You often don’t know where you will find inspiration… it just happens. And when inspiration does occur, it can be wonderful, perhaps even life-changing, if not life-affirming. Sometimes you don’t realize it for years; sometimes, you know it on the spot.
And so it was for me, as a young father, when I first saw Gaylord Carreira doing his things at University of Hawai`i football games 35-years ago. Respected sportswriter, Stephen Tsai, called Gaylord “…an inspiration to the UH football team and its fans” in his fitting Honolulu Star-Advertiser tribute last week. Gaylord recently passed away, but not before leaving his mark on a legion of fans, UH footballers, and on one very impressionable young father.
I worked at KHNL and KFVE, the proud home of UH sports for 27-years, during the time when Gaylord delighted fans in person and on TV with his glorious routine of charging out onto the field from the UH sidelines after each UH kickoff to “simply” retrieve the football tee. Gaylord, a crowd-pleaser, would then summersault with tee in hand as he came off the pitch, culminating in a kneeling stance with three full circle, Pete Townshend-esque arm circles, while the crowd, in sync, all yelled, “woomp-woomp-woomp”!
I told my kids watching that one should seek to find joy in life, find one’s passions, make a difference if possible, and here was Gaylord doing so for the masses every week on UH football Saturdays. The fact that Gaylord had Down Syndrome reminded me to remind my kids that no one should dictate what you can or cannot do with any kind of so-called disability, no matter the size. And we all need reminding…
I saw Gaylord numerous times over the years at UH events and we always greeted each other with a simple (but solid) high five. What I didn’t know then was that he was a great athlete in his own right who won numerous Special Olympic medals, could shoot free throws with the best of ‘em, and apparently also bowled people over with his 10-pin prowess.
According to a relative cited in Tsai’s article, Gaylord’s parents simply wouldn’t allow Gaylord to not get involved, to not follow his passion for and with his beloved Rainbow Warriors. For many, many years. That smile and passion inspired and taught my kids, tens of thousands of on-lookers, and me. Aloha, Gaylord. Woomp-woomp-woomp!
Think about it…