Jana Burton
At work, Burton is a middle-school math teacher. At the Gay Games VII last year, she was the New Jersey woman who won gold in shot put and sprint medley relay and silver in discus. At first Burton was against the idea of distinguishing gay athletes from any other. She signed up reluctantly, persuaded by her partner, saying, “If I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it well.” It wasn’t until she had returned after the games to an overwhelmingly supportive hometown crowd that she realized her own impact. “I represented all these people,” she marveled. “They felt like they had been there, like they were counted in the number.” And even though she retired from professional competition last year to focus on her teaching career, she’ll keep
jumping hurdles–inside
a classroom. –TP
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