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The Harley-Davidson 2004 Winter Dealer Meeting on Friday, 23 January 2004 in Orlando, Florida, USA opened with a "Supersession" that featured Special Olympics Pennsylvania athlete and Global Spokesperson Loretta Claiborne. The theme of the conference was "Full Throttle."
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Left to right, "Super Champions" Ray Evernham, Loretta Claiborne and Scott Parker join Jim McCaslin, President of Harley-Davidson Motor Company, on stage at the Opening SuperSession of the Harley-Davidson 2004 Winter Dealer Meeting. [Photo by Kirk Miles, Special Olympics] |
An accomplished speaker, Claiborne is a passionate advocate for those with intellectual and physical disabilities. Asked to participate by Steve Phillips, Vice President, Quality, Reliability and Technical Services for Harley-Davidson, Claiborne was one of three "Super Champions" introduced to the audience. Joining Claiborne on stage were Ray Evernham and Scott Parker, each introduced by Harley-Davidson Motor Company President Jim McCaslin. The Super Champions were asked to speak about what enabled them to achieve their goals. "No matter what I do, if it is running a race, doing my sports in Special Olympics, knitting a project, or helping others," said Claiborne, "I always go 'full throttle'!"
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Left to right, Steve Phillips, Harley-Davidson Vice President, Quality, Reliability, and Technical Services; Claiborne; McCaslin; and Benny Suggs, Director of Harley-Davidson University at the Harley-Davidson 2004 Winter Dealer Meeting. Claiborne had just presented the men with copies of I am Proud: The Athletes of Special Olympics, a collection of more than 100 photographs taken by world-renowned photographer Richard Corman. [Photo by Kirk Miles, Special Olympics] |
The 2004 Winter Dealer Meeting brings together Harley-Davidson dealers from North America, Europe, and Asia — more than 1,400 dealer representatives were present. At this gathering dealer representatives attend Harley-Davidson University sessions and review the annual launch of Harley-Davidson apparel. "It was such a great event, bringing people of all backgrounds together with an interest in Harley Davidson motorcycles, said Claiborne. "Not only was it an uplifting experience but also a learning experience."
Many Harley-Davidson dealers and Harley Owner Groups (H.O.G.) chapters support Special Olympics Programs in a variety of ways. Last year an estimated US$796,000 was raised for Special Olympics through motocycle rides, rallys, auctions and raffles. Special Olympics staff, volunteers and Law Enforcement Torch Run® coordinators are encouraged to contact Harley-Davidson dealerships in their area to learn how they can collaborate on fundraising and events. Visit the Harley-Davidson Web site and select the appropriate country for further information.
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Claiborne competing in the 1500 meter run on 25 June 2003 at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland. [Photo by Frank Miller, IRELAND OUT] |
Claiborne was born into a large, poor, single-parent family. Partially blind, unable to walk or talk until the age of four, she faced ridicule and humiliation for her intellectual disabilities while growing up. The discovery of her own running ability and Special Olympics changed her life — after a dedicated caseworker introduced her to international athletic competition, she ran like few others have. In addition to continuing to compete in Special Olympics events, she has completed more than two dozen marathons, finished with the fastest 25 women runners in the Pittsburgh Marathon and twice finished among the top 100 women runners in the Boston Marathon. After winning a gold medal in the 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games half-marathon, she was subsequently named Runner's World's Special Athlete of the Quarter Century. In addition to her running talent, she holds a fourth degree black belt in karate.
"I started running at the age of 12. [More than 35] years later, I'm still running. I found my place," says Claiborne. "That's what I cherish the most. It's not how much you have; it's what you have and how you use it."
Evernham is one of NASCAR racing's most successful crew chiefs. He formerly was crew chief for the Jeff Gordon #24 racing team, responsible for creating the highly successful "Rainbow Warriors" pit crew. With Jeff Gordon, Evernham forged one of the most prolific winning partnerships in racing. Under his leadership and meticulous attention to detail, the duo won 47 Winston Cup races, including two Daytona 500s and the inaugural Brickyard 400. Evernham now owns his own racing team and his pit crews continue to set new standards in NASCAR racing.
Parker, a legendary motorcycle racer, is a true Harley-Davidson racing hero. As the driver for Team Harley-Davidson, Scott was a nine-time American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Grand National Champion with 93 Grand National victories in his career. Scott was the youngest rider ever to win an AMA Grand National event and was the Dirt Track Rookie of the year in his first season competing in AMA Grand National racing.
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McCaslin presents Claiborne with a Harley-Davidson University leather jacket. [Photo by Kirk Miles, Special Olympics] |
In 1903 four ambitious entrepreneurs built the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle inside a small wooden shed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Three were Davidson brothers; the fourth was Bill Harley. Today Harley-Davidson employs more than 8,200 people in the United States and abroad. The company recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, with festivities that began in 2002 with an Open Road Tour making its way to major cities throughout the United States. The festivities then traveled to Sydney, Tokyo, Barcelona and Hamburg. Billed as "the world's largest rolling birthday party," the Open Road Tour brought the Harley-Davidson experience, full throttle, to riders and enthusiasts around the world.
Claiborne is a former Special Olympics Board Member, speaks four languages, including sign language and holds an honorary doctorate degree from Quinnipiac College (the first person with intellectual disabilities known to receive such an honor). She has been a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and her life was the basis for "The Loretta Claiborne Story," which originally aired in January 2000 on ABC network's broadcast of the "Wonderful World of Disney," and was seen by nearly 12 million viewers. ("The Loretta Claiborne Story" will be rerun on the Lifetime Television for Women cable station on Sunday, 22 February 2004 — check its Web site for details.) The two-hour film tells the compelling story behind the 1998 winner of ESPN's Arthur Ashe Espy Award for Courage and member of the Women in Sports Hall of Fame.
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