Autism Doesn't Slow Down Keene State's Pierce

KEENE, N.H.10/10/08 - Heather Pierce will justifiably have a few butterflies in her stomach when she steps to the starting line at Saturday's New England Cross Country Championships in Boston. Although the Keene State freshman has three collegiate races under her belt, the Buckland, Mass., native has yet to compete in an event the magnitude of the Championships, which include runners from all three divisions.

It's not the running that's the problem. Pierce has already demonstrated that she can compete with some of the top Division III runners in the region. Her concern is the crowd and the over 300 competitors that will run in the women's varsity race.

"The toughest part is the start when everybody gets bunched together and I can't pass anyone," said Pierce. "I don't want to get lost in the crowd."

In many ways, Pierce will never get lost in a crowd. Born with Autism, a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person's ability to communicate and interact with others, Pierce stands out in a crowd with her strong will and determination to succeed.

One of 10 freshmen on this year's KSC cross country team, Pierce has already stood out. In three previous races, she has solidified a spot on the varsity as the Owls' third runner. Competing last Saturday at the KSC Invitational, she finished seventh overall (19:31), earning Little East Conference rookie honors for the second week in a row.

Impressed with Pierce's competiveness, Keene State Coach Peter Thomas said, "Heather has the talent and drive to be a very good college runner. She's been a great addition to the team."

While Pierce is making tremendous strides on the trails, the initial off-the-trails social part of team membership has been a challenge for the freshmen. "A lot of students run cross country for the social aspect, but it's actually the toughest part for me," said Pierce. "Making friends can be very difficult."

Pierce tried many sports growing up, but the frustration of trying to put a ball in a hoop, score a goal, or hit a ball eventually led her to running.

He mother, Ruth was not surprised. "We used to go on walks, and she would run ahead of me and stop right where I was going to turn around," said Ruth Pierce. "When I got there, she'd run all the way back."

Running became an outlet for Pierce. "It wasn't easy at first, but I felt like this is something I can do without getting frustrated," she said. "It makes me feel good afterwards."

Pierce saw her hard work pay off when she made the Mohawk Trail Regional Varsity in ninth grade. As a freshman, she earned the first of her three All-Western Mass. honors with a second-place finish, right behind teammate and current Owl Rita Marcotte.

While at Mohawk, Marcotte noticed many subtle ways she impacted the Warriors. In addition to religiously showing up for practice, Pierce also got the rest of her teammates to express their feelings. "She taught a lot of us about opening up and talking about our emotions," said Marcotte.

Conversely, the team helped Pierce with her social skills. "Heather has come a long way," said Marcotte. "She used to show up at practice and give everybody a hug. She learned that people have a little bubble around them and sometimes need their space."

Pierce also had to overcome a different type of adversity when she slipped and broke her leg in two places while running in the Mohawks' opening meet last fall. "Running was her life," said Joe Chadwick, her high school coach at Mohawk. "It was like her world was falling apart. I told her that it was part of being an athlete."

Getting over the injury, both physically and psychologically, Pierce went undefeated in dual meets as a senior and placed fifth in the two-mile race at the Western Mass. championships.

Pierce faced another adjustment coming to Keene State. A bright student, Pierce chose KSC in part because of its proximity to home and the support provided by the school's office of disability services. To help with the transition, Pierce enrolled in Keene State's Link Program that exposes students to the academic and social expectations of college during the summer.

"The hardest thing about the program for students with autism is that sense of community," said Lisa David, a counselor in the office. "But for Heather and her association with a team, it was almost pre-built."

"We talked to the members of the team and made sure they understood her situation," said Thomas. "She's everyone's favorite little sister, and they try to keep an eye on her."

Heather says she's surprised herself with her success so far. Although the work outs have increased in college, she's enjoyed the challenge of going up against the stiffer competition. "In every race, I'm almost guaranteed to have somebody pushing me," Pierce said.

Back running with Pierce, Marcotte marvels at her work ethic. "For her, there are no distractions," said Marcotte. "She just keeps on plugging along."

Heather is also making progress in the social area as well. "Sometimes I don't know when someone is joking, or I'd say something that might be offensive to somebody," she said. "At first when I heard Pete yelling at me, I thought he was angry at me. But then I found out he was only yelling to encourage me."

There will be plenty of encouraging words for Heather not only on Saturday, but throughout her career at Keene State. "We run on a self-determination mode in our office," said David. "We really helped Heather transition in .... our next focus is giving her the skills and confidence over the next four years to transition out."

"There are so many places for her to go to get a push along the way," said Marcotte. "I know she'll bound out of here."