Lovitt, Durham Win Medals at Braille Olympics

Vickie Lovitt, 17, of Mission Hills barely able to swim as far as 25 yards last year, won a gold and silver medal Saturday in the Braille Institute Swinmming Olympics.

Northridge’s Rusty Durham, 18, won gold medals in the intermediate freestyle relay and the intermediate water-treading.

Leamon Stansell, 22, of Los Angeles collected six golds and one silver and was voted best sportsman.

Stansell won the individual medley, the 25- and 50-yard sidestroke, the 50-yard elementary backstroke, the 25-yard crawl and was part of the winning freestyle relay team. His silver came in the 75-yard medley relay.

Lovitt was given a most improved swimming award for her gold in the freestyle beginners relay and a silver in the 25-yard beginners freestyle.

More than 30 participated in the 12th Olympics, which included 16 events for beginners, intermediate and advanced swimmers at the institute’s youth center in Universal City.