(1/3) “I was the easy one to pick on. I was born blind. I...

(1/3)  “I was the easy one to pick on.  I was born blind.  I didn’t walk until the age of four.  I repeated kindergarten, first, second.  They just called it mental retardation back then.  They tried to place me in hospitals.  And the other kids in the housing projects would torment me.  They’d call me Bozo and Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion.  They’d chase me with broken bottles.  I felt worthless.  I felt like a thing.  My only protector was my older brother Hank.  He had learning problems too but he was a male so he had power.  He was state champion in running and cross-country.  Whenever he practiced, he’d let me follow behind him and carry his towels.  Eventually I got to where I could keep up with him.  No other girls were running back then.  There weren’t any female sports teams.  So people would look at me like I was crazy.  They’d say: ‘That’s Rita’s daughter.  She runs.’  A lap around the projects was one mile.  I’d run it three times every night.  It gave me solace and peace.  None of the punks who picked on me could keep up.  I grew really strong.  I had rough edges on me.  Word got around: ‘Put your hands on Loretta, and she’s gonna eat you up.’”
(Special Olympics World Games, Abu Dhabi, UAE)