{"id":942,"date":"2017-04-10T07:34:21","date_gmt":"2017-04-10T13:34:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsblog.captainshreve.com\/?p=942"},"modified":"2017-09-19T13:21:42","modified_gmt":"2017-09-19T19:21:42","slug":"mother-was-terrified-of-captain-shreve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblog.captainshreve.com\/?p=942","title":{"rendered":"Times – Mother was \u2018terrified’ of Captain Shreve"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Danielle and Rhiannon Dykes pause at Friday’s GUMBO Games at Lee Hedges Stadium. (Photo via Jimmy Watson, The Times)<\/p><\/div>\n

Even though she suffered a stroke while in her mother\u2019s womb, deals with cerebral palsy on a daily basis and occasionally has seizures, Captain Shreve freshman Rhiannon Dykes is emblematic of all that\u2019s good about athletics.<\/p>\n

Participating in the Games Uniting Mind and Body, a sports competition for students with physical or visual disabilities for the 10th consecutive year on Friday at Lee Hedges Stadium, has given Dykes focus during her first year of high school.<\/p>\n

\u201cI attribute Rhiannon\u2019s success academically to what she has learned through athletics like the GUMBO games and Special Olympics,\u201d said her mother, Danielle. \u201cI think sometimes people underestimate the power of sports and the influence that coaches have on kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

See a video and slideshow here<\/a><\/p>\n

Dykes, who just began reading about three years ago, is staying on the A-B honor roll at Shreve.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce she began reading, things really took off for her,\u201d Danielle Dykes said.<\/p>\n

The 15-year-old is one of the star pupils for Captain Shreve special education teacher Martha Goza.<\/p>\n

\u201cRhiannon is a distinguished scholar her freshman year,\u201d Goza said.\u00a0\u201cShe works extremely hard to achieve her goals; motivation is synonymous with his young lady. Rhiannon has a smile and a laugh that is contagious, affecting all around her. She is a delightful student to have in class.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dykes likes Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez and \u201cany pop that doesn\u2019t involve rap.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like sad songs. I like Adele, but \u2018Hello\u2019 and \u2018When we were Young\u2019 make me cry,\u201d she said. \u201cI like the way Taylor sings, but I usually don\u2019t like love songs. But sometimes I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Competing in the discus, shot put and 100-meter dash on Friday, Dykes was a little nervous, since she was moving up to the senior class for the first time, competing against more seasoned athletes. Nevertheless, she appeared calm and had no problem chattering with her mother and aunt, Denise Ponder.<\/p>\n

\u201cRhiannon speaks her mind with absolutely no filter,\u201d Ponder said chuckling.<\/p>\n

On tests following the in-womb stroke, a local neurologist told the Dykes that Rhiannon would be \u201cprofoundly disabled,\u201d according to her mother. But that hasn\u2019t turned out to be the case.<\/p>\n

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