Frankie Hogan and his mom, Vivian Armstrong, spend a lot of time on the track at the West Seattle Stadium.
“Preparing for the 2018 U.S. Games, woo!” she said. “We’re ready. You ready, Frankie? High five!”
Hogan, 28, is a Special Olympian – one of 16 selected to represent Team Washington at the 2018 USA games in Seattle. He’ll be competing in the 50-meter dash, 100-meter walk, and softball throw. He’ll also be an alternate for a relay.
That busy competition calendar means he spends a lot of time training with his mom and friends.
“If I had my tennis shoes, I’d be walking with him,” laughed Sandra Evans, watching from the sidelines.
She said they were so excited to learn Frankie was selected.
“We just went ballistic,” she said.
Frankie, now 28, was diagnosed with autism as a child. Now, his mother says doctors can’t define him.
“No other person has the same disability as him,” she said.
He’s non-verbal, but instead, lets his races do the talking for him. While training Thursday, Frankie had three medals around his neck from a recent state meet.
“I’m excited for him,” said Armstrong. “I don’t think he knows the magnitude of how big this is going to be, so he’ll see. He just thinks this is a normal track meet, but it’s going to be bigger than that, and I’m excited for him.”
She’s also excited for Frankie to trade an empty stadium for a cheering crowd – one that includes his sister, La’Keisha, a junior Olympian. She's flying into town Saturday.
“She wants him to be just like her,” Armstrong said. “And I think this is going to be awesome. She gets to see him run track, and we never thought he could because of his disability, but he proved us wrong. He proved us wrong and is out here doing his thing, and I’m so happy and proud of him.”
Opening Ceremonies are Sunday; the games last through next week.
KING 5 is a media partner with Special Olympics Washington. We will support Team Washington at the 2018 games this July.
