LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Ben Heitmeyer rounded the corner to his left and shifted gears. What was a jog became a sprint. His strides lengthened. The chute does that to you.
Lined with spectators, recent race finishers, parents, spouses and children -- many of whom were cheering with visible emotion -- the chute marks the triathlete's final few strides.
This particular one, along the shoreline of Alamitos Beach, is an international stew, stirred thick with folks from Uruguay, Costa Rica and the United States. The color-splashed arch that marked the finish line beckoned, and Ben ran harder yet.
As he reached the line he leaped like a hurdler, arms skyward, fists clinched, like Rocky Balboa atop the library stairs. He did it. Ben, 25, was the last male finisher in the first triathlon in Special Olympics World Games history.
He swam 750 meters. He cycled 12 miles. And he ran 3.1 miles more.
"You just have to smile with so much joy when you see him do that," said his coach, Lisa Rumer. "Before he even gets to that corner, when you hear he's a half-mile out, you get so excited because you know he's going to live the dream of being proud of himself -- and everyone responding to that."
The gallery roared. Cell phones were drawn from pockets and purses to document and dedicate the moment. Ben hugged Lisa. Then he hugged her again. He turned around to see his mother, Diane, weeping. He hugged her, too.
Then he was surrounded by his teammates Noah Dellas -- who won the event in a blistering 1 hour, 12 minutes, 59 seconds -- Amy Noctor and Courtney Dreyfus. All of them finished before Ben. None of them wandered very far.
They all waited by the finish line to embrace him. They smiled for a team photo, some flashing a "No. 1" index finger salute with one hand, holding the American flag with the other.
"I want people to see that you never give up," Ben said minutes after finishing.
Heitmeyer, a passionate triathlete with Down syndrome, was among the 19 competitors from around the world who rung in the Special Olympics triathlon era.
Like many endurance sporting endeavors, the triathlon is a unique task: For 99 percent of competitors across the world, it's not about the clock; it's about your will to conquer the painted line at the end of the road.
Ben conquered the road.
"Ben is a super nice, caring guy," Rumer said. "I think he's always had that. But I think that he probably shows that more to people now. That's from the confidence triathlon has given him."
Confidence. And belief.
Heitmeyer and Rumer have a special bond and are a vivid example of a coach's influence. That influence is evident on Rumer's wrist. When the United States triathlon team arrived in Los Angeles for the Games, Heitmeyer handed Rumer a gift.
It was a silver bracelet. Accompanying the gift was an orange slip of paper hosting 17 cursive words and a signature:
Dear Lisa,
This is for you ... a believe bracelet ... for always believing I can do it.
Love,
Ben Heitmeyer
Asked what the bracelet means, Rumer said she'd answer once she wiped the tears from her eyes. See, this triathlon was her passion. She lobbied Special Olympics to include swim-bike-run in among the 25 total events that comprise the Games over nine days.
"The bracelet Ben gave me tells me that we can all inspire each other," Rumer said. "And when we take our time to share our heart, great things will happen."