Editor's note: The above video features a local paddle boarding team preparing for the Special Olympics
LEWISTON, Idaho — Lewiston man James Dawson, otherwise known as “The Speeding Bullet,” joined the Special Olympics after he graduated from high school. Since then, he trained for five years to achieve his goal of winning a gold medal on the global stage.
“I had high school friends that were doing Special Olympics, so I waited until I graduated to see what they were so happy about. So I joined and it’s the greatest thing I ever did,” Dawson said.
Dawson is diagnosed with cognitive impairment, which means he may have difficulty learning new things, concentrating or making decisions that affect everyday life, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Dawson won gold during the pentathlon event at the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi. He said he trained with the track team at Lewis-Clark State College in his hometown to prepare for the event.
The opening ceremonies began on March 14 and the games ran until March 21.
“I appreciate him [the coach]. If it wasn’t for the college track team to help me, I won’t know how well I would have been since I never did the pentathlon in my life, so that was new,” Dawson said.
The pentathlon event includes the high jump, long jump, shot put and 400 and 100-meter races.
Dawson said he jumped about 12 feet during the long jump and 4.3 feet during the high jump during training camp. When he reached the preliminaries, he jumped 14.8 feet during the long jump and 4 feet during the high jump – shattering some of his own personal records.
Dawson was one of two Idahoans to compete on the world stage, including Johnathan Harmon from Boise on the bowling team.
“It’s a lot of hard work to get to Worlds and takes a lot of practice on the track and a lot of conditioning to do,” he added.
Dawson began playing floor hockey in the winter of 2012, and later joined the Special Olympics track, basketball, bowling and floor hockey teams. He competed in the 2014 USA Games in New Jersey and 2018 USA Games in Seattle.
Dawson said his ultimate goal is to continue competing in the Special Olympics nationally and globally.
“And for the World Games, I want to travel until I can’t travel anymore,” he said.
The next Special Olympics World Games will take place in Sweden in 2021.
Right now, Dawson said he is playing softball in his hometown of Lewiston.
Dawson’s mom Tamura also shared a personal story about Dawson with KREM 2. She said her son is always “willing and wanting to help others.”
When of Dawson’s Special Olympics teammates was hurt during the World Games, he made the effort to help her, his mom said. Dawson walked around the track with her in hopes of keeping her injured knee limber. Later, he helped her exercise her knee.
When Dawson’s mom asked him about the World Games, he said he wasn’t scared or nervous.
“He was just humbled to represent the USA,” Tamura said.
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