Henrico teen will defend Special Olympics gold medal in softball this weekend

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Tristan Brackett almost never found Special Olympics Virginia. His family discovered it by chance — spotting a flyer at a Publix grocery store.

Now, the 17-year-old from Henrico is a standout outfielder on the North of the James softball team, the defending gold medal winners heading into this weekend's Special Olympics Virginia State Games in the Richmond area.

Tristan competes in six different sports through Special Olympics, but softball is his favorite. His father, Darren, said the family had not seriously considered Special Olympics as an outlet for Tristan's abilities, assuming the organization catered more to athletes with physical disabilities than developmental ones.

That changed after his wife spotted the flyer three years ago. Since, the impact on Tristan and the family has been significant.

"I think the biggest difference is, I've seen him be able to engage in a lot more socialization with his peers," Darren said. "Everybody's very helpful, from the administration to the volunteers to even the participants, so Tristan has been able to make friends, he can communicate through social media. It's just very helpful, and we're very fortunate and grateful for a lot of people that helped make this happen."

Terry Mayfield coaches the North of the James softball team. He came to Special Olympics coaching on the invitation of a friend and quickly found himself committed to the program — in part because of the dedication he saw from the athletes.

"Everyone's so engaged, and everyone's worked so hard on the craft that it's been easier than coaching my son's teams or anything else," Mayfield said. "I think in all sports you try to encourage lthe passion for the sport, just make sure that you can encourage just the love and the motivation that sports requires."

Mayfield said Tristan is one of the players who gives the team a strong chance to repeat as gold medalists.

"He's an absolute cannon. He's got a very strong arm, so he's an excellent left fielder. Anywhere where the ball is, he's gonna get to it, and then from outfield he can throw the ball all the way home. So he's an excellent, excellent left fielder," Mayfield said.

While Tristan is eligible to compete in six sports, Special Olympics rules allow each athlete to qualify for the State Games in only one. He and his teammates begin their title defense this weekend.

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