Earlier this summer, when CPTC hosted the national club championships, my assignment was to help out with the shot put. I ended up retrieving the “shot” — the 16-pound heavy ball that competitors place against their neck and heave from within a 7-foot-diameter circle — after each throw. Multiple rounds in, 16 pounds seemed to get heavier and heavier as I scurried back and forth and plopped the shot down into the waiting hands of the athletes, who grabbed the ball casually, the way most people would a tennis ball.
Among these athletes was our own Joanel Lopez. He was getting ready to compete later that summer in the Summer Deaflympics in the shot put and the hammer throw, as part of the USA Deaf Track and Field Team. A fund-raising effort, inspired by a news article about Joanel that appeared in the spring, had made the long trip possible. And Lopez did not disappoint. He took gold in the shot put, throwing 16.26 meters (53.3 feet), and also accomplished a personal best in one of his other events, the hammer throw.
Joanel, who’s been deaf since the age of two after a bout of meningitis, attended Howard University for three years, before transferring to SUNY-Binghamton. Off the track, he pursued a degree in environmental studies, which he’s now trying to put to use by applying to work with the National Park Service. In the meantime, he continues his post-collegiate training, which consists of three days a week of lifting and throwing with shots of various weights. His college coach, Mike Thompson, told the Binghamton student newspaper, “I think Joanel could throw in the high 50s in the shot put, maybe further, if he continues to train and throw past college.” Thompson also highlighted Joanel’s work ethic: “The thing that separates Joanel is his commitment to throwing when he is away from practice. Whether he is watching video of elite throwers, reading books by elite coaches or simply trying new things he has seen or read, he is always consumed by throwing.”
He’s certainly getting closer to that 60-foot milestone; his 53.3 feet in the shot put in Taipei came despite what he called “sultry and frequently rainy” weather that made it difficult for him to train for his throws. One other factor struck him as odd, as well: “I was never told about the steroid-laden chicken.” Eliminate these distractions, and you have to assume that 60 feet might be within reach — particularly given his dedication. After winning gold in Taipei, at a party hosted by the USA Deaf Sports Federation committee, Joanel was exuberant about what that dedication had won for him: “All the hard work paid off here. I’ve reached the highest peak I can reach.” For now, that is –the Daily News reports that Joanel’s got London 2012 in his sights.