Hall of Fame  

1996 Inductees

Mark Arrowood, Athlete, Bucks County
We remember Mark Arrowood not only for who he was and what he accomplished but for whom he influenced. After Olympic speed skater Dan Jansen fell and failed to win a gold medal in 1988, he received a letter from Mark, who was then competing in Special Olympics track and field, equestrian, powerlifting and bowling. Mark urged Jansen to remember the Special Olympics motto -- "Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt" -- and sent him a gold medal he had won in a Special Olympics meet. The skater was profoundly moved by the gesture and even stopped by Philadelphia to thank Mark in person. Thus began a friendship that ended only with Mark's death in 1990.
 

Loretta Claiborne, Athlete, York County
It would take a book, and not a small one at that, to list all of Loretta Claiborne's triumphs. Not only did she raise the level of Special Olympics accomplishments in competition, but she also expanded the boundaries of Special Olympics achievement outside the sports arena. There is virtually no Special Olympics honor she has not won, and yet that only taps part of her incredible resume. Legally blind at birth, Loretta didn't walk until she was 4 years old. Now, mostly, she runs! She has completed 25 marathons, with a personal best of 3 hours, 3 minutes, in the Boston Marathon. What is most amazing about Loretta is that she seems equally at home lining up for a marathon as she is speaking in front of Congress and the hundreds of other groups and organizations to which she has spread the Special Olympics message. When President Clinton appeared at the opening ceremonies of the 1995 World Games, there was only one choice to introduce him. "God is my strength," Loretta says, "and Special Olympics is my joy."
 

Francis Dell, Athlete, Blair County
Gaining skills beyond the playing field and spreading the gospel of Special Olympics should be two goals of all of our athletes, and they were certainly part of Francis Dell's Special Olympics experience. "Francis is a positive role model and a great motivator who shares his enthusiasm, skills, experience and good nature and humor to others," wrote a Blair County volunteer. And he has a lot to share. Francis began by competing in athletics over 10 years ago and gradually became active in basketball, volleyball, roller skating, bowling, swimming and softball. He helped being home a gold medal in volleyball at the International Games in Minneapolis in 1991 and served as team captain as the Pennsylvania softball team earned a fifth place ribbon at the World Games in New Haven in 1995.
 

Michael Gaal, Athlete, Bethlehem
Michael Gaal was introduced to Special Olympics in 1977 when he was just 6 years old, and through the years it has remained a constant of his life. He began training in track and field and competed in that discipline for 15 years until gymnastics started to occupy most of his attention. For six years he trained but didn't compete because Bethlehem did not have a program. In 1986 Michael moved to the nationally known Parkette Gymnastic Center in Allentown, where the results were dramatic. At almost every State Games since then, he has earned seven gold medals, taking care, every year, to give one of the medals to his coach. At the 1991 International Games in Minnesota, he earned two gold, two silver, two bronze and a silver all-around in gymnastics, and, four years later, took home two bronzes, four fourth place finishes and a fourth all-around at the World Games in New Haven.
 

Wardell Gadson, Athlete, Philadelphia
Wardell Gadson has been involved in Special Olympics Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, since 1987 and has been a high-achieving athlete in six sports: athletics, basketball, floor hockey, volleyball, softball and rowing. Wardell has been most successful on the track, having won numerous first places at the Penn Relays, the SOPA Fall Festival at Villanova, the East Coast Invitational and several USA Track and Field sponsored events such as the Indoor Championships in Atlanta and the Outdoor Championships in Knoxville. One of his proudest moments came at the 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials in New Orleans when Wardell anchored the Pennsylvania/Philadelphia team to victory in the Special Olympics 4x100 meter relay demonstration race in record time. As a result of his training and personal commitment, Wardell has displayed significant skill growth, having learned to excel in the use of starting blocks and become a key member of perhaps the smoothest baton-passing relay team in Special Olympics.
 

Dr. Jean Jones, Volunteer, Area M
As the founder of Special Olympics Pennsylvania, Area M, over 20 years ago, Jean is known throughout the state for, as one fellow volunteer puts it, "single-handedly inciting the enthusiasm of parents and volunteers" in a program that today serves over 1,400 athletes. As the Area M manager for 15 years, Jean worked hard to build a board, improve training, host competitions and fund-raise. In the early years, Area M's program included only bowling, swimming and athletics, but now it has expanded to 18 sports. Jean was not only an effective administrator. She became involved in athletes' lives by coaching aquatics and track and field for a number of years, and she remains a person who is respected by athletes and parents for the genuine interest she has taken in developing Special Olympics athletes as individuals.
 

Frank Lavin, Volunteer, Area P
Very little can be achieved in the Special Olympics program without zeal and enthusiasm, and that is what Frank has brought to the Area P program for over 25 years. Skiing is Frank's pride and joy. It began in 1975 at Elk Mountain with just six athletes. Today, several of the area resorts serve over 1,000 athletes from more than 34 schools per week. Fund-raising is another area in which Frank excels. Area P's annual summer raffle reaches 25,000 people, and a black-tie dinner dance fund-raiser annually draws more than 350. He has been honored by local community groups, but June 15, 1988, says it all: The mayor of Carbondale proclaimed it Frank Lavin Day for his "exemplified leadership and enthusiasm for the Special Olympics program."
 

Andy Leonard, Athlete, Centre County
The name of Andy Leonard is synonymous with powerlifting, and not just in Special Olympics circles. In both 1994 and 1995 he won the 114-pound championship in the American Drug-Free Powerlifting Association tournament and remains today the only Special Olympics athlete to hold a non-Special Olympics national title. Just as Loretta Claiborne's marathon running encouraged hundreds of Special Olympics athletes that they, too, could handle distance running, so did Andy's four gold-medal performance at the International Games in Minneapolis in 1991 open the doors of powerlifting to hundreds of Special Olympics athletes. His unselfish attitude is what really makes him stand out -- and earned him the prestigious Spirit of Special Olympics Award as a tribute to his contributions to the movement. Andy Leonard is only 5 feet tall. But few stand taller in the world of sports.

Patricia Rau-Pinkston, Athlete, Montgomery County
Those hearty Special Olympics athletes who compete in the winter sports sometimes get overlooked. But Pat's accomplishments on the ski slopes and triumphs as a role model demand that she be recognized. She has specialized in cross-country skiing during her 13 years as a Special Olympics athletes and, at the 1989 International Winter Games in Reno/Tahoe, won a gold medal in the 500-meter cross country, a silver in the 1-kilometer and a fifth place ribbon in the 3-kilometer cross-country. She has also competed in bowling and has become a certified coach. Pat is an active Athlete for Outreach who has spoken at golf outings, Rotary luncheons, Kiwanis fund-raisers and state events.

Louise Tusak, Volunteer, Bethlehem
Louise Tusak is known for going the extra mile, whether it be literal (such as driving athletes to training sites or visiting athletes' families to urge their participation) or figurative (such as lobbying the Bethlehem Area School District for support and raising community awareness). "Her many kindnesses, love and caring for the Special Olympics athletes in her charge are legendary," wrote one local volunteer. Louise, who is currently manager of Special Olympics Pennsylvania, Bethlehem, has served in virtually every capacity in her nearly two decades of involvement: coaching, fund-raising, event-directing and Winter Games organizing.