The Unmuddled Mathematician

Dreams of Athletic Glory

By Chris S. Coray, the Unmuddled Mathematician

As a young girl in school my wife actually loved playing athletic games.  The problem was that she didn’t have a lot of talent.  This became a painful experience for her.  As was often the case teams were chosen by other kids and she was always chosen last.  This is not a good thing for a young man or woman.  I think many times her unthinking friends wanted her to be second base.  Not play second base, but be second base.  She carried internal mental scars all her life, while still really wanting to play the games.  She loved volleyball, soccer (in those days it was baseball with feet), but she ended up mostly in right field where no ball ever went.

Fast forward 25 years.  In Logan she had become a prominent citizen.  And there was a big charity event planned to raise money for those with handicaps.  One of the highlights of the event was a wheelchair basketball game pitting a team from Ogden that was made up of those who lived their lives in wheelchairs against the celebrities from Logan who would for this game also play in wheelchairs.  All ticket proceeds went to the charity.  The Ogden team really knew how to play.  The Loganites did not.

My wife really got into this event.  She spent a couple of days planning and buying her coordinated outfit to wear at the game, including headband, shoes, the works.  She got really excited.  This was a big enough charity event that Miss Wheelchair America was invited and she came, and was willing to play in the game. 

The game itself was a lot of fun.  The Ogden group was completely dominant but the Logan folks did their best.  My wife even got involved in a fast break.  Not a legal one, of course, because she tucked the basketball under her sweatshirt and breaking all rules, just pushed the wheelchair as fast as she could toward the far basket, never dribbling, but laughing a lot, and then hurling her shot upwards toward the hoop.  The hoop is a lot farther up while sitting down so her shot fell about 4 feet short, even as an attempted layup.

After the halftime ceremonies other celebrities started the second half and the teams were mixed up.  Bobbie, who was resting, wanted back in the game.  Finally she got her chance.  She was sent in, ran to the nearest player in a wheelchair, and while trying to tug the occupant out of the chair, said, “I need this wheelchair”.  “So do I,” said  Miss Wheelchair America.  Lots of laughter from  my wife,  the crowd and Miss Wheelchair America.  My wife found another chair for her substitution back into the game and continued right to end with joy all over her face.  It made up for a lot of years as a kid.  She is a very good sport.