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Show 4A Lakeside Review North, Wednesday, January 16, 1985 j V W ll ; ' ? .V. A Very Special Olympian Do you still like me even though Im different? So begins the story of Amanda Marie Betts. Amanda is a Special Olympian. Even though she placed last in the 1985 Utah Special Winter Olympic figure skating competition, she placed first in the hearts of her sisters. And Amanda calls everyone her sister. Amanda has only been on ice skates, and able to stand on them, for the last .year. She knows how to skate both back- wards and forwards and shes able to turn around as well as fall. The music played and Amanda could do little more than stand alone on the ice and look around the Salt Palace arena at all the spectators. She wasnt aware of what she was supposed to be doing and froze. She gets so concerned about people that she has a hard time staying with her routine, Dorothy Servoss, Amandas grandmother, said. At home, she practices and does a lot of neat stuff. Once a week for the last year, Amanda has taken skating lessons with a class from Meadowbrook Elementary School. The class was taught in a group and Amanda, the youngest student, wasnt able to receive the adequate attention that she needed. She now receives individual training and has been transferred from Meadow-broo- k Elementary School in Bountiful to Monte Vista Elementary School in Farmington. Because of her age, Amanda was not sponsored for the Special Olympics by any of the 30 schools involved. It broke her heart when she was told she couldnt compete this year so special arrangements were made for her to go as an independent skater. Amanda was given a crash course from Carol George on what would be expected of her, and she was encouraged, on the most part, from her coach and friend, Katrina George, Carols daughter. The music stopped and the applause and cheers began. ALRIGHT, AMANDA! echoed through the arena. It wasnt important what Amanda did, just that she had the courage to do it. Amanda is the daughter of David Betts of Kamas and Shaunali Betts of Bountiful. She was born on August 3, 1976, in Heber City, Utah. The first few years of Amandas life were spent in and out of hospitals and with various specialists. She had a series of medical problems which included a heart murmur, a hernia removal, and ruptured insides. She was always very sick when she was a baby, Mrs. Betts said. She was in the hospital on and off for four years after she was born. When Amanda was 2 years old she was diagnosed as having Williams Syndrome which is mainly a learning disability that affects the fine motor coordinations. It took four years to come to the point where the doctors said shed make it, Mrs. Servoss, said. During this time, Amanda associated with doctors, She was nurses, and other grown-upnever able to be just a normal little kid and she was watched and protected con- s. TIM,- - A T- A - - ? ? 6, ' i'. 1 - , i r t .V 4. s v. STANDING WITH f:.' V' r, i, I fr . a rose, a wave, and unlaced skates, Amanda relaxes after skating. "stantly for fear that something else would go wrong. Amanda lived in the country until she was 5. She wasnt used to neighbors, houses, friends, and all the other luxuries and privileges that accompany city 0, f SIS! life. When Mrs. Betts moved her family of five to Bountiful, Amanda was fascinated and curious about everything and ev- eryone. She saw life as an adventure. She found out there were people next Vv door who would very nicely give her candy, toys and dolls when she went to their houses," Mrs. Betts said. She worries me because she wanders around and I cant find her, Mrs. Betts added. She goes to everyones door and they dont know what to do with her. Shes been to the police station so many times. Aware of her handicap, Amanda is very sensitive to rejection and punishment. She often introduces herself to adstrangers as other children that she more are just mirers, or as children who popular than she is. Amanda is ashamed of being Amanda because she cant fit in with other children her age, her grandmother said, She brags about the fact that has her own friends and wishes' she had her own too. Most people feel different with children like Amanda. They dont know how to accept them, Mrs. Servoss added. Amanda is lonesome for friends and she recognizes that shes rejected by children who could be her friends but arent because of her handicap. so . V . 'S': A c r.. .A S r , A . A' 4 y - 1 f 5 - ' i - AMANDA BETTS, with : sequinned tiara, watches a skating performance of a friend at the Salt Palace. Amanda has suffered various abuse ' from people, mostly children. The abuse 'S&&has been physical, mental and verbal. The physical abuse heals but the other k ' 2'V'-cannot be forgotten. i few v '1 Cn onFofer excursions through the xVTiV neighborhood Amanda wandered over if, f '1 to the house f Carol George. Carol didnl't recognize Amanda as a neighbor and disked her who she was and wwhere she lived. Amanda, fascinated with Carols house 'Vi jl ' and not wanting to be scooted home, gave Carol a false identity and led her in v the wrong direction and to the wrong I , : house. Carol says that it was luck that brought vjAr v i Amanda to her doorstep. Having a child : fAr-':- f v . ' Amandas age, the only house in the vif'."' - y m in cinity who did, Carol wanted her daughCOACH Katrina George (center) watches Amanda get SKATING to learn how to treat ter, Katrina, made over before her Special Olympics performance. children like Amanda. And Amanda, after a long search, would finally find a friend. Carol, having Katrina involved in ice skating, felt it would be good to take Amanda to the rink with them. This is uv how Amandas ice skating began. .yi A At first, Katrina didnt want to cooperate. As the youngest child, Katrina had c, V attention and center of been the . : V always with sharing any wasnt of the attention with Amanda. Katrina had a difficult time understanding why so much wasnt expected of Amanda when it was of her, Carol said. Carol assured Katrina that she was t, loved and explained that Amanda just needed special attention. She told Katrina that it wasnt important what Amanda could do, just that she was able to do it. After gaining an understanding of Amanda, Katrina began to accept her for who she was. Now, when other children comment on Amanda being slow, Katri3 na corrects them. I have never felt the power of love as AMANDA LOOKS up for reassurance before her routine. I felt with Amanda when I first held her hand, Carol said. Training her doesnt matter as much as the friendship matters. What you do has so much Carol added. Its like a pebble in the stream. Katrina has given Amanda the greatest own friend. by Robert Regan Story by Debbie Dangerfiel gift of all-- I l v V -- over-whelm- jiijiir - Vv.1 ; s' t ed n '4 after-effect- ," i 1 . 1 . proves to be too much as Amanda freezes on the ice. itS h:M -. W: . , 4. i tiMi-i THE TENSION 'JV? her Photos r j |