Cool Kids: World-class athlete

At first glance, David Watts looks like any ordinary 17-year-old, unless, of course, you notice his wheelchair.

Watts, one of a set of triplets, has cerebral palsy, which has made the chair a necessity. Not only has this chair helped him get to his classes at Riverside High School, it also has helped propel him to national recognition in the sporting arena. Wheelchair sports have been a large part of the energetic youth’s life for only a few years, but in that short time, he has achieved what most athletes only dream of – a national record.

Watts competed with Team St. Luke’s last summer in Tampa, Fla., and came away with a national record for his class in the pentathlon, a combination of shot put, discus, javelin, 800-meter run and 100-meter sprint. When asked how he felt about it, Watts smiles shyly and shrugs it off.

“It was pretty cool,” he sayswith a downward glance.

Watts began wheelchair sports after encouragement by Bill Kemp, chemistry and science teacher and cross country coach at Riverside High School, and Teresa Skinner, a coach for Team St. Luke’s.

“Kids with disabilities don’t grow up thinking they can be athletes; they don’t see it in the media. The worst-attended Para Olympics ever were the last ones hosted in the U.S. They weren’t even televised,” Skinner said. “To break through and get these kids involved is hard.”

But break through, Kemp and Skinner did. Watts began playing basketball and then joined the cross country and track teams at RHS.

“Once (kids) become part of a high school team, (they) feel like (they) can do a team situation,” Skinner said.

This sense of belonging to a team helped to foster the confidence Watts needed to compete nationally and then, globally, according to Skinner. The team recently returned from the World Games held in South Africa. Fifteen athletes were chosen from the U.S. to compete at the World Games Including Watts and classmate Bobby Hart from Riverside.

Watts excels academically, as well as athletically. He is a member of the National Honor Society and maintains a 4.0 grade-point average. He plans to attend a college somewhere in Washington state after high school to study business and marketing.

When he studying or competing in track and field, Watts enjoys spending time with his sister, Jennifer, and brother, Mike. He and Mike are involved in music and play trumpet and saxophone, respectively, in the RHS Jazz I Band. Watts also enjoys riding four-wheelers and reading sports trivia.

When asked about misconceptions regarding his disability, Watts smiles and shakes his head.

“People here at RHS are pretty comfortable with who I am.”

However, he said, “I put in a lot of effort to get the grades that I do. I’m smart, but I have to work for it,” he said.

Considering Watt’s success academics and sports, one could never assume that hard work is not a major part of his character.