A lesson in determination

It's Wednesday night and Shelly Hackett and Justin Brown are busy bowling with their friends. Laughter and excitement fill the crowded room. Suddenly, Justin rolls a strike and triumphantly leaps into the air. Meanwhile, Shelly jokes around as she selects her bowling ball. \nThis scenario sounds familiar, but the circumstances are exceptional. Shelly and Justin are Special Olympic athletes, and their courage and perseverance make them, to those who know them, truly remarkable. \nTonight Shelly Hackett and Justin Brown will do their part to make the 26th annual Spirit of Sport all-nighter a success. Both participated last year and appeared in the Homecoming parade to promote Spirit of Sport. Justin played basketball at halftime at an IU women's basketball game, and Shelly attended a Spirit of Sport meeting to demonstrate her commitment to the cause. Tonight provides an opportunity for them to showcase their hard work and dedication to the Bloomington Special Olympics program. \n"What makes this special for me is seeing them (Special Olympic athletes) react when the students are cheering for them," senior Jeff Sikorski, Special Olympics outreach director for Spirit of Sport, said.\nTonight at 6 p.m., Justin will play in the United Basketball game at the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation gymnasium. After the game, Shelly will light the Special Olympic torch during Spirit of Sport's opening ceremony. \nSenior Chris Cardona, assistant to Monroe County Parks and Recreation Department recreation coordinator Kevin Fleener, was quick to support Shelly and Justin as positive examples for the Special Olympics program. \n"Both have extremely positive attitudes and are always willing to help others," Cardona said. He said their stories illustrate the power of Special Olympics and their own efforts to achieve greatness.\nHackett is not simply a veteran athlete. She works at a law firm, the Student Sports and Recreation Center on campus, and Options for Better Living, a Bloomington-based group housing organization for people with disabilities. She also gives speeches on self-advocacy. \nDespite her busy schedule, Hackett manages to play whichever sports are in season. Lately, she can be found horseback riding Mondays and bowling Wednesdays. Her favorite sport is baseball, but she also loves track, golf, swimming and basketball as well. Her incredible energy is contagious, which may explain why she becomes a friend to everyone she meets. \nThough she has won trophies in swimming and golf, and admits, "It makes me special when I win," what she is most proud of is having many friends. She loves to cook, sing karaoke and dance with her friends and her boyfriend. \nShe's also pleased to light the torch in the opening ceremony for the second consecutive year. Last year she lit the torch with IU senior and Olympic diver Sara Reiling, who is now her favorite athlete. "I met her in person," Hackett said. "I've seen her on TV -- I might get an autograph if I see her again." \nShelly doesn't let the responsibilities of working and having her own apartment -- facilitated through Options for Better Living -- dampen her constant enthusiasm for life. She said she is always looking for new challenges and opportunities to strengthen her friendships. \nBrown spent much of his childhood traveling with his mother, who served in the Navy for 23 years. When the pair finally settled down in San Diego, he started swimming through the United Cerebral Palsy Association. Since that time, he said, he has played "almost every sport imaginable."\nHe and his mother have been Bloomington residents since 1998, and he's a two-year member of the Bloomington Special Olympics program. Since he plays year-round, he has developed skills in golf, basketball, bowling, softball and track.\n"I am very fast but very careful because during track last season, I tripped during the race and hurt my knees and hit my head. I wasn't doing so good," Brown said.\nKevin Fleener, Justin's hero, encouraged him to finish the race. \n"He said, 'Give it everything you've got.' And I did," Brown said. "He told me not to give up and ran beside me until I finished the race."\nWhile in San Diego, Justin played indoor wheelchair soccer, and he is hopeful the Bloomington Special Olympics program will one day be able to fund a team. \nYet sports are not his only passion -- he is also a gifted drummer and aspiring musician. He would love to work at a movie or video store. \nBut for now he is taking one day at a time and offers this advice as a mantra to live by: "Keep trying, do everything you can, never give up, and have fun!"\nFleener said Brown and Hackett serve as two outstanding examples to anyone who would like to live courageously.\n"The Special Olympic oath, 'Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt,' exemplifies Justin and Shelly's overall attitudes on life," Fleener said.