Healthy Athletes Update

Usually on the other side of the camera, Matthew Drumright poses with television and movie actor Johnny Knoxville at the 2009 Winter World Games Healthy Athletes venue in Idaho. Click the image above to see a slideshow of Matthew's photos.

Special Olympics Athlete Gains Acceptance, Respect Through Photography

By Renee Dease, Healthy Athletes

Matthew Drumright, a 25-year-old athlete from Tennessee, is no stranger to World Games. He has competed in the international events since 1995, but at the World Winter Games in Idaho in February, he took on a different role – official photographer for Healthy Athletes. Since then, the photos he took in Boise have been used by Special Olympics on its website, in powerpoint presentations, as a part of the Healthy Athletes exhibit booth, and many other projects.  While at the Games, he also met the many celebrities who visited Healthy Athletes like Johnny Knoxville, and even U.S. Vice President Joe Biden!

It hasn’t always been easy to gain people’s respect, according to Matthew. In 2003, after winning an award for one of his photos, he said, “Some people don’t think I am a real photographer because I have Down syndrome.”

When he spoke with me in March, however, he said attitudes towards him and his work have improved significantly. “People have gotten a lot better in supporting me at my job,” he said.

Click here to see a slideshow of Matthew Drumright's photography.

“Now people call the house and want to hire him,” added Joanne Drumright, Matthew’s mother and Director of Field Services for Special Olympics Tennessee. As an example, she told me of the leaders of a charity called BrightStone who called in March to hire Matthew to photograph the organization’s annual fundraising event.  They had hired another photographer last year but were unhappy with his work and certain that Matthew would do a better job.

Matthew has worked for Michael Gomez Photography in Nashville for seven years where he sets up lighting, takes photos, and edits them on computer.  He has also been taking photos for Special Olympics Tennessee for more than four years at events like basketball tournaments, and has 17 years (since he was 8 years old) of accomplishments in Special Olympics competitions himself in basketball, power lifting, swimming, golf, and bowling. He has numerous gold and silver medals from prior World Games. He has also worked for Publix Grocery Store for four years and serves as a Global Messenger for Special Olympics.

“In my speeches, I talk about my photography and Special Olympics,” he said. “Special Olympics has helped me a lot to be more confident.  It helps me to work hard on my photography.”

Matthew has lots of friends as well.  Eric Wilson is another athlete in Tennessee. He is younger than Matthew and also wants to be a photographer, so Matthew is mentoring him and teaching him.

In addition to professional photography, working, and Special Olympics, Matthew has continued to attend Healthy Athletes events when he can. He got his first pair of eyeglasses at an event four years ago, and in March, he attended a Healthy Hearing event to be tested. Fortunately, he had no hearing problems, or as his mother joked, “He can hear well. He can’t use that excuse anymore.”

Matthew’s photos are worth more than 1000 words. They are an inspiration, showing that acceptance is possible for Special Olympics athletes, no matter what field they choose to enter.

Matthew credits Special Olympics with being an inspiration to him, and he plans to continue as an athlete and photographer in the future. “Special Olympics is special to me and it’s a part of my family,” he said.