From an orphan to a participant in the Olympic Games. The unusual story of Jordan Windle, who was raised by a single father
These Olympic Games have given us a lot of stories. There were loud scandals, touching situations, and truly unusual events. And right away on the last two points, there is another interesting story. American Jordan Windle took only ninth place in diving, so he did not gain much popularity. But his story is amazing.
At the beginning of the two thousandths, Jerry Windle was a retired officer and dreamed of having children. But because of his unconventional orientation, it was somewhat difficult to start a family. In one of the newspapers, a man read an article about orphans in Cambodia, and since he was a veteran of the Vietnam War, it made a great impression on him.
There he visited an orphanage, where he noticed an 18-month-old baby. In addition, the boy was very ill, and local doctors were practically powerless. Then Jerry decided to adopt the boy and move him to the States.
The newly made family immediately faced big problems. Severe exhaustion interfered with Jordan’s treatment. Father and son could only communicate by gestures. However, parental love turned out to be stronger, the boy recovered, learned English, and finally lived a full life.
The next key event in Jordan Windle’s life occurred when he was noticed by diving coach Tim O’Brien, the son of the famous coach Ron O’Brien. The man saw the potential in the boy, which he informed his father about.
Jordan tried to pass the Olympic trials twice — at the age of 13 and 15. And only after the second attempt he made his way to the US men’s national team. And in 2021, a 22-year-old boy took part in the Olympic Games. There he showed a good result. At the end of the competition, Jordan took ninth place.
It is important to note that Jordan has not forgotten about his historical homeland. Although he owes everything to his foster father, with whom he has a lot in common, the guy did not forget about Cambodia. The flag of his native country is stuffed on his chest, which the audience can just see when he jumps.
Later, father and son together wrote and published a children’s fairy tale “No longer an orphan: the true story of a boy.” In it, Jerry and Jordan tell their own story, only the main characters there are a rooster and a duckling. The main idea of the fairy tale is that true love can overcome any barriers.
And even if Jordan Windle didn’t earn a medal at his first Olympics, his story is still impressive. We are sure that with such support from his father, the boy still has everything ahead of him. And, of course, great respect for Jerry Windle, who decided to take such a bold step.
