By: J. Daniel Pearson
On Saturday, the top 160 high school weightlifters gathered at St. Cloud Gymnasium for the Class 3A, Region 3 championships. Surprisingly, the largest roar from the crowd did not come for St. Cloud record-setting hometown lifter Mikey Ziss or any of the other competitors trying to qualify for next week’s state championships. Instead, the loudest applause was reserved for an athlete who captured both the spotlight and the hearts of everyone in the gym.
When Marvin Cherry stepped to the platform to attempt a clean-and-jerk lift, practically every competitor gathered around the platform and shouted encouragement as Cherry successfully completed the lift. As he completed it, the crowd still exploded in applause for Cherry, a Poinciana special education senior with Down’s Syndrome.
It was a culmination of an outstanding season for Cherry, who was competing at the varsity level in a sport he loves.
Cherry became interested in weightlifting through Special Olympics, but when that seasonal program ended in the Fall, his mother Sheron Boothe contacted the Poinciana High to see what other programs might become available.
Word filtered down to assistant weightlifting coach Jordan Creel, who also coached Marvin in Special Olympics. “We were just talking about it at practice and one of our lifters just said, why can’t he be on our team?” Creel said. “Bree (Poinciana head coach Bree Lopez) and I talked about it for a minute and next thing you know, he was competing.”
Although he took part in most meets, Marvin was unable to participate in the Orange Belt Conference Championships last month. That meet is usually the most heavily attended event on the weightlifting sports schedule and Creel said not being able to compete was a “huge disappointment” for Marvin.
That’s where St. Cloud head coach Cory Aun and Harmony coach Nick Lippert decided to step in.
Lippert, who coached Harold Pineda, a special needs athlete with spinal bifida a few years ago, got with Aun to see what could be done to include and recognize Cherry at the Regional Meet.
The two decided that in between the first and second rotations of lifts at regionals, Marvin would get to take center stage, where he would have one more chance to lift in his high school career. Following his three successful efforts, he was presented a plaque by the coaches recognizing his spirit, determination, and courage.
The gesture was not lost on Boothe.
“This sport and that moment was an absolute blessing for Marvin,” she said. “His coaches, his teammates, and the athletes on the other teams have been so supportive of him all year and helped make him feel included. This sport has done incredible things for his confidence and this is an honor I am sure he will always remember.”
Teammate Michael Garcia, who won district championships last week in both the Traditional and Olympic events and was competing in regionals, is credited by Coach Pool for taking Cherry under his wing and helping him learn the sport.
But Garcia claims he has gotten much more out of the relationship than Marvin ever has.
“He just showed up in the weight room one day and we connected,” Garcia says. “He is so full of energy and love, and it’s just so much fun to have him around. Rather than us helping him, he is the one that inspires us. He is so dedicated and works so hard to get better and how can you not watch someone that and not want to be like that?”
Grothe added that the acceptance of Marvin in weightlifting is a prime example of how sports can bring people together. “The other athletes have been so accepting of Marvin. At districts last week, winners were hanging their medals around Marvin’s neck and wanting to take pictures with him. Special need kids are just like other kids, they want to be accepted and included and weightlifting has done that for Marvin.”
