Citius, Altius, Fortius (with a twist)

Published April 20, 2009 @ 02:10PM PT

Runners on a track from http://www.travellanecounty.org/images/db/static/Track%20Runners%20-%20James%20Rodberg%20small%20version.jpg
Jim's been taking Charlie to the park a couple of times a week to throw a basketball back and forth and shoot hoops ("he's getting closer!" Jim says with his usual, buoyant enthusiasm). Yesterday my parents and I went with Charlie and Jim to the park; Charlie was thinking more about dinner (he'd had a loooooong bike ride) and only tried to shoot the ball a few times. The first time the ball went up and down; the second time it went a little higher, curved a little more in the direction of the hoop, and then bounced down to the ground. I know Jim will keep at it; that's how Charlie learned to ride his bike (yesterday's loooooong bike ride was through four towns).

Jim and I also hope to start Charlie running this summer on the track. I'm constantly inspired by Alex Bain and the runners whose races are detailed at the Runman blog. And at today's Boston Marathon, Andy Bryant of Seattle ran for the second time---as noted in the Seattle Times, he's hoping to run the marathon in less than three hours. Last year, Bryant ran a personal-best time of 3 hours, 5 minutes, 36 seconds; he finished in the top 6 percent of all participants in the Boston Marathon.

Am also cheered to learn about organizations like ASD Athletes, whose goal is to "support and promote wellness and life skills opportunities for the ASD community through physical activity." ASD Athletes is just getting started with its mission of supporting "physical activity opportunities for the ASD community" and I'm mindful of my own son's need for regular exercise, and of the difficulties to provide him with these in the community at places like our local YMCA.

Citius, altius, fortius---"faster, higher, stronger" is the model of the modern Olympics. In seeking ways to create more opportunities for individuals on the spectrum to be active physically in the community, I'll add the words sui generis, "of their own kind"---each in their own way, at their own pace.

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Author

Kristina is a Classics professor in Jersey City, New Jersey, a blogger (formerly at AutismVox), a translator (of Virgil), and an advocate every day for her son, Charlie.