YORK, Pa. — Anything is possible — that’s the mantra of Penn State York police officer Dwayne Smith. Smith will travel to Kona, Hawaii, to compete in the Ironman World Championship on Oct. 12.
This is a dream come true for him, for the second time, as he also participated at the world competition in 2017.
These are incredible accomplishments, but what’s more important at Penn State York is the way Smith has connected with the campus community and shared his positive attitude. He has inspired students, faculty, staff and especially student-athletes to work hard and always focus on the positive.
A chance meeting one night on campus, when the building doors were not locking appropriately on the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center, where the gym is located, led Keith Hartman, women’s volleyball coach, to connect with Smith. Hartman has always followed the Ironman competitions, and when he saw the Ironman logo on Smith’s phone, they made a connection. It was Smith’s positive attitude that prompted Hartman to ask Smith to talk with his volleyball team and provide some motivational words.