GAIL WHITE Track official puts Special Olympics in first place

John Todd of Canfield believes in taking his doctor's advice -- most of the time.
Thirty-three years ago, John found himself on the verge of a breakdown. His doctor told him to stop working so hard and get involved in leisure activities outside the home.
John listened to his doctor and searched for a relaxing outlet for his energies. A former Boardman High School track athlete, John decided to take steps to become a track and field official.
"One afternoon out at the track is like a two-week vacation," John beams.
Ever since the day his doctor advised him, John has been "vacationing" out at the track.
"He's gone almost every night in the spring," says Harriet, John's wife of 52 years.
"They are such nice kids," John says of the track and field athletes. "I love to be there to see their great accomplishments."
Special Olympics
The same year that John began officiating middle school and high school track meets, he became involved with the Special Olympics.
While he enjoys every day at the track, volunteering as an official for the Special Olympics has stolen John's heart.
"He loves it," Harriett says with deep emotion. Then, with even more feeling, "He really loves it."
"When I look at their faces," John says with a smile, "they are having so much fun."
"I've seen some of these kids come with disabilities where they can hardly walk," he says. "I watch as every year they get better and start to win medals."
John has noticed several differences between the middle school and high school track meets he officiates and the Special Olympics.
"Beaucoup hugs," comes to his mind first when he thinks of the Special Olympics contestants.
"When these kids are running," John says, "nine out of 10 times, if one of them falls the other will stop and pick him up."
He smiles while reminiscing about the many times he has watched such a scene occur.
"If some of those [middle school and high school] kids put in the effort that the Special Olympics kids do, they would be fantastic," John said.
Harriett also knows firsthand how much the Special Olympics means to the children who compete. She worked for many years in the office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
"They would run into the office to show off their medals," she recalls. "They are thrilled to death."
Surgery can wait
In the midst of some health problems this spring, doctors found a mass on John's lung. Tests came back showing the mass to be benign but the doctors were uneasy about those results. They wanted to operate on the lemon-sized mass in early June.
"First things first," John told his doctors. "Not until after the Special Olympics."
Last Saturday, John officiated the local Special Olympics track and field meet at Fitch High School.
This Friday, Saturday and Sunday, John will travel to Columbus to officiate the state Special Olympics.
Monday, he will report to the hospital for final testing. Tuesday John will undergo lung surgery.
"The doctor assured us a couple of weeks wouldn't matter," Harriett says. "The Special Olympics are so important to him. He gets such pleasure out of it."
This isn't the first time John has delayed surgery to be with his special kids. Seven years ago, he delayed prostate cancer surgery until after the state Special Olympics.
"If it were life threatening, that would be different," John says assuredly.
He made a decision 33 years ago -- upon the advice of his doctor. He set his priorities in place. "First things first."
For John Todd, standing at the finish line for the Special Olympics comes first.
gwhite@vindy.com