The Tri for the Kids youth triathlon is always a special time on the Darlington campus. With more than 200 participants from all over the Southeast, there is never a shortage of positive, uplifting stories to share about the racers' experiences. But this year's event, held on June 23, was extra special for one of our Darlington families.
This year, Darlington students Walker ('22) and Knox Sirmans ('20) raced Tri for the Kids with their sister, Ivey. Born with a rare genetic syndrome due to a partial deletion of her 21st chromosome, Ivey has anophthalmia, which means she was born without her eyes. She also suffers from hearing loss, microcephaly — meaning her head is smaller than the average person’s — and a deformity to her heart. Her cleft lip and palate have also been repaired and her trachea has been removed.
It was so heartwarming to see Knox and Walker's love for Ivey as they helped her have this amazing experience at Tri for the Kids. As they ran the last leg of the race, they took turns pushing her. Way to go, boys! Darlington is so very proud of you both.
Ivey, a student at McHenry Primary School, is no stranger to Darlington and often visits Mrs. Beth Smith's class when she can. Our students love her dearly and consider her to be an extra-special member of the Darlington Community. In fact, it was Ivey who inspired her brother, Walker, to request that we offer an after-school American Sign Language course to Lower School students last year. His wish became a reality and he actually helped lead the course with Mr. Wendell Barnes. The four-week course was so popular that the school offered it twice!
Stories like this one are the reason I love my job here at Darlington. In fact, I truly believe that I have the best job in the world because I get to share heartwarming moments like this one with you. And trust me, it's never hard to find a great story to share.
Nearly every independent school claims to have a "family atmosphere," but I don't think you have really experienced family atmosphere until you have spent time at Darlington. This is truly a community and one I am so proud to be part of. Thank you, Sirmans family, for your impact on Darlington and for helping make our school the special place that it is. Walker, Knox and Ivey are the children of Gwen and Matt Sirmans ('88) of Rome. Gwen is an instructor in Darlington's Lower School science lab.
