Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
null
Aired August 20, 2001 - 09:38 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, look closely at these pictures folks, and you'll understand why David Scott Roberts is so proud of his water skiing abilities. You see this teenager is skiing on only one leg, and get this, that it is not his, it is a prosthetic leg.
David Scott lost both his legs in a water skiing accident when he was four years old, but now he's helping show other kids with disabilities how they can enjoy the water, as part of the "All Can Ski" program at Sea World in San Antonio.
Fifteen-year-old David Scott Roberts and instructor Scott Le Blanc join us now from Sea World in San Antonio.
Good morning, guys. How are you?
DAVID SCOTT ROBERTS, WATER SKIER: All right. How are you?
SCOTT LE BLANC, WATER SKIING INSTRUCTOR: Doing great, thank you.
HARRIS: Boy, this is an amazing story. David, when we first heard about this I said, there's absolutely no way.
What happened? When you were four years old we understood that you did lose both of your legs, but what in the world made you want to go back in the water?
ROBERTS: Well, I heard about this "All Can Ski" program that Warm Springs was putting on, help putting on, and I just talked to my parents and told them that I wanted to come out here. And it helped reintroduce me into this wonderful sport.
HARRIS: Did your parents try to talk you out of it, or try to knock some sense into your head or anything, man?
ROBERTS: No, they were very supportive and they just said, OK. You know? Let's do it again.
HARRIS: All right. So when you went back out for the first time, it had been what, about 12 years or so, 10 years after the accident; is that correct?
ROBERTS: I started coming out four years ago, so...
LE BLANC: About seven years. ROBERTS: Yes, seven years.
HARRIS: All right. So when you did it then for the very first time, what went through your mind?
ROBERTS: Just, kind of the accident, a little bit. But I was so happy to be out there again. Just, you're free on the water. You know? It's a wonderful experience.
HARRIS: Scott, you -- these kinds of stories -- you work with these kinds of kids all of the time, I am sure. These kind of stories you just -- they've got to knock you out some.
LE BLANC: Oh, it's incredible. When you see David come out there -- and when he's out there skiing with his father, they are out there skiing side by side, I'll tell you, it just brings tears to your eyes. I know I'm in the right business in Warm Springs, Adaptive Sports Program is doing the right thing.
HARRIS: Now, how did you get involved with this program, and how big is it now?
LE BLANC: Are you talking to me, sir?
HARRIS: Yes, you Scott.
LE BLANC: Yes, I've been doing adaptive sport programming for about 10 years, and we serve about 700 people in San Antonio, and it's a phenomenal, phenomenal program. But I just have a zest for doing this type of work. I love it.
HARRIS: Yes, and now the kids that come into this program, they have various types of -- I hate to use the word, disability, but for a lack of a better term, they have various kinds that they are dealing with. When you see them get out in the water, do you have to talk them out of any fears, or are they competitive, what?
LE BLANC: Oh, sure. There is a lot of kids that come out in our program that have tremendous amount of fears, just as you or I would be before we do a new project or new recreation program. Incredible amount of fears, but these kids have overcome a lot of adversity in life. They want the challenge.
Through the program, they develop a higher level of independence.
HARRIS: What happens when they do leave, and they take that independence away from that program? Have any of them gone onto compete or anything like that, professionally?
LE BLANC: Oh, sure.
HARRIS: Yes?
LE BLANC: Yes, David Scott, right beside us right here, has gone onto nationals competition in track and field and held some national records when he was younger. He's gone to basketball tournaments, and pretty much every tournament that he goes to, he comes out as the MVP at the tournament.
HARRIS: No kidding?
LE BLANC: He is a phenomenal athlete. Phenomenal.
HARRIS: What are you shooting for, man, a Wheaties box?
ROBERTS: Hey, I wouldn't mind.
HARRIS: Listen, let's see if we can bring the camera down so we can get a look at your leg. I want people to see this when I ask you this question. You also are running track?
ROBERTS: Right.
HARRIS: And you played soccer as well, is that correct?
ROBERTS: Yes.
HARRIS: You've got to be kidding me. I complain when I have a backache, and you mean to tell me you're out playing soccer and running track.
What events do you run in track?
ROBERTS: Well, I don't run track anymore. But it was wheelchair racing is what we did, like in the Paralympics.
HARRIS: OK, gotcha. So, what are you going to do now with this new found love of water skiing, and you're ability to get back out there and do the different things that you've always wanted to. What are you going to do with that now?
ROBERTS: Right now I'm just enjoying it and life. I don't know that -- I really don't want to take this anywhere to competition. I want to end up being a doctor. So this is just a hobby of mine.
HARRIS: Well, listen, you are off to a great start. I tell you one thing, David, you've got the determination to go on to be anything you want to be. We sure do thank you for coming in.
David Scott Roberts and Scott Le Blanc, thank you very much. And good luck. We want to keep an eye on you and see how you turn out, David. Have a good one.
ROBERTS: Thank you.
LE BLANC: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
