Athlete of the Year has been in the game for four decades
Lee McGraw tosses a bocce ball during a tournament for Special Olympians at St. Therese Parish on June 16. McGraw has been named as Wisconsin Special Olympic Athlete of the Year. Photo By C.T. Kruger
June 21, 2010 | 0 comments
As the sun sets behind a bank of clouds and evening traffic rushes by on Highway 45, Lee McGraw stands, hands on his hips, and contemplates his teammate's most recent shot.
The bocce ball bounces and rolls toward a smaller, yellow ball - the pallino - on the lush front lawn of St. Therese Parish on Bluemound Road. The green ball edges close to the pallino, skirting by the opposition's red ball and putting Lee's team in line for a point.
Lee greets the good throw - and the several that follow during the 90-minute practice session - with a smile, a nod and a softly spoken "Nice!"
In fact, the clapping, cheering and laughing can be heard almost constantly on the three courts set up on the St. Therese lawn, where Lee and several dozen other Special Olympics athletes from Wauwatosa are running through their last practice session before a regional bocce competition in Milwaukee.
Claps and cheers are nothing new to Lee, 48, who has been participating in Special Olympics since he was 8 years old and has earned bids to the state meet in several sports. He even participated at the international swimming competition in South Bend, Ind., in 1987.
But those claps and cheers are likely to be even louder for Lee on Aug. 1, when Special Olympics Wisconsin recognizes him as the Greater Milwaukee Area Male Athlete of the Year.
All-around athlete
Lee, whose family moved to Wauwatosa in 1975, is one of 16 Special Olympians who will be recognized as area athletes of the year at the ceremony in Verona. Four statewide winners also will be honored.
And "athlete" is the right word when it comes to Lee.
Over the last 35 years, Lee has participated in basketball, bowling, track and field, softball and swimming through Special Olympics. Currently he's involved in basketball, bocce, bowling and swimming.
"He's an all-around athlete as far as I'm concerned," said Barbara Kintis, Lee's bowling coach for the last 15 years.
But Lee doesn't just keep busy on the field. He works at one of the city's McDonald's restaurants and has served as an usher at St. Therese for 27 years. He has sung the national anthem before at least one Milwaukee Bucks game in 24 out of the last 27 years, participates in Wauwatosa's Fourth of July parade and has received commendations from the city and the state.
Team spirit shines through
Leona McGraw, Lee's mother, said she was "overwhelmed" when she learned Lee had been given the area athlete of the year award.
Still, she decided to surprise him and didn't let him know about the honor until he sang the national anthem at the area track competition at Nicolet High School on May 1.
"He was totally taken by shock," she said.
Leona said she's extremely proud of all her son's accomplishments.
"He works hard with it, and he's good about working with the other athletes," she said. "If he doesn't make it to state or regional, he's a good sport about wishing the rest of them good (luck)."
That team-first attitude is something Lee's coaches have noticed over the years.
Rita Marsh, who has coached Lee for 28 years, said going to the international swimming competition with Lee and his family in 1987 was one of the highlights of her life.
"He's always been one of those all-around good athletes," she said. "He's always willing to do things to help his peers. You couldn't ask for a better young man."
Lee's team spirit extends beyond the basketball court and the swimming pool, too.
One of Lee's friends and his friend's mother were injured in a car accident during the Special Olympics state basketball tournament in Oshkosh a few months ago, and while they recover Lee has been mowing their lawn.
"It's not just with Special Olympics, it's been stuff like that that," said Glenn Nowak, who helps oversee the swimming and bocce teams. "He's always willing to help out with something."
NEXT STEP
WHAT: Special Olympics Wisconsin 2010 Volunteer Awards Recognition Program
WHEN: Aug. 1
WHERE: Epic Systems' Learning Center, Verona
INFORMATION: specialolympicswisconsin.org
ONLINE
To learn more about Special Olympics, visit specialolympicswisconsin.org.
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