Local swimmer captures medals, spirit of Special Olympics
Brian Williamson readily admits that he knew nothing of the Special Olympics when his daughter, Kamilah, first was invited to compete at the World Games in Shanghai, China, in 2007.
“When I got the call to say that she’d made the state team and was invited to go to China, I thought it was a prank call,” he laughs. “I said, ‘Who is this?’
“Once we got involved it was kind of surreal – it was a whole world we never knew existed.”
Two World Games later, Kamilah Williamson, 27, has three gold medals and two silvers. She earned gold in the 200 meter freestyle and the 4x100 relay and silver in the 200 back at the recently completed World Games in Los Angeles. It was her second gold medal in the 200 freestyle, an event she won in Shanghai, where her 4x100 relay team took home a silver medal.
She also came home with some special recognition as one of the meet’s Athletes of the Day.
During the 4x100 freestyle relay a member of the team from Hungary arrived on the start platform without his team’s black swim cap. Under international rules, all four swimmers must wear matching caps and the team was about to be disqualified.
Williamson was standing next to the Hungarians and heard what was about to happen. She had a spare black cap and she ran to get it so the team could swim.
It was a rare display of sportsmanship at an international competition, and a fairly ordinary act by a Special Olympian.
“That cap is what the spirit of the games is,” United States coach Gene Fitch said at the time. “As silly as it is, this is what made the difference for the Hungarian team. What she did today shows true sportsmanship and what the games are all about.”
“That’s what Kamilah is all about,” her father beamed. “She truly doesn’t care if she wins, she just likes to compete.”
Born with cerebral palsy, Kamilah Williamson grew up swimming at Long Lake, where the family has waterfront property.
“She loves to swim, and she’d still swim every day even if she weren’t competing,” Brian Williamson said. “It’s the best exercise in the world for her. It helps keep her nice and limber.”
A decade ago a business partner saw how fast Williamson swam and got her involved with the Blue Dolphin, a Spokane Special Olympic swim team.
“I couldn’t believe how fast she took to it,” Brian Williamson said. “She got the flip turn in no time, and at that time only one or two swimmers on the team could do it. She got it so fast, they started to teach it to the other swimmers and now most of them can do it.
“She had to work at the start, though. Because of her CP, her hamstrings are really, really tight and that made it difficult for her to do the diving start. But she worked at it and she got that down, too.”
Stacey Johnston was then the fastest Blue Dolphin swimmer at the time, but she put her own ambitions aside to help train Williamson, an act of selflessness that was not lost on the Special Olympics.
In Shanghai, Johnston was awarded the Special Spirit in China Award of Excellence – the highest award the organization can give to people who make significant contributions to the Special Olympics.
Johnston has since moved to Montana but was in Los Angeles helping with the state’s golf team.
“Getting involved with Special Olympics has changed our lives,” Brian Williamson said. “When you meet these people and get to know them, you just can’t help but want to get involved. I’ve helped with a number of different teams – an equestrian team and a bowling team and the swim team.
“You get to know the kids and see just how wonderful they are. It’s like a big family.”
Kamilah Williamson’s leadership at the L.A. games earned her a special invitation to the next World Games.
“She really helped keep that team together and kept them in line,” the proud father said. “The coach told us that she just has to be on the team next time.
“But that’s the thing about Kamilah. If she doesn’t make the next team, she will be just as proud to help that next athlete succeed.”