Battle Creek man who brought home gold from first Special Olympics honored 50 years later Richie Hess to serve as grand marshal and co-emcee at state summer games

Nick Buckley , Nick Buckley | Battle Creek Enquirer

Richie Hess is a renaissance man.

The 59-year-old is a gifted painter and skilled athlete. He has extensive knowledge of trees and weather. Above all else, he is sweet-natured and beloved by family and friends.

Hess is also on the autism spectrum.

Since he was a boy, Hess has refused to be defined by his limitations. Instead, the Battle Creek native first showed the world what he was capable of on a sunny July day in Chicago back in 1968.

Then 9 years old, he was one of nearly 1,000 athletes to compete in the inaugural Special Olympic Games at Soldier Field, and he brought home a pair of gold medals.

Having been involved with Special Olympics for the entirety of its 50 years, Hess will serve as the grand marshal of the Special Olympics Michigan Summer Games in Mt. Pleasant, leading nearly 3,000 athletes as they parade to kick off the competition on Thursday, May 31. He will also co-emcee the closing ceremonies on Saturday.

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“I think it’s a new experience, and it’s very cool, kind of exciting to do," Hess said. "I enjoy Special Olympics very much... (Special Olympics) means doing a lot of fun games and enjoying it very much, seeing what place you will get; first, second or third place or a ribbon. I don’t compete as much anymore because I need a vacation. I did it so many years."

On Tuesday, Richie was joined in Battle Creek by his father, Dave Hess and sister Kelly Arens, who arrived from Ionia, and his aunt, Judy Hemphill, who had traveled from her hometown of Kankakee, Illinois.

They met up at the Kambly Living Center, Richie's home since he was 5-years-old. The 30-bed non-profit adult foster care facility evolved from a school for children with developmental disabilities.

Dave Hess said that he and Richie's mother, Marilyn Robinson, noticed at an early age that their son was virtually non-communicative. A specialist recommended a live-in facility in Chicago that would cost $7,300 a year. But a secretary at Wilson school, where Dave Hess was teaching, recommended the more affordable and local Kambly School.

"Richie’s mother was a native of Battle Creek, and we probably passed this place a hundred times," Dave said. "But the answer to our prayers was right under our nose.

“It was a bad time because my marriage was going down the tubes..." he said. "We signed the papers and, when we were all done and everything, one of the staff members grabbed a hold of Richie’s hand and led him away. He was only 5 at the time. That was a very tough moment to say goodbye to your child and have it happen suddenly. But we have a great deal of affection for Kambly for what it’s done, not only for Richie, but for everybody else."

Arens said her older brother's outlook has always been that he is lucky to have two homes.

"He comes and stays with my dad at least a week every month, but at the end of the week, he’s ready to come home and is excited to come home," she said. "When Richie would come home to visit, we always had a fun time together, but we would get into little squabbles just like normal siblings."

The first international Special Olympics summer games were due largely to the work of the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

Upset with the unfair treatment of people with intellectual disabilities, the sister of President John F. Kennedy started a summer camp for young people with disabilities that eventually grew into the Special Olympics summer games.

It was at Soldier Field where she first delivered a speech containing the Special Olympics athlete oath, "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."

"I can remember going to the Special Olympics, my dad would take me up there to watch Richie, and I was so proud," Arens recalled. "'That’s my brother! That’s my brother getting the gold medal around his neck,' and just thinking that is the coolest thing."

Debra Coller is the resident care specialist at Kambly Living Center. She began there as a teacher nearly 40 years ago, and has formed a close bond with Richie as one of the longest-tenured residents. She said despite some recent attention, including an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Richie has remained his humble self.

"Through all this attention, he just takes it like, ‘Oh well,'" she said. "He’s blossomed. People that know him like him. He’s a friendly person and is outgoing... We’re all excited. He’s like our local hero around here. I said, 'You’re famous Richie!' And he’s like, ‘yeah...’ Because his world is still his world."

Nick Buckley can be reached at nbuckley@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-966-0652. Follow him on Twitter:@NickJBuckley