bowling and swimming in the Summer Special Olympics. Her father said the benefit to the participants is immeasurable.
"It gives them self-confidence," he said. "It's amazing."
E-MAIL: adonaldson@desnews.com
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March 13, 2002
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