Brandon, the son of Sandra and Mike Brekke, has been deaf almost all his life after contracting meningitis at 11 months. That hasn't slowed him down when it comes to fitting in.

"If you didn't know he was deaf, you would think he was just another kid on the team," said Portage assistant coach Jeff Wiessinger, a family friend.

Fitting in is all Brandon has ever tried to do, and sports have been the road to the smile on his face. The 18-year-old senior, who recently got his driver's license, competed in several sports growing up, but Sandra and Mike said track might be the best fit.

"He loves it, and he comes home from practice happy," Sandra said. "At meets he talks to kids from other schools and has had a ball with it. I think he feels like he is always treated like a regular person around the other kids. They never treat him like he is any different."

"This is the most fun I think he has had," said Mike, who just completed an advanced sign language class at MATC in order to expand his signing vocabulary even more.

After stints in every organized sport other than basketball, Brandon took advantage of track, going out for the team when the season began. He currently helps the Portage junior varsity team, competing in the long jump and 4-by-200 relay and sometimes the 4-by-100 relay. He anchored the winning 4-by-200 team in Tuesday's meet against Waunakee and Sauk Prairie, taking the handoff from Nathan Preston and finishing off the win.

Most high school athletes might be intimidated at going out for a sport for the first time as a senior, but Brandon saw it as an opportunity.

"I applaud him for giving it a try," said assistant coach Fritz Hammer, who works with the jumpers and was Brandon's sixth-grade teacher. "He might not score points for the varsity, but that is OK. He is happy to compete at the JV level. We might have jumpers who can jump further, but as long as he has them to emulate to try and get better, we will take his effort."

Brandon said sitting around just isn't something he does.

"I have never been a lazy person," he said through interpreter Melissia Stockford. "I try to exercise every day."

"I enjoy the friends I have on the team and I like talking and hanging out with them when we are outside for practice. It is good to be with them. They all help me out. My friend, Justin Gaunt, is the best. He has taught me a lot about the long jump."

Justin and Brandon are also neighbors and Justin said with Brandon on the team, he gets to spend more time with a good friend.

"We spend a lot more time together now," said Justin, who has known Brandon since age 4 when they were in day care together. "He thanks me all the time, but me helping him in the long jump is no problem at all. We are good friends and it is just like me helping someone with homework. It is mutual, we both teach each other things."

Justin is noticing some improvement at practice.

"In your first year in anything it is hard to compete and he is still learning how to do things," he said. "He is seeing his improvement now. The better he does, the more it motivates him to work harder, the more he wants to stand out and I think that helps other people on the team when they see that."

At the age of 5, he enrolled in karate classes through the Portage Parks and Recreation Department under the instruction of Bernie Fritz.

"That had a big influence on Brandon," Mike Brekke said. " Bernie had the patience to cater to him and visually he could see the repetitions and do the sparring. He was pretty into that for three years."

Pretty soon trophies and colored belts found their way into the Brekke household.

"That was a very long time ago," Brandon signed. "I have one trophy from a tournament in Madison."

Track meets, especially big events, can be hectic for coach Meixner as he tries to keep an eye on both girls and boys teams. Meixner said when he heard Brandon was coming out for track, he called and later e-mailed the Wisconsin School for the Deaf. They gave him some advice on how to deal with officials and use cameras and visual equipment to show Brandon the proper techniques. With the events Brandon competes in, things are a little easier, but if he were to ever start a race the starter would need to be more in front, as opposed to the side, so Brandon could see the smoke from the gun and know to begin.

"I usually try and go around and let the officials know at each meet," Meixner said. "I tell them, 'If he walks away from you when you're talking to him, he doesn't mean any disrespect. He just can't hear you.' "

Meixner said his job is made easier by Stockford and fellow interpreter Andrea Bomkamp, who attend as many practices and meets as they can. Justin, Hammer and the rest of the team also keep an eye out. Meixner said many times after breaking from meetings or getting off the bus, Justin will just say, "I got him."

"Compared to dealing with truancies and grade issues, Brandon is easy," Meixner said.

In Little League, Mike used to run the bases with Brandon and interpret the coaching signs for him. Football was the toughest, and as a safety, Mike remembers Brandon delivering a few late hits since he couldn't hear the whistle stopping play. Track seems to be the best fit, and Mike wished it would have been something Brandon started earlier.

"It is kind of sad it is going to have to come to an end," Mike said. "I wish we would have been involved with track since freshman year. With this being his senior year, this is the year we want him to remember. This has been and will be a special year."

Brandon seems to have no regrets. After graduation he intends to spend the summer hanging out with friends before attending classes at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau. He is in a high school class that is building a house and it has piqued his interest. He wants to be a home builder someday, but for now he is happy just rolling with the crowd.

"I would like to thank Mr. Hammer and Coach Meixner for their help," Brandon said.

By Nate Frandsen
http://www.wiscnews.com/pdr/news/index.php?ntid=82611&ntpid=0