Our Students Are Dave Wottle

Our students are Dave Wottle.

Who’s Dave Wottle? Some of you mature readers may recognize the name. Dave Wottle is famous for winning the gold for the 800 meter run at the 1972 Olympics. You have to see this race! Turn the volume up for the commentary:

Dave Wottle wasn’t supposed to be in that race. He was a miler, not an 800 meter runner. He was inexperienced at the distance, concentrating on the 800 for only about two and half months of his career.

Why was he so far behind in the first lap? In a more recent interview, he said he simply couldn’t keep up with the pack because of the condition he was in. Listen to the commentators – they weren’t sure if he was trying to stay out of trouble or if he was seriously injured. Dave had recently married against the advice of many who thought it would ruin him.

But Dave persisted. He ran his race at his pace. Dave’s first lap wasn’t as speedy as the others, but he blew past his competitors in the second lap to win gold!

I’m sure you can see the analogy. Our students with dyslexia may not keep the same pace as their peers who catch on to reading quickly. It doesn’t matter. Let them run their race at their pace. They might need different training to learn to read and spell. It’s ok. They can succeed!

**Credit to David Hanson of Access Learning Academy for sharing this analogy!