Special athlete trains for the games

Lonnie Braxton III is in training for the 2010 Special Olympics USA National Games.

The 40-year-old New London man, born with Down syndrome, is one of four Connecticut tennis players who will compete in Lincoln, Neb., in July.

For now, he is practicing once a week at the Lyme Shores Tennis & Conditioning Center in East Lyme with Andre Danford, a longtime friend of Lonnie's father who is in charge of junior development at Lyme Shores and coaches the Waterford High School and New England 14s USTA teams.

Last Friday afternoon, with months to go before the competition, the only goal is to keep Lonnie's skills sharp.

"As we get closer, we'll do competition drills," said Danford. "Right now, we're a long way off. But just like with our top players, you do it during the off-season."

On the court, Lonnie is all concentration.

Thwack, thwack, thwack. He works on the forehand shots.

Thwack. He practices his backhand, sending the balls over the net as fast as the coach can serve them. One lands just inside the line, getting by the coach.

"Nice shot," Danford says.

"Thank you, sir," Lonnie replies.

His manners are impeccable, his listening skills sharp and his willpower strong.

His father, Superior Court prosecutor Lonnie Braxton II, said Lonnie has patience to complete even the most tedious projects, like refinishing furniture.

"He'll stay there until it's perfect," the father said.

Lonnie III lives a full life. He works at Puffin's restaurant in Groton as a waiter. He attends Adult Education classes. He plays sports and spends time with friends. And he keeps up with his father, a self-described "Type A" personality who is juggling multiple projects at any given time.

On Thanksgiving Day, they deep-fried 16 turkeys to give away. They have been remodeling their Pacific Avenue home for years. They study black history, clip coupons, restore cars and collect movies. Together, they quietly commit good deeds throughout the community.

"I have been so very fortunate to have him," said Lonnie II. "I have learned more from this guy than he ever could learn from me."

Lonnie III was born on Oct. 14, 1969, and his Down syndrome was not immediately apparent. That Christmas, Lonnie II's sister, special education teacher Kathryn Braxton, came up from the south for a visit.

"She said, 'I think there's a problem. I don't want to alarm you,''' he recalled.

The next summer, Kathryn took Lonnie III to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where she knew a doctor on staff.

"The best chance we had was having someone who was an expert," said Lonnie II.

The diagnosis was dealt with. The father's sister and parents, the late Lonnie I and Lenora Braxton of Greenville, Miss., helped him raise Lonnie III.

"We were a unit," said Lonnie II, who is divorced from his son's mother.

Lonnie III was not expected to live beyond 18 years, so his father feels especially blessed. Dementia is a high risk for people with Down syndrome who live into their 40s and 50s. The father recently consulted with a gerontologist, who said that doing athletics and staying active would help.

That is not a problem for Lonnie III, who seems tireless on the tennis court.

With practice over, he is helping to pick up dozens of tennis balls scattered on the court. He keeps at it until every last one is put away. He and the coach meet at the net and shake hands.

"Nice job," the coach says.

"Thank you, sir," the athlete responds.

Lonnie III is looking forward to next summer, when he will fly out to Nebraska with his friends on Connecticut's Special Olympics team and stay in a hotel with other competitors. His father will meet him there to watch the games. Lonnie II is looking for a deal on a diesel RV so that the two of them can tour the National Parks of the West before returning to New London.

"If you want memories, you have to make them," Lonnie II said.