Sideline Support - Transcript

[Rich Olson, Millard South Girls Basketball Coach] "We've been really lucky at Millard South. In the past 19 years we've been to the state tournament 15 times."

Success for Rich Olson is more than just winning basketball games and state tournament appearances. It's the journey. How you achieve success. And it's a big part of his coaching philosophy -- and his philosophy in life.

[Olson] "OK -- you're short -- you're slow -- and you can't shoot very well. It's an obstacle thing -- it's life. No matter what your obstacle is there's a way to deal with it."

At his side in this journey, his wife Olinda. His life long partner, who rarely misses a contest despite her own obstacles.

[Olson] "She makes it to a majority of the games. She represents things that you try to teach 'em -- the kids. She wants to be there."

For Olinda, her challenge has been dealing with "Lou Gehrig's" disease. A deterioration of the nerves and muscles affecting all the organs except her brain, eyes, and heart.

[Olson] "It's a devastating disease. It's like being trapped in your body. She's 100% mentally capable, much more aware of everything going on than the rest of us, because she has to be. But she is 100% physically handicapped. You try to teach kids to set goals and do whatever it takes to achieve 'em. And they see a person there that has done it!

"She's a great example of things you try to teach 'em and it certainly makes those things that you talk to the kids about -- goal setting, getting past things and achieving, and overcoming.

"It was an anniversary 19 years ago. She and I were just staying at home that night, and we decided let's go play tennis. And we went up to the tennis courts. She just couldn't hold the racket right. It just wouldn't work. And so we came home, and that was the first time she let on to me that other things had occurred to her."

Olinda was just 33 years old, and a mother of three young children. She and Rich listened as a doctor from the Mayo Clinic delivered the news.

[Olson] "And he said to us 'What you have is ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease.' And we said, 'Well, what does that mean?' He said, 'Well, ultimately that means you probably have between three to five years to live.'

"And we said, 'What can we do? What do we do from here?' And he said to us -- some things in life you can remember distinctly -- I remember him saying, 'You go home and live!' So we did! So we have -- that was 19 years [ago].

"She's a determined woman. She is goal oriented and she is a person who is driven. When she was diagnosed, our children were of the ages of two, five and seven, and her goal was to raise those kids.

"We had these three kids that needed a mom, so that was our commitment. All the choices we made were based upon those kids.

"She chose a feeding tube through the neck as opposed to through the stomach so that her kids could sit on her lap. She chose the trachea, knowing what it would do to her life, as opposed to just letting nature take its course -- so that her kids would have a mom!

"The people that communicate best with her are with her a lot.

"We read lips, and we also use dividing the alphabet in half and spelling letters -- spelling words.

"When I don't understand what she wants, and I can't read her lips, I will say to her, 'Before M' and then she will either blink 'yes', or not blink, and that's 'no'. And if it's yes, then I'll start spelling -- going through the alphabet a-b-c-d, until I get to the right letter, and then she'll blink on that letter."

The relationship between Rich and Olinda, is well grounded. They have a commitment that is rooted in their deep love for one another, and it serves as an example for all those around them.

[Olson] "I know that she reaches some of them much better than I can. You can just look on their faces of the kids and her, that it's important, not only for her to be there, but for them to be there.

"And the tradition is, since she's become ill and in a wheel chair, the tradition is that when the girls are introduced, instead of just running onto the court individually. They go over to her first, give her a hug, and then go take their place on the court. It's very nice.

"You try to teach the kids to face obstacles and find a way, and they see somebody that's done it.

"She's just an amazing lady!"