Two men stood choking back tears as they struggled to find the right words to describe a long-awaited victory on Tuesday afternoon. Filled with joy from the event that had just transpired, embracing, they were unable to hold their composure much longer. Chevi Peters and John Lair looked at each other, and tears streamed down their cheeks as they discussed the bond they have formed on the path to the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles.
Flashback to 2008, Peters, standing at 5 feet, 2 inches and weighing about 90 pounds, walked into coach Lair’s office with a surprising request.
“He came in and said he wanted to be a powerlifter, and all I could say was, ‘Let’s do it,'” Lair said.
Peters had been training with Lair for seven years in order to compete in the World Games. At the Los Angeles Convention Center on Tuesday, the now-122-pound athlete showed the world what he was capable of – bringing home three gold medals and one silver.
“I never thought I’d make it this far, but here I am,” Peters said. “I survived 38 surgeries, I have a metal plate in my head, I’ve had a liver transplant, a kidney transplant, I was in a coma for 16 days – but here I am.”
Peters found his body was not only capable of overcoming a myriad of medical obstacles but also lifting more than 300 pounds once he decided to push himself to his limits.
After his final lift, Peters ran directly to his coach and leaped into his arms, embracing Lair as they both yelled in a frenzy of victory. Peters said he owes everything – his athletic ability, his hope for the future, his life – to Lair. He has not only been Peters’s coach, but also his best friend.
“He got me here,” Peters said, tears rolling down his cheeks. “His dedication to me is the reason I’m here.”
The two discuss everything from the NFL to getting through the hardships of life, and Lair said he finds himself inspired by his friend every day.
“He’s a very strong guy, but his heart is stronger than any muscle in his body,” Lair said. “He’s got that heart of gold.”
Training for the games gave Peters a lifelong friend, four medals and an experience he said he would never forget.
“This has been so fantastic,” Peters said. “I got to meet people from all the other countries and to compete with my friends in the U.S. I learned so much from all the competitors – I feel like I made it.”