No, this isn’t the
Ranch, and the likes of Marta Karolyi and Tammy Biggs are nowhere to
be found. At the second National Judges’ Course this summer,
quadriplegic judge Daren Renna and his longtime helper and fellow
judge, Dr. Alan Weitberg, team up to renew Daren’s National rating.
Alan has traveled with him to Indianapolis, steers him around the
hotel and parks him at his color-coordinated seat assignments for each
event. When the Scantron sheets come out--signaling another test--Alan
is replaced by a non-judging aide.
Daren was a teenage gymnastics star back in 1982, when he broke three
vertebrae in his neck performing an arabian one-and-three quarters on
floor in his Boston, Massachusetts gym. For several years, life was a
series of doctors and therapy sessions, and the resulting depression
and physical limitations almost took his life, his spirit, and his
love for gymnastics. By 1987, partially due to a revolutionary
surgery, Daren was able to sit up in his wheelchair, feed and
partially dress himself, and write decently with his right hand. He
soon came back to the sport, finding his niche as a coach and then as
an official. Like most beginning judges, he started with compulsories.
Needing some independence, Daren spent some of the next years with
friends in Texas and California, where he pursued additional therapy,
coached and attained his first optional judging ratings. He returned
to Massachusetts and to his mother, Lydia, who was a tireless advocate
for him from the day of the accident. Weitberg, an oncologist whose
close relationship with the family intensified when she was diagnosed
with cancer, helped Daren deal with her death. “Her selfless example
helped shape my approach to dealing with others,” Daren reflects, “and
making the best of each day.”
Alan began driving Daren to meets and clinics. The two were a familiar
sight to Massachusetts judges, who encouraged Alan to leave the
bleachers and take his own judging tests. “I was immediately attracted
to the beauty of the sport and intrigued by the system of judging,”
says Alan. Although his medical career keeps him busy (he is also an
Assistant Dean at Boston University School of Medicine, among other
roles), Alan says that while judging he is completely focused on
gymnastics in a way that stimulates and relaxes him at the same time.
“I love the challenge of mastering each judging level,” he says, and
plans to take his Level 10 test in August.
And, of course, that’s where Daren comes in. Alan will often consult
him about a judging question; they also practice-judge together.
“Daren has an excellent eye for element identification, and he has
taught me an incredible amount about the art of judging.” He notes the
parallel to medicine: although a doctor in training may be able to
pass the tests without difficulty, learning the art of medicine and
doctoring takes years of practice.
The two now share a sport as well as a friendship. “Having Daren as a
friend has given me an incredible perspective on how to deal with
life’s worst challenges and create a positive experience in the
bleakest of circumstances,” says Alan. “Seeing what Daren has to
endure every day--and how he does it with a smile and grace--is truly
inspiring. Few in the judging community understand what he has to deal
with in the course of just getting to a local meet, but he is always
there and will travel anywhere in the country to judge and support
gymnastics.” When their schedules can coordinate, Alan still drives
Daren to meets. They even went to Easterns this year in Mississippi.
Meanwhile, Daren also continues to coach at local gyms and volunteers
at Region 6 Congresses. “The JO program has changed significantly from
when I was competing,” he notes. “It is much more challenging, and the
elements performed have increased in difficulty.” He believes that
even though the stress on the athletes has, at times, become
unreasonable, the program as a whole provides an extremely positive
life experience. A personal favorite is Alicia Sacramone, a Region 6
gymnast he watched develop from compulsory days.
Many of his goals have been met, but he would like to take judging to
the next level. “My passion for gymnastics has never changed,” Daren
reflects. “Gymnastics has motivated me and pushed me through the most
difficult times.”
By the way, Daren passed the National Course. Teamwork, even off the
playing field, pays off.
Daren with fellow judges Bonnie Synol, Cookie
Batsche and Joan Gnat
