‘Swim Team’ for autistic kids makes splash in documentary
METUCHEN, N.J. » Every dive into the pool is a victory for Michael McQuay.
Each breaststroke. Each backstroke. Each freestyle relay.
They all boldly defy the grim prognosis that doctors delivered to McQuay’s parents nearly 15 years ago. Autism would prevent McQuay from ever walking, they said. He would never talk or be able to perform the most basic of tasks.
“And now,” said Michael’s mother, Maria, “look at him.”
Michael, who turns 21 in July, has won so many medals while swimming competitively over the last several years that he has lost count. He has stood on podiums at local and state Special Olympics competitions and collected enough golds, silvers and bronzes to make even Michael Phelps envious.
“Our kids matter, man,” said Michael’s father, Mike, a 53-year-old bundle of energy who owns a construction company and also coaches the Jersey Hammerheads — a competitive swim team he started with his wife in 2013 and is made up of teenagers on the autism spectrum in Middlesex County, New Jersey. The squad of about 13 youngsters practices twice a week at the local YMCA.
“I mean, they have a gift,” McQuay added. “Give them an opportunity, you believe any kid can do something. I think that’s my message, that they need an opportunity. You have to believe in your child.”
Michael and his Jersey Hammerheads teammates are the subject of an inspiring documentary called “Swim Team,” directed by Short Hills-based Lara Stolman.
The film chronicles the daily struggles and triumphs that families such as the McQuays have experienced while seeking a sense of inclusion despite differences, the athletes finding companionship with Olympic-sized pools serving as the backdrop.
“I think the film is about not giving up on people with autism and developmental disabilities and being open-minded about people who are different,” Stolman said. “I hope this film opens people’s eyes in that way because everyone deserves a chance. Every child deserves a chance to be on a team and to be included.”
The independently produced “Swim Team” has won several awards around the country and is a favorite among film festival audiences. It will be released in U.S. movie theaters next month via Argot Pictures, with its New York debut coming on July 7 and its Los Angeles opening two weeks later.