LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — "This is her coping mechanism," Deby Sweatt said, standing in the back corner of the tennis court while her daughter, Rachel, practices. "If we have tennis, we know we can get through the rest of the day."
Rachel Sweatt has been playing tennis since she was eight years old. Always with one goal in mind.
"To be number one in the world," said Sweatt, "This is her avenue."
But there is something that makes Rachel's journey to the top different from her opponent's.
"Rachel is ...," Sweatt paused, "totally mentally handicapped."
Watching her on the court, it's impossible to tell. From the way she plays to her ranking.
"She's the number one female still in Special Olympics," said Sweatt, "nationally ranked."
Involved in Special Olympics since 2019, Rachel had just won a tournament in Delray Beach, Florida when the family received some devastating news. Special Olympics Arkansas would not be sending her to the 2022 USA Games.
"I thought that because she had done so well that Arkansas would be overjoyed, they'd be proud to send her, the number one female player in the nation, to the USA Games," Sweatt said. "Maybe I took too much for granted."
Per their website, Special Olympics Arkansas partnered with USTA Arkansas and the Arkansas Cup to "bring tennis back to Arkansas" beginning in late 2020.
Said Sweatt, "it's just that it's new and it's only been happening for a few months, so recognizing it for national games next year was not on their outlook or their radar."
But Rachel is ready to compete now. And although Special Olympics Arkansas is not sending a team, they could have requested a single spot. Something Sweatt says they did not do.
"It's excluding her from Special Olympics life because Arkansas doesn't recognize tennis right now," she said. "They told me, 'maybe in four years.'
And it's not just this one tournament. Not playing in the USA Games in 2022 could prevent Rachel from competing in other events in the future.
"As I understand it at this point," Sweatt said, "the team that will be going to World Special Olympics tournament, that's in 2023, the year after the USA games and no one has gone, this is my very humble understanding, that hasn't been to USA Games."
Although the deadline to submit the application for the USA Games has passed, there is still a way that Rachel can play. And everyone can help.
"By just asking that this slot be requested from Arkansas Special Olympics to National Special Olympics," said Sweatt. "That if there's a slot available that possibly it could go to Rachel and could keep her dreams happening, rolling, moving forward. In tennis and in life."