Rhily Simpkin, Athletics Athlete - In Her Own Words
Editor's Note: Rhily Simpkin will be interviewing Team USA athletes for athlete features in upcoming e-newsletters along with writing about her time in China during the 2007 World Summer Games.
Hi!
My name is Rhily Simpkin from Pleasant Hill, Illinois.
I have been in Special Olympics for 9 years. I have been
doing track and recently basketball, and soon I may be
doing some other sports too.
I
am a sophomore in high school. I like going to school
because I have fun there. I am on the honor roll and
bonus lists. I have many friends inside and outside school.
At
home, I have 2 brothers and my mom and dad. As for pets,
I have 4 dogs and 3 cats. When I'm at home I help my mother with the things that need to be done. When I want to settle down for the night, I may read a book or do a puzzle. I sometimes play basketball or sit with my dogs.
My
past trip to China was really fun for me, but I was also
a little nervous. Some other athletes and I went from
Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, to Chicago where we stayed
the night. The next day, we flew to San Francisco and
stayed the night there too. Then the whole Team USA flew
to China. The trip to China was a long 11 hours.
When
we got to China, that night we went to a greeting place
so we could rest a little plus wait for the buses to
come. Once we were on the bus, we went to a nice welcoming
ceremony for us. After we were done, we went to our hotel.
We stayed there for a week to sight-see the city of Caoyang.
The next week is when we got to another hotel and did
all of the running events that Team USA had to do.
My
expectations for the upcoming games are to just have
fun and try my best. I also want to try and see everything
I can so I can always remember that I was in another
country. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for someone
like me.
Bocce Partner Appreciates Bank of America Support
 |
| Bocce Partner Bob Stephens stands proudly outside of the Bank of America facilities in his area of Columbia, Mo. |
Bocce
Partner Bob Stephens of Missouri figures he has banked
with Bank of America and its predecessors for about 20
years. Though the names of his banks have changed through
buyouts, one thing remains the same – good customer service.
Stephens
has had two mortgages through Bank of America and while
he was employed at Hertz Equipment Rental he frequently
took the daily receipts to the local branch for deposit.
Through
his frequent visits to the bank, he struck up a friendship
with a teller named Holly who always asks about his son,
Larry, who has competed in Special Olympics since he
was 8.
So,
when Stephens found out that Bank of America donated
$500,000 to support Team USA for the China games, he
made a point of thanking all the banking personnel from
the branches he visits.
"The tellers there were amazed. They didn't know about the donation," Stephens said. "They were all excited and talking to my wife and I about how great it is that I'm going to China. I said ‘Look at all your bank's doing to support Special Olympics.'"
Stephens
was named Special Olympics Missouri's Central Area Volunteer of the Year in 2006, his family was named Family of the Year in 2000 and his daughter also has received the Volunteer of the Year award.
After
supporting Bank of America through nearly 20 years of
business, Stephens is proud to be a part of Team USA
that is receiving back from the bank.
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