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Blind exchange student track runner loves to feel the wind in her ears

Tur  Benay  Gozkaman Nh11 Iowa City Press Citizen Article May 2012small

This article was originally published in the Iowa City Press-Citizen

by Susan Harman

KALONA — High school track has long been the perfect setting for social interaction among teenagers. Track features spasms of action followed by long stretches of inactivity for contestants that fosters the primary mission of teenagers: talking to each other.

Tuesday in Durant, Iowa Mennonite School runners Benay Gozkaman and Michaela Gingerich sat on a blanket in the warm sunshine and chattered away. Their event, the 100 meters, still was an hour away. They already had stretched out on the track after the bus ride. Benay, a foreign exchange student from Turkey, wanted to get a cheeseburger after they arrived, but Michaela nixed that idea.

When their race was called, they readied themselves by connecting their wrists with a shoestring. They stood side by side in two lanes while the other runners got down into starting blocks. The gun sounded and everyone took off. Benay, 17, is blind.

She came to the U.S. via a foreign exchange program, World Link Inc., sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. She is from Gaziantep, a city of about 1.3 million people in eastern Turkey near the Syrian border. It is an ancient yet vibrant city known for its industry and agricultural products, such as pistachios.

She finds it interesting that she ended up in a small farming community in Iowa rather than a more glamorous locale, such as California.

“I was kind of surprised that I am going to a little farm town, no famous people. It was kind of weird,” she said. “But I am actually kind of thankful to God that I am here.”

She is adamant that she doesn’t like pigs, nor is she too crazy about Iowa’s cold weather.

Marvin and Betsy Slabaugh are her host parents. Their daughter, Anya, is out for track at IMS and is an accomplished high jumper. Benay was not involved in track in Turkey.

“Actually, I love running. I’m not a professional runner or anything like that,” she said. “I wasn’t on a team when I was in Turkey, but sometimes I love running with my dad. It’s a really good experience feeling that wind in your ear. It’s like driving fast, but I’m running fast.”

When Anya told Benay about going out for track at IMS, the wheels started to turn.

“Obviously, I love desserts and eating, and my (biological) family was kind of anxious about I’m going to get fat because the U.S. has really good cheesecake,” Benay joked. “I learned my host sister was going to start track, and I said, ‘What is it?’ She said, ‘It’s running.’ I said, ‘I can do that.’”

“She just came home one day and said she wanted to go out for track,” Marvin Slabaugh said. “I didn’t know how that would work, but she showed me some You Tube videos of people running with a guide. I thought if she could do it, that would be pretty great. She’svery willing to try different things.”

Michaela, a freshman who is not otherwise out for track, volunteered to be Benay’s guide runner.

“They are given two lanes as kind of their domain,” IMS coach Marty Gingerich said. “They need to stay anywhere in those two lanes. They might at some point both be in one lane, although usually they kind of stay in their lanes. Other than that there’s no major rules. The guide can’t pull her, and Benay needs to cross the finish line before the guide.”

Michaela gives verbal directions as the two run.

“One night Michaela got her left and right mixed up, but somehow Benay would always respond the right way even though Michaela was telling her the opposite,” Marty said.

It was a learning experience for the guide.

“I didn’t really know what to do, I was like, ‘Uh, um, OK, go!,’” Michaela said. “Then I was trying to communicate with her vocally, and that was a real problem at first. Every single time I would say something she’d stop. I was really worried about that because we had only one practice before we went to our first meet.

“We haven’t actually fallen down yet. We almost did one time. Now it just seems normal.”

Benay ran the 55 meters at an indoor meet, and she’s run a 200 and 100. She has practiced road racing with no one touching or connected to her, although coaches are around to be sure she stays on course.

She is a talented singer and musician and will have a recital in June. Why does she bother with track?

“Because I want to try different things,” she said. “I grew up in a social community in my home. Especially my mom was pretty social. We went different places. I met with the president of my town. ... I would like to try different things, different sports that I can.”

Benay said she has never lost her balance while running. Think of that. Close your eyes and run as fast as you can for 100 or 200 meters. More than a few of us would end up in a face plant. More than a few of us wouldn’t have the courage to try.

“That’s just normal for her,” Marvin Slabaugh said. “I think she likes the camaraderie and she likes to run. She likes to go fast.”

IMS, the Slabaughs, her coaches and teammates have smoothed the transition for her. They have wiped away religious, cultural and athletic differences and become a second family.

Benay would love to return to the U.S. for college in a year. She has specific plans: to double major in music and special education for the blind. She sounds like a politician laying out her platform when she talks about her future.

“The reason I want to is I have really important plans to change the country,” she said. “I want to make a new Turkey, which is a productive and accessible country for the blind. I would like to eliminate blind schools and have blind kids and sighted kids go to school together starting in kindergarten. Both sides don’t know how to be comfortable with each other.”

Benay and Michaela ran well behind the others, bumping into each other at times during the 100 meters at Durant, but a loving, compassionate applause followed them the whole way. After crossing the finish line, they smiled at their efforts and returned to their blanket. Maybe even a cheeseburger was in the plans.

Photographer Bill Adams contributed to this story.

Reach Susan Harman at <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a> </em></p>

Copyright © 2012 www.press-citizen.com. All rights reserved.


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