If we are all lucky we encounter at least one person in our lives who seems to have a positive effect on everyone they meet. A person who’s ebullient spirit seems to overflow with kindness and generosity. Someone who radiates a passion and joy for life.

We are naturally drawn to people like this, their enthusiasm is contagious, their compassion is genuine.

Jane Herrmann was one of these all-too-rare individuals.

The Portsmouth, Ohio native was a student at the University, and a member of the track team from 1978-1981. On the surface Herrmann appeared just like any other college student.

She was involved in a litany of activities, which included the track team, (where she competed in discus and javelin) as well as Delta Psi Kappa and the University’s Health, Physical Education and Recreation Club. Herrmann also had a strong interest in aerobic dancing and was organizing a dance club for the University.

However, Herrmann lacked one basic characteristic that many of her peers enjoyed. The ability to hear.

When Herrmann was 18 months old, it was discovered that she had been born with a severe hearing loss. Her parents wanted her to live as normal a life as possible and were told that this could be accomplished if they would enroll her in an oral school. So, when she reached the age of 5, her parents made the gut-wrenching decision to send their little girl away from home, enrolling her at the prestigious St. Joseph’s Institute of the Deaf in St. Louis Missouri.

“I think her parents deserve a tremendous amount of credit for Jane’s development,” Janet Parks, one of Herrman’s professors said. “They insisted that she lived a normal life in the hearing world and they went all over to find the best school possible for her.”

It was at St. Joseph’s that Herrmann learned how to lip-read and how speak herself. This was in addition to learning all of the general subjects such as math and English which are found at typical schools. After 10 years at St. Joseph’s, she was ready to move back to her hometown of Portsmouth and tackle another challenge, four years at a normal speaking high school.

She enrolled at Portsmouth’s Notre Dame High School, a small Catholic school of about 250 students.

The first month at Notre Dame was very tough for Herrmann, who, for the previous 10 years, had been surrounded by peers who shared her disability. Initially it was very difficult for her to adjust both socially and academically to her new climate.

However, as was the case all her life, her dogged determination paid off and she eventually became acclimated at her new school. Through a wide range of activities, she quickly made a host of friends. She began to take on a strong interest in athletics and became in involved with the volleyball, basketball and track teams. She was co-captain in volleyball and basketball, and in track she placed second in the discus at the Ohio State Meet her senior year. She was also a member of the pep club, the Spanish club and the school newspaper.

After graduating high school, Herrmann chose to continue her track and academic careers at BG.

A major college represented a new set of challenges for her, but as usual, she attacked them head-on.

“Jane didn’t want any special favors,” Dolores Black, her academic advisor said. “She wanted to be treated just like everyone else. She did not consider being deaf to be a handicap.”

As a member of the track team, Herrmann had trouble learning how to properly spin when throwing the discus. This was a direct result of the balance problems that those who are deaf commonly experience, but she overcame this problem with rigorous practice and a relentless attention-to-detail.

“Jane was extremely hard-working,” Liz Sheets, Jane’s roommate and former teammate said. “She observed other throwers on our team who were very experienced. She was always dedicated to getting better. If she had a bad practice or meet, she would always ask for feedback the next day.”

Herrmann’s coach, Patricia Brett, described her as a steady performer, who was made more persistent by her handicap because of the fact that she had more to overcome than the other athletes.

Herrmann’s determined efforts paid off, and in the summer of 1981, she was selected to participate in the World Games of the Deaf in Cologne, West Germany. She represented the U.S. in the discus and javelin.

In the classroom, she faced challenges from professors who were sometimes unaware or forgot about her hearing impairment. If a professor faced the chalkboard while speaking, or had a beard or mustache, it would be very hard for her to read their lips and understand the material. Whenever this would happen, Herrmann was not afraid to speak up and say that she did not understand. One considerate professor even went so far as to shave off his beard and mustache so she could understand him.

“Although Jane was supposed to be our student, she was actually our teacher,” Black said. “She taught us not to talk to walls or chalkboards, but to face the class and clearly communicate what we were trying to say so that it was comprehensible to each and every student.”

Herrmann was much more than just a student-athlete, however. She was extremely committed to raising awareness about athletes with disabilities, as well as helping others who were deaf to realize their potential. A devout Christian, she was also heavily involved in church activities.

She would frequently give talks to other classes regarding her experiences as a deaf athlete, and after leaving BG, she professed a desire to move on to graduate school with the goal of one day teaching physical education at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., possibly the most-renowned college for the deaf in the United States.

“Jane was very focused on what she wanted,” Parks said. “She had big dreams and wasn’t afraid to reach for them.”

However, before Herrmann had a chance to realize these hopes and dreams, her life came to a sudden and tragic halt on the night of Dec. 6, 1981.

While she was driving her car over a railroad crossing on Derby Avenue, Jane was struck by an oncoming train that she failed to see. She died early the next morning, five days before she was scheduled to graduate.

Jane’s untimely death sent shockwaves throughout the campus. However, thanks to the tireless effort of those whose lives she touched, her indomitable spirit has endured.

To honor her memory, students and faculty in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation created the Jane Herrmann Professional Series in Physical Education. The series, which was held annually throughout the ’80s, was a one day event, comprised of various speakers and presentations designed to reflect the interests and activities Herrmann pursued as a student and also to showcase advancements made by disabled athletes.

The track team also renamed an event in her honor, calling it the Jane Herrmann Invitational. The event was dropped after a few years, but when current coach Cami Wells was approached last fall with the idea of bringing it back, she was more than willing.

“I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate someone who meant a lot to both the track team and the community,” Wells said.

On Jan. 23, 2009, for the first time in more than 20 years, BG hosted the Jane Herrmann Invitational. The meet, which included a moment of silence in Herrmann’s honor, consisted of Bowling Green, Dayton and IPFW.

With the event now back on the schedule, a whole new generation of BG students and athletes will have the opportunity to hear the heartwarming story of Herrmann’s courage and perseverance.

“I talked to our girls before the meet about Jane’s life and what she did,” Wells said. “They seemed really touched and motivated to go out there and compete hard.”

When asked if she could pick out one thing to have today’s University students remember Herrmann by, Liz Sheets said, “I would tell people to always be genuine, be kind and truly listen to others. That’s what she always did.”

For news, notes and opinions on all BG sports, check out www.bgnewssports.com.

Contact sports reporter Chris Rambo at [email protected].