Being Brave in the Attempt
By Andrew Jockers, DMD candidate,
University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, class of 2020
I still remember when Adam first walked into the clinic.
It was in the dead of winter and a fresh batch of snow
had covered the town in several inches of powder only
the night before. In a makeshift dental clinic to treat
the athletes at this event, these were less than ideal
conditions. But, this was the regional qualifier for the
Winter Olympics, so to all the athletes, including Adam,
the conditions were ideal! Sweat was still beading
down his forehead, there was fresh snow on his
goggles and his race bib was still hanging on by a
thread. He was out of breath from his race, but he
wanted to make sure he took advantage of the dental
exams. All of the athletes at the competition that
weekend could receive a free dental exam if they
wanted. Despite the cold and the snow, it was exciting
for us to speak with the athletes and hear their stories.
Adam eagerly told me about his rigorous training and
how he was doing so far in his event.
However, with so many athletes and a limited number
of chairs, there really wasn’t much time to talk to Adam
in depth. He had to get back outside anyway, and I
moved on to the next athlete. After several hours, and
more athletes than I can remember, I took the chance
to step outside and view the slopes. I could see all the
athletes milling around, friends and family anxiously
awaiting the start of the next heat. There, coming
down the mountain to a round of applause, I saw
Adam. I could see what he meant about the excitement,
and I found myself rooting for him to win his race.
What made this all so exciting and impressive was not
only that Adam was racing in the Olympic qualifiers.
He was not just competing against numerous other
athletes, gathered from all over Pennsylvania and Ohio.
What was most impressive to me was that, in addition
to their training and preparation for their events, Adam
and every one of these athletes were also dealing with
their disability every single day.
Adam won his final race and I watched
him take home gold in the regional finals
of the Winter Special Olympics.
In volunteering with the American Academy
of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry (AADMD)
Club at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental
Medicine, I have had the pleasure of attending several
Special Olympics competitions. This competition has
both summer and winter games with numerous
events in each season. With a grand total of more than
30 different individual and team sports, the Special
Olympics offers a truly authentic sporting experience
and a competitive, genuine and friendly environment.
The sportsmanship I have seen at these events is a
model for competitive leagues everywhere, and the
achievements of the athletes are some of the greatest
I have witnessed.
In addition to the obvious competitive and recreational
benefits of the Special Olympics, there are numerous
health care services they offer their athletes. Dental
screenings, hearing tests and eye exams are just some
of the many free services that the Special Olympics are
able to provide the athletes through partnerships with
various health professional schools and other
companies. The combined effort of these events, the
volunteers that participate in them and the services
they offer their athletes produces the greatest effect
of all. It provides these remarkable young adults with
a fraction of the true attention and respect they
deserve for their talents, their hard work and their
accomplishments. I hope to attend as many future
Special Olympics events as possible. I hope to offer
whatever services I can to these extraordinary athletes,
and I hope to get to continue to be amazed by their
daily grit, determination and tenacity. May all of you
win, but if you cannot win, may you all continue to be
brave in the attempt.
MARCH/AP RIL 2020 | P EN N SYLVAN IA DEN TAL JOURNAL
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