Celebrating one of our own: Advantage Client Services Specialist Terry Speer, Olympic mom

A look at Joe Ryan's journey to Japan and back through the eyes of his biggest fan

When your 25-year-old son and only child makes it to the Olympics but a pandemic prevents you from being able to go to Japan to watch, what do you do?

Advantage Client Services Specialist Terry Speer went camping with 10 close friends at California's Hendy Woods State Park, where she would closely follow his Olympic journey from more than 5,000 miles away.

"It was great. It was surreal," she said. "Everybody there has known Joseph since he was an infant. And you know, I hate to say it, but I just think we all knew that there was something about Joseph that just makes him special."

At 3am from inside their tent, Terry and boyfriend Frank watched the final game on her phone while the others slept as baseball's Team USA finished the series with a silver medal. The whole group watched the previous, more conveniently scheduled game together (when USA beat Korea, ensuring a gold or silver medal), and they made so much noise celebrating they got in trouble.

There were 11 of us cheering and having a grand time, and we were really happy. We got yelled at, of course, for being too loud in the campground at 11 o'clock at night," Terry said.

Joe called her on FaceTime right after Japan clinched the gold, 2-0. He opened their first game and pitched some of the second but was not called to the mound for the final game. "He was showing his disappointment, but I think he got over it pretty quick."

He played a key role helping the team qualify for the Olympics, prompting some speculation he would soon make a major league debut. While in Japan and before their first game, Joe learned he had been traded from the Tampa Bay Rays AAA team in Durham, N.C., to the Minnesota Twins as part of a 4-player deal for Nelson Cruz.

Winning silver was significant since the U.S. players were all from minor league teams, competing against Japan's best. "In my eyes they still won even though they didn't bring home the gold. I think it's just amazing," she said.

More than that, Terry said she's especially proud of the person he has become. "He's a nice person. He really is."

Growing up, Joe excelled at all sports, but especially swimming and water polo in addition to baseball. His father was an extreme athlete, Terry was the disciplinarian, she said. "But I was also more the goofy, dancing, let's-have-a-good-time one."

Along the way, she has been his biggest fan on a journey that has included endless hours cheering from the bleachers, selling concessions, taking hikes together, pampering him with foot massages, traveling around the country to watch his every baseball game or water polo match, building the special bond between a mother and her only child.  "I encouraged Joseph to be true to himself. In my eyes he is a shining star."

He called her a couple of times from Japan via FaceTime, introducing Terry to his roommate, and showing her around the cafeteria. The food was good he said, except all the sushi was cooked. He told her he was disappointed they didn't get to see much because of the pandemic, but they were grateful for what they did get to see going back and forth to the stadium for practice.

One of the things that he thought was really cool is that they told him not to pack any clothes except, you know, just his essentials. And when he got to the room, all his clothes were laid out ...

"Everything, his hat, his shoes, the socks, the loungewear, shorts, tank tops, everything was supplied," she said. "And he walked into the room and everything was hung up and neatly put away."

And the team, their coach, the camaraderie "have been incredible, just amazing" she said he told her, and the overall experience was wonderful despite the added stress of COVID tests, pandemic-related restrictions, and some unusual cardboard beds.

"They were busy a lot. Oftentimes he just said, 'Mom, I'm sorry I haven't called, sorry I haven't texted. We are just getting up and going all day long.' " He signed a lot of autographs for local fans, and learned a little bit of Japanese.

Now that the Olympics are over, Terry is collecting lots of emails and links to photos, videos, and stories from friends, among them a video of Joe meeting basketball star Kevin Durant on opening night and another of Joe encouraging his Olympics and Durham Bulls teammate Shane Baz to join him in recognizing their fans back home with a special Bulls hand sign.

She shared an exuberant photo Joe sent her from the opening ceremony, his arms open wide and tongue out.

That is so Joe. That's him. He's always been super gregarious and outgoing, but not in a way that's offensive or obnoxious. He's just, 'Here I am!' Yeah, I love that picture. I think that's one I definitely have to have printed and framed."

After all the excitement, Joe was returning home to Durham to begin packing up for his trade to Minneapolis and a promising future in Major League Baseball. "That's a big feat and I hope he realizes that. I think sometimes, you know, we don't really stop and enjoy the moment. And I hope he does. And that's something I've always tried to instill in him, that these moments are so precious."

Last week, Terry was planning to host a Zoom party for Joe and his friends, and she was looking forward to flying out to see him – after he and his girlfriend Clare have time to settle into their new city. "I'm not worried about him or anything like that. I know he loves his mom a whole bunch. But you know, the girlfriend, I'm sure she's like, 'OK, Mom, can we have some time alone?"

UPDATE: Terry ended up flying over the weekend to Minneapolis, where she met up with Joe and Clare at Target Field and got to watch as he was introduced to the Twins fans there. "Lots of fun," she said.