Lifting one athlete's dreams

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Twenty-one-year-old Dustin Dickens of Elburn holds three impressive personal bests in powerlifting.

He can dead lift 250 pounds, squat lift 255 pounds and bench press 180 pounds.

Pretty good for someone who weighs a mere 142 pounds, and stands 4 feet, 10 inches tall.

And he has Down syndrome, a genetic disorder commonly identified as a cause of mental retardation. It occurs in about one in 800 births.

Because of his success as a powerlifter at state competitions, Dickens has been chosen as one of 11 athletes from Illinois to compete in the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Oct. 2-11 in Shanghai, China.

"I'm proud of his accomplishments," said his coach, Mike Younie, who is athletics coordinator for the special recreation division of the Fox Valley Park District.

"Dusty is very sociable and he has a great time when he's here," said Younie, who works with Dickens three times a week at the Vaughn Athletic Center in Aurora. "Whether it's the first time you meet him or the millionth time, he makes you feel special. He's lots of fun to be around. And it's a joy to see how he has the support of his family and his community."

Family support

The seeds of success were planted shortly after his birth.

Dustin, or "Dusty" as he is known to family and friends, was the fourth child born to Patti and Richard Dickens. They also have an older son and two daughters.

"It wasn't a pretty picture those first few days after his birth," recalled his mother Patti. "We didn't think he had much of a future."

But the family was visited by an educator from Aurora-based Association for Individual Development -- an agency that serves children and adults with developmental disabilities -- and Dustin's parents soon learned their son had potential.

"We decided that if we treated him like our other children, and have higher expectations, then he'd meet them," she said. "So that's what we did."

He has been a Special Olympics athlete since he was 8, participating in golf, swimming, track and field, basketball and softball.

He attended both private and public schools and completed middle school and high school in the Kaneland school district.

Dickens also participates in social activities at Fox Valley Special Recreation. He has friends and a girlfriend whom he has known since he was 2, when their families were brought together through the association.

He works 12 to 15 hours a week at the new Jewel Food Store in Elburn and helps in maintenance at American Bank and Trust Co., where he has worked for several years.

Dickens, who lives with his parents, is also a member of St. Gall Catholic Church, where he serves as an usher.

High school lift

Dickens can speak to why his expertise is in powerlifting, despite experience in other sports that might be better suited to his smaller stature.

"I like it because I will get stronger," he said. "I lift more weights and try to get fit. I went to Kaneland High School and my coach let me lift weights with the football team."

Dickens wanted to try powerlifting when he saw other special athletes competing, but it was a high school experience that got him hooked.

"He took to it naturally. I was very impressed," said Gary Baum, teacher and wrestling coach at Kaneland High School. When Baum heard from other Kaneland teachers that Dickens wanted to play football, Baum invited him to lift weights with the team as a safer alternative.

It is a story that helps explain why Dickens' mother, Patti, credits local schools for contributing to his positive development.

"Dusty always had great teachers," she said. "He was one of the first special ed students to be included in classes in the Kaneland school district. Every year we would go back to the drawing board and talk about his needs. They would set up programs that made him feel he was part of the school.

"When Coach Baum asked him to lift weights with the team, it was a huge boost for his self-esteem," she said. "He probably has no idea what an impact he had on Dusty."

She also gives much credit to the Fox Valley Special Recreation staff for boosting Dickens' desire to compete in sports.

Travel plans

Dickens will leave Tuesday to meet with the 400-member U.S. delegation in Los Angeles. They arrive in China Friday. He is one of 23 powerlifters from the U.S.

Shanghai will be host to 7,500 special athletes from 165 countries competing in 24 summer sports.

Dickens' family will be there to watch him. Patti and Richard will travel to China with their son, one of their daughters and other family members.

"We're all excited and a little nervous," Patti said. "I've never been on a 14½-hour flight before. But I've been told the Chinese are very welcoming. And Dusty doesn't seem apprehensive at all."