Jamie Smith is a raindrop ahead of a downpour, a 24-year-old man with autism in a country that, within a decade, will be home to more than 1.5 million adults living with this nebulous disorder. The Chicago Tribune chronicled Jamie’s life for 9 months, following him across the country and around the world as he prepared to compete as a powerlifter in the Special Olympics World Games in China. His journey is both hopeful and heartbreaking, a cautionary tale of the potential and the limitations of an exploding population of individuals whose needs are rarely met.
See the archived story and contest questionnaire about the story.