Ted is without question on of the most courageous and determined student-athletes to ever attend Coventry High School. When he was four years old, his leg was crushed by a train. As a result, he was left with one leg. This event did not dampen Ted’s outlook on life. He felt that he could do anything to which he put his mind. While growing up on a farm, Ted would jump barbwire fences to escape the bull that would chase him and his brother Tony. Ted enjoyed many sports as a youngster. He became a very good swimmer and swam the entire lake of North Reservoir. He also wanted to play football. As a sophomore at Coventry High School, he tried out for the team. Coach Art Parde feared that Ted might get hurt or worse injure a fellow player after he knocked a teammate out of practice. Ted enjoyed football because it was a contact sport. It helped him to get rid of the anger that he had built up inside. As a junior one of Ted’s classmates saw him jumping over several high fences and encouraged him to go out for the track team. The first time that Ted high jumped at a track meet, he cleared 5’4” which tied the school record. He continued to improve over the course of his junior and senior campaigns. As a senior, Ted cleared 5’7” which put him in a tie for first place at the Tri-County Meet. That jump stood as a school record at Coventry High School for over 20 years. In 1956, Ted was featured in a national magazine. The article was called “High Heart of a High Jumper.” Ted met his wife Grace at Coventry High School while they were in 8th grade. They have been married for 52 years and have five children; Ted, Tim, Tami, Tom and Tony and six grandchildren.