A Case of Mind Over Mat

“Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

--Special Olympics oath The routine had been altered at the last moment, but there was no way for the crowd to tell from the movements of the gymnast. Kristine Johnson glanced over at her coach, Pam Kuchinka, for instructions, then rolled smoothly across the mats, improvising the changes without hesitation.

When Kristine had finished her exhibition at the Beverly Hills Country Club, she stood, arms raised, and soaked in the cheers of the crowd.

No sweat. No problems. Just what one would expect from a three-time Olympic gold medal winner.

Kristine Johnson, a gold medal winner? You say you’ve never heard of her?

That’s understandable. Kristine is a special gymnast, competing in the Special Olympics. She was born with Down’s syndrome and her family was told she might not survive childhood because of a heart problem.

Not only did she survive, but now, at age 19, she has fulfilled the fantasies she first conjured up watching Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton win Olympic medals on the world gymnastic stage.

“She got into gymnastics at age 14 1/2,” Kuchinka said, “just to improve her motor skills. She started with a group of friends in an exercise class. But she loved it so much she was willing to stick with it and put in the work.”

Kristine knows she will never compete with the Mary Lou Rettons of the world, but she has another arena open to her.

The Special Olympics, begun in 1980, are for the mentally retarded, 8 years old and over. More than 1,000 athletes competed in the first Special Olympics. This year, more than one million will take part worldwide. Twenty-two sports are offered on a year-round basis. The Summer Games include aquatics, track and field, basketball, bowling, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball and weightlifting, along with gymnastics.

All of the pageantry and benefits of the real Olympics are mirrored. There are opening and closing ceremonies, complete with a torch, awards presentations and various cultural activities.

“It has caused her to blossom,” said Kristine’s mother, Sharon.”It has given her a lot of self-confidence in all other aspects of her life.”

The concentration required to memorize an involved gymnastics routine has forced Kristine to develop her mind in ways that school never did.

“It has helped her all the way through school,” Kuchinka said. “Thanks to what she has done in gymnastics, she has been able to build her confidence. It’s hard when you are always last in your class, even if it is because you’re handicapped. But now Kristine has confidence because she knows she can accomplish something. All you have to have is the determination.”

Kristine, 19, lives with her parents in Woodland Hills and attends special education classes at Canoga Park High. She also finds time to put in 10 hours a week on the mats and hone her gymnastics skills.

It has paid off. Kristine first competed in Glendale in 1984 and 1985 in the Tri-Valley Special Olympics, where she did well enough to win several first-place ribbons.

Last year, she moved up to the state competition at UCLA, where she won gold medals on the balance beam and in compulsory floor exercise and optional floor exercise.

The state competition returns to Westwood on June 19-21, but Kristine won’t be there. Her triumphs last year have, instead, earned her a spot in the International Special Olympics, held once every four years. They will be staged in August at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., where Kristine and her countrymen will face athletes from 14 other countries.

“We never imagined all this,” her mother said. “She used to be so shy, but the gymnastics has really allowed her to develop as a person. When you talk to her about it, she beams like a totally different person. It has given her something to focus on.”

It’s not that Kristine’s problems have gone away. She still has the hole in her heart she was born with. But through gymnastics, she has proved she still has more heart than most people.