Jack on Track

Sophomore Jack Waters runs his laps at track practice with a smile so wide that his molars are visible. He does the long jump gleefully, limbs flailing as he shouts and waves for teammate and fellow sophomore, Peter Kohring, to watch him.

The first thing he does at practice each day is say “Hi” to senior Annabelle Rixson. Peeking his head out at her and her friends from the middle of a crowd of people with a cheeky grin, he giggles as he waves at her.

He hasn’t always been this courageous with the ladies, though.

Jack has autism, and one of the hallmarks of his diagnosis is a struggle with communication. In the past, he’s had a hard time being able to look another person in the eye and have a back and forth conversation according to his mom, Allison Waters. Participating in track has helped him become more confident with this, Allison said. And while track teammates have helped him find his voice, he has shown them joy in running laps even when it’s cold enough to see their breath.

“When I first met him, he couldn’t really talk that well — I mean he could, but he didn’t come above a whisper,” Rixson said.  “But now, when you see him out there, he gets excited: he’s singing, he’s shouting. There’s just so much life in him that you couldn’t really see prior to this.”

Jack is particularly fond of the ladies, staying close to Rixson and her friends as they run the 400-meter warm up lap around the track. He always finds a way to sneak into the girls’ calisthenics circle, even just for a few stretches.

“He is a teenage boy, and you can tell when he thinks someone is pretty or cute, because now he’ll go up and talk to them,” Rixson said. “He has gained so much courage, and he has a voice now. You can just tell he’s got a crush on the whole world.”

Jack started running a year and a half ago, when his mom noticed he had a nice stride after seeing him run 5K’s with his dad. His four-and-a-half inch growth spurt, which left him with long, athletic legs, didn’t hurt his running abilities, either. His para, Neily Schoegler, and running buddy Claire McCormick keep him on task by encouraging him with double elbow bumps after every run — he doesn’t like high-fives. Jack has been on JV track for the past two years, competing in the 100-meter dash and long jump.

Track has turned Jack’s whisper into a shout. While therapy and tutors have also taught him to use his “loud and proud” voice, track has helped Jack become more comfortable. Spending time cheering for and making meaningful conversation with his teammates has made him more outgoing, according to Allison.

Jack’s confidence has grown with every team pump up meeting and “You can do it, Jack!” cheer, according to McCormick. It’s even gotten to the point, McCormick says, where he gets distracted by insisting on saying “Hi” to everyone. Rixson says that everyone on the team accepts him, loves him and cheers him on — helping him gain confidence in his voice and in his movements.

As Jack’s confidence has gone up, he’s also been able to polish the little things that don’t come as naturally to him: starting at the line at the right time with everyone else, resisting the urge to hold his ears when the start gun goes off or using the proper technique for his long jump start.

These feats take a little extra effort for Jack. But for all the things Jack has to work a little harder at, one thing comes easily to him: he is infectiously joyful.

He helps lighten the cold meets and the routine warm ups with his constant smile. His acknowledgement of his teammates brings a positive energy to the competitive sport. Running isn’t always fun, but Kohring says Jack never seems to have a bad day.

Although he isn’t always able to move in the same way as everyone else, his unique interpretations of the warm up stretches are the best part of track practice for McCormick.

“Half of the time he ends up skipping for the entire time,” McCormick said. “He just loves it.”

The joy he spreads is seen through his voice, his actions, his face. He responds with a constant, confident refrain of “I’m great” to every question thrown at him. His movements, although sometimes awkward, are purposeful and strong. His grin is contagious.

It’s cold and drizzly at track practice. The other runners are complaining, but Jack is just smiling and repeating his mantra in newfound confident voice:

“I’m great.”