USA TODAY’s Women of the Year: How Loretta Claiborne inspires through Special Olympics

Loretta Claiborne is one of USA TODAY’s Women of the Year, a recognition of women across the country who have made a significant impact. The program launched in 2022 as a continuation of Women of the Century, a 2020 project that commemorated the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. Meet this year’s honorees at womenoftheyear.usatoday.com.

Loretta Claiborne is anxious to prove herself on the world stage. Again.

The international spokesperson for Special Olympics will be attending the World Games in Berlin, Germany this summer − her first as a competitor in 14 years. And her first ever as a tennis player.

Just as she turns 70.

It's the latest milestone for the woman who continues to inspire through perseverance and selflessness. She began life as a mentally and physically disabled Black girl growing up in a York, Pa. housing project in the 1960s. She was one of seven children raised by a single mother. She couldn't walk or talk and was partially blind as a child.

But she grew into an impressive long-distance runner, then morphed into a Special Olympics icon, then a world-wide ambassador for the organization.

As she earned a unique fame — mingling with U.S. presidents, winning ESPN's Arthur Ashe Courage Award, having a Disney movie made of her life — she stayed loyal to her hometown, helping others at every turn.

She knits and crochets when not training. She makes and donates caps for premature babies. She makes cotton yarn prostheses for women who have undergone mastectomies or other procedures to their breasts. She crochets pink pig golf club covers to benefit the Law Enforcement Torch Run, a Special Olympics fundraiser.

She continues to give motivational speeches across Pennsylvania and beyond. She often speaks in schools where she learned, painfully so, the toughness and tenderness that still carries her.

"People love to hear a story of someone who’s come from practically nothing and made something of herself," said longtime friend Roxeanne Dubbs. "She's just a regular person, but she has a tremendous gift: She finds a way to connect with everybody."

For her work, Claiborne has been named USA TODAY's Women of the Year honoree from Pennsylvania.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Who paved the way for you?

My brother (Hank Claiborne). He paved the way for me when I was very, very small before I knew anyone. He looked out for me. When you come from a bigger family, seven children, it gets tough. And when you’re differently-abled than the other six, it makes it real tough. My oldest sister was popular, and I wanted to be popular, but it didn’t happen that way.

I had this brother who really took me under his arms. My brother was my eyes. He was like my bodyguard.  But your bodyguard can’t be there all the time. Your bodyguard’s in high school and you’re in elementary school.

So there was Mrs. Reever. I’d look around the class and I’d go to the corner and cry. Because I had a bad experience with the teacher before that, she used to call me dummy and throw me in the closet. But this teacher, Mrs. Reever, she said, "You know what Loretta? It takes less muscles to smile. I want you to smile." And I smiled.

What is your proudest moment?

When I joined Special Olympics.

There was a counselor at the shelter workshop (where I worked) who looked at me and said, "Loretta, I know you had a rough day today and you’re in trouble and you were fighting this morning. I have something that will work better than all those pills that you take." And it was called Special Olympics. I went to the first practice and he said, "I want you to be at the workshop at 6:30 (the next morning), you understand?" And I lived all the way across the north end of town! "Be there at 6:30 and the van will pick you up and take you to Dallastown and we’re going to train."

I came home (and my mother) says, "How was that Special Olympics?" I said, "I quit. I went to it today and I quit." She said, "You quit today, you always be quitting."

Here I am 53 years later.

Do you have a lowest moment?

There’s so many, I don’t know where to start. My grandma was murdered during the riots. Right after that, a cousin.

In 1978 I was in Special Olympics and I had a chance to go to the national games in Brockport, New York. You had to call to make sure your name was (officially registered). Because our phone at home wasn’t working for long distance, I couldn't make the call. I didn't make it.

What is your definition of courage?

Courage was like last Thursday when I was skiing. This coach puts me on this high hill ... and I fall. All my teammates ski better than I do. So I get back up and I try to inch my way backwards on these skis. Then I try to go down again and I fall. Anybody else would have said, "To heck with this, I’m done." The coach looked at me and says, "Do you want to try it again?" I thought to myself, "Loretta, pick your heart up off the ground and put it in your chest where it belongs."

I disbanded my skis from my bindings, I go up the hill on my feet. I get to the top and people are looking at me like, "Are you going to try it again?" "Oh yeah, I’m going to try it again." I go down that hill and I start sliding and I fell and I’m on my butt. I looked at the coach and said, "I’m so sorry, at least I tried." … I tried it twice. …  And I think that takes courage.

Is there a guiding principle or mantra you tell yourself?

I have a little motto I use: God is my strength, Special Olympics is my joy. That’s what I have on my cross that I always wear. It says joy and strength. Because you can’t do nothing without God. And my joy is Special Olympics. There are certain mantras that I follow, like Martin Luther King. Like when I was skiing and I fell, "Faith is taking the first step even though you don’t see the whole staircase." I didn’t see that whole staircase on that Thursday, but I had faith to get up and keep doing it.

Who did you look up to?

My mom’s no longer here, but she is in my heart and in my soul. One reason I’d look up to my mom: When I was younger I was supposed to be placed in an institution. She could have took that chance. But she’s like, "I have seven children, I don’t have six."

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I tell youngsters today, be proud of yourself and it’s OK to be you. You are who you are, but you can be the best of who you are. That’s what I would tell a young (Loretta) today. Be the best of who you are. It’s not how much you have, it’s what you have and how you use it. You might not be the college graduate, you might not be the scholar, but there’s something unique. There’s a gift you might have, so use it.

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This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Special Olympics spokesperson, competitor honored by USA TODAY