- April 25, 2024
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From left-to-right: Spruce Creek swimmers Shea Outlaw, Will Breneman, Cheyenne Wooten and Paige Feaster. Photo by Ray Boone
Spruce Creek's Cheyenne Wooten swims the 50-yard freestyle. Photo by Ray Boone
Spruce Creek swimmers Paige Feaster (front) and Cheyenne Wooten pose for a picture in between events. Photo by Ray Boone
Spruce Creek swimmer Will Breneman touches the wall at the end of the 50-yard freestyle. Photo by Ray Boone
Will Breneman (left) gives a fist bump to a fellow Spruce Creek swimmer. Photo by Ray Boone
Spruce Creek's Shea Outlaw (front) and Will Breneman pose for a picture in between events. Photo by Ray Boone
Will Breneman and Cheyenne Wooten are all smiles before the start of Spruce Creek’s swim meet at the Port Orange YMCA.
Wooten, 17, is small and shy, glued to the side of Hawks team captain and close friend Paige Feaster throughout the meet. Wooten’s not much for talking.
Breneman, however, can’t wait to introduce himself to everyone — teammates and opponents, alike — at the pool. With a wide grin, the 15-year-old, casually munching on a small bag of Goldfish, walks around the rim of the wide pool before the start of the meet. And when it’s finally his turn to compete, Breneman has just one thing to say before he leaps into the water for the 50-yard freestyle, his only event of the day: “Let it rip, potato chip.”
Breneman and Wooten joined the Spruce Creek swim team at the start of the 2017 season.
Breneman has Williams syndrome, a condition occuring in one out of every 16,000 births, characterized by mild to moderate learning problems, unique personality characteristics and distinctive facial features. Wooten has dealt with developmental issues stemming from a rough upbringing in foster care.
But despite the obstacles, the duo took part in the Hawks’ dominant win over Matanzas and Father Lopez on the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 28.
Breneman and Wooten, who are also Special Olympics athletes, competed in the 50-yard freestyle, recording times of 32.73 seconds and 52.25 seconds, respectively. Neither came close to placing in the event, but that didn’t stop them from giving a complete effort, something that has had a positive effect on their teammates.
“The team is very inclusive, and they watch out for them and just make them feel like they’re part of Spruce Creek,” said Hawks coach Bethany McClelland, who has been involved with the Special Olympics for over 20 years. “Spruce Creek is a huge school, so for those kids to feel like they’re a part of the sport is really important to helping them grow as a person. … They work really hard, and they always try their best.”
Feaster and fellow team captain Shea Outlaw are responsible for looking after Breneman and Wooten.
At every meet, Feaster and Outlaw are there to make sure Breneman and Wooten get to their events on time. In addition to being their guides, Feaster and Outlaw are also their biggest cheerleaders, encouraging them from the ends of the lanes.
They’re the first to give a fist bump or a high-five when Breneman and Wooten get out of the pool: no matter how they finished.
For Outlaw, Breneman’s constantly positive attitude has been the most inspiring.
“He’s a character, he’s always the life of the party and he’s one of my friends. He just brightens the mood every time he’s around,” Outlaw said. “Seeing him come out here and for him to try as hard as he can, it’s very inspiring and it’s really opened my eyes to see what you can do if you show effort.”
Breneman’s parents can be attributed for his ceaseless effort.
“In our family, we’ve never allowed him to be disabled,” said Denise Breneman, the director of the Special Olympics for Volusia and Flagler Counties. “We’ve never treated him differently. Everyone has a disability. Some are visible. Some are not visible. He’s always been asked to succeed whether at school or sports.”
As for David Wooten, who adopted Cheyenne when she was 10 years old, the recovery process from her time in foster care has been long and hard. Cheyenne has come a long way in her seven years with the Wootens, and the family’s faith in God has played the biggest role in that, David said.
“We don’t look at ourselves as the rescuers,” David said. “We’re the rescued. We’ve been rescued by Him. So that was our motive in bringing her into our family in the first place and realizing that her need was not adoption.
“The hope for her was not adoption. The hope for her was the gospel. We’ve seen God writing her story and bringing forever family into her life, and it’s just been exciting to see how she has adapted.”
To never give up. That’s how Breneman and Wooten choose to live their lives.
With every stroke, every lap, every practice and every meet — even if they aren’t the fastest swimmers — they always finish.
“It’s just my mom and dad raised me like that,” Breneman said. “Push yourself from the start, and you’ll win it.”
