Special Olympic gold medalist from Bradenton is a local trailblazer for inclusion
More than 5,500 athletes and coaches from across the U.S. just traveled to Orlando for Special Olympics 2022 USA Games.
Three of those talented athletes are from Manatee County, joining 607 athletes who competed on behalf of Florida.
Ryan Smith, 33 from Bradenton, holds the state and national titles in tennis and finished fourth at the World Games held in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
Smith won gold again this weekend, in mixed doubles with partner Brittany Tagliareni, and he took home a silver medal in singles tennis at the Level 6 division. He will find out soon if he’s selected to go to the World Games next summer in Berlin.
As cliche as it may sound, winning isn’t everything for Smith. This year, he wasn’t as interested in defending his title as he was looking forward to seeing other special needs athletes he’s coached, like his teammate Justin Bear, from Manatee County.
“Being able to share something that you love to do is a big thing,” he said. ”I feel proud to see other athletes I coached be successful.”
For Smith, the games aren’t only a time to compete for medals. It’s a place he feels comfortable socializing as a person with autism spectrum disorder.
“He just never felt like he fit into a lot of places socially,” said Smith’s mom, Nancy Thomas. ”Tennis and the Special Olympics allow him to fit into something.”
Smith’s interest in tennis came as a surprise to his family. None of them had ever played before.
At 22 years old, he took it upon himself to ride his bike to the courts at Martha B. King Middle School and just hit the ball against the wall.
Eventually, others would ask him to play a match with them.
Pam Fazio, Special Olympics manager of sports administration for Manatee County, has known Smith since 2013 when he started playing tennis with the organization.
“When he first started, he was very shy young man,” she said. “I’ve watched him blossom and thrive in tennis, it is very heartwarming.”
As he’s grown to compete at higher levels in the sport, he’s joined leagues at G.T. Bray Recreation Center and the Griffin Leagues, where he coaches part-time.
For Smith and others with disabilities, participating in sports with people without disabilities helps their social development, health and well-being, experts say. It teaches them how to communicate, and develop independence and teamwork. These reasons are why inclusion through sports is essential.
“Families and young people with disabilities can think about what areas they are interested in and lead the charge themselves,” said Rebecca Hines, associate professor at the University of Central Florida in Exceptional Student Education and an expert in transitions and inclusion of persons with special needs.
Hines said it sounds like Smith has done a beautiful job creating a space of inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities to play tennis in leagues with able-bodied people, which challenges stigmas associated with persons with special needs and what they can and cannot do.
Smith wants to be a model for younger players and would like to start a year-round tennis clinic where people with special needs who love the sport can always have someone to play a game with them.
“I just love the game so much and want to give back to it,” he said.
His goal is to continue to advocate for inclusion for those with intellectual disabilities in Manatee County.
The games ended on June 12.
Other local athletes who competed at the 2022 games are Justin Bear in tennis and Jared Stancil in golf.
.jpg "TN_060622_PWhitley_22USAGames_001 (1).jpg")
This story was originally published June 15, 2022 at 5:50 AM.
CORRECTION: Smith will know in the coming months if he’s selected for the World Games in Berlin. An earlier version of this story contained incorrect information.
