To most University of Mary Washington students, Grace Anne Braxton is just another worker at the Eagles Nest dining center.
Yet her resume reveals a life that has been anything but ordinary.
After nearly 17 years of playing golf, Braxton traveled to the 2007 Summer Special Olympics in Shanghai, China, adding a gold medal to her list of awards.
The Fredericksburg resident dominated the other four women in the competition, defeating silver medalist Rita Dunne of Ireland by 36 strokes.
Braxton and her parents--Harrison and Gail Braxton--arrived in China with seven other Virginia athletes on Sept. 29, spending a few days exploring Shanghai before the opening ceremony Oct. 2.
The James Monroe High School graduate said this was one of the more memorable parts of her trip.
"We really didn't have very much free time when we were in China, but the opening ceremonies were a blast," she said. "We had Arnold Schwarzenegger walk with our team."
After earning a gold medal in the 2005 National Golf Championship with an 87 in 18-hole individual stroke play, Braxton set out to defend her title as the world's best Special Olym-pics female golfer.
Throughout five days of play, Braxton posted scores of 98, 92, 96 and 93, as Virginia's lone golfer.
When Braxton wasn't competing from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., she said she cheered her teammates.
Braxton not only came home with top honors, but enjoyed two weeks in a foreign country.
"It was fun, it was different, like the language barrier," she said. "The people were really friendly and nice but it's a lot different than here. I liked it, I just got tired of the food because all they had was pasta and rice and stuff like that."
Ahead Of The Pack
While Braxton's time in Shanghai was memorable, she is no stranger to winning.
In addition to golf, Braxton is an avid swimmer, earning another gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke last year in the Special Olympics National Championships in Ames, Iowa.
Despite her success, Braxton said she doesn't compete for the awards.
"I like meeting new people and going to new places," said Braxton, who always has enjoyed social studies and traveling.
China not only marked the farthest she has gone for competition, but was the first time the Special Olympics were held in Asia and the second time outside of the United States. Braxton previously traveled to Florida, California and Iowa.
Her travels were supplemented with the honor of 1992 Special Olympics Virginia Athlete of the Year and a position on the board of directors.
For Love of the Game
It has been a slow and steady road to the Olympics for Braxton, the second of three children.
Described by her mother, Gail, as "intellectually disabled," she began playing golf about 17 years ago when her father, Harrison, introduced her to the sport.
"She saw me playing and asked if she could try," said Braxton, a retired judge in Stafford County. "We started out with putting and chipping the Fairfax Park and Recreation Department had a tournament for handicapped athletes and I called them up and I said, 'Does your tournament include mentally handicapped athletes?' and they said, 'We don't know, we'll call you back.'"
It was a call that set Braxton's golf career in motion.
"They said, 'We hadn't thought about that, but you're welcome to play in the tournament' and so she and I went up and played," he said. "It was an introduction and I'll always be eternally grateful to them for their willingness to accept a golfer who wasn't physically handicapped."
When Braxton isn't playing sports, she spends her time following her favorite baseball team, the Cincinnati Reds, doing word finds and watching television at home with her parents.
"I love 'The Amazing Race,'" she said. "I don't know why I got addicted to it but I just did and I watch it every Sunday."
Still, it's competing Braxton enjoys most.
When she's not at the Eagles Nest, where she has worked for a year and a half after spending nearly 10 years at Seacobeck dining hall, Braxton practices at the Fredericksburg Country Club.
The awards are a bonus, but it's Braxton's commitment that makes her father most proud.
"She has a determination to succeed in everything," he said.
Lauren Boston: 540/374-5000, ext. 5658