Faces of the West County: Ian Kinmont

Coaching soccer, studying history and caring for people who are going through a rough time make this guy's world go round

I was sitting with a BLT at Sunshine Cafe when Ian rolled up in his wheelchair to my outside table and came to stop. I had seen him around town for a few years, but never had the chance to meet him. And then there he was, sitting across from me, eye to eye. I introduced myself, and he immediately engaged. He was gregarious and eager to speak. Before long I asked if he was interested in telling us his story, and he quickly agreed. Here’s Ian.

Where and when were you born?

August 4th, 1992. In Manhattan, New York. In Tribeca to be exact. I still have my mom’s side of the family there. We go back once or twice a year.

Family?

I have a younger sister. She lives in DC where her boyfriend is about to graduate from nursing school. They’re coming back here in a few weeks. I’m close to her.

I still live with my folks here in Sebastopol.

Are you planning on moving out?

It’s something we’ve talked about. It’s coming in the future. I’m very independent in spite of my disability.

My father is an antique book seller. Mostly food and wine books. My mom works for a company that evaluates educational programs for pre-K to middle-school-age kids.

What do you do, or want to do?

Well, I’m a soccer coach. I like teaching people stuff and watching them improve.

A soccer coach?!? Amazing! Where do you coach?

I coach two different teams. One is at the YMCA in Santa Rosa, and the other is in Berkeley. They’re both wheelchair teams. Everyone is in an electric chair.

Being on any team is big, but I’d imagine that being on a team like that, is enormously important to the players.

Oh yeah. Disabled people are frequently isolated, so the social aspect of being on a team is especially important.

Do they call you coach?

Yes. There’s been two Press Democrat articles about the team. I’m very proud of them.

My other team in Berkeley is through an organization called BORP, or Bay Area Outreach and Recreational Program. I play center on the BORP Shockers. BORP supports all sorts of sports opportunities for people with disabilities: soccer, basketball, goal ball (a hockey-like game for blind people) and now there’s wheelchair rugby. They sponsor hikes too and events for Pride Month.

Fantastic!

I go to a soccer camp in Minnesota almost every summer. It’s the only one in the country. There are volunteer coaches there from Team USA. I’ve become friends with a few of them.

When did you get out here?

We left New York in 2003 and moved out here to Sebastopol. My Dad’s side of the family was here. You want to know why we came here?

Sure.

As I told you, we used to live in Tribeca, close to where the World Trade Center collapsed.

The morning of 9/11 was actually my first day in my new school on Long Island. We were about to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Just as we were about to get going, my teacher said, “Today is September 11th, 2001”, and then the principal came into the room and said that the Twin Towers had been hit. She then rolled in a television set on a cart, and we saw both towers in flames. The first tower in flames went down soon after. Then the other tower, with the huge antenna on top, went down. It looked like a waterfall of smoke, with the antenna suspended in air. Kids started to panic, and our teacher tried to calm us down.

I was nine, and thought it was just a TV show and not actually real.

Then my teacher said she thought my mom was still out in the parking lot, and she actually was. She was just sitting there listening to the radio. She got me, and we headed to a friend’s house in the area, where we spent the night.

We eventually moved into a hotel, The Tribeca Grand, as our place was off limits. We tried moving back to our old home, but with all the construction in the area it just made it too difficult. We ended up moving out here to Sebastopol when we just couldn’t stay there anymore.

We go back to visit all the time.

Do you have a favorite thing to do in NYC?

I just love being in The City. I’m really an urban person. I love visiting the museums. The Museum of Natural History is especially fun.

When someone sees you, they see a curly-haired guy in a wheelchair. It’s hard not letting the chair and your disability define you. What do you think actually defines you?

I’m just a nice guy. Caring. I talk to people, especially those going through hard stuff. I really relate to people. That’s how I see myself.

What exactly is your disability?

I have cerebral palsy. I’m a hemiplegic CP. That just means that the CP only affects one side of my body. With me, it’s the left side.

There’s all sorts of CP, from mild to severe. I see myself somewhere in the middle.

Does it affect anything else?

Not really. I do have less sensation on my left side. But no cognitive impairment.

My favorite teacher in high school was my history teacher, Mr. Schwartz. He had CP. His gait and arm movements were all over the place, and his speech was really difficult to understand, at least at first. His spasticity was profound. I could never understand how he was able to walk without falling over with each step. Turns out that not only was he brilliant, but maybe the funniest adult I had ever met.

Have you ever seen the movie Crip Camp? (About a camp in upstate New York for disabled people.)

Not yet. Many of my friends have.

It’s a remarkable film. I was actually at the camp, Camp Jened, as a volunteer where the film was made back in the early 70s. In some ways, that camp played a big part in launching the whole disability rights movement. You’ve got to see it.

Okay. I’ll put it on my list.

What’s the range of your chair?

Three days. Actually two hours and 45 minutes, which usually lasts me three days.

Have you every fallen out of the chair?

Yes. Once I rolled off a deck in someone’s backyard, but I fell onto grass, and I was okay. I have a little Schnauzer named Snowy, who was on my lap at the time. As I rolled off the deck, Snowy jumped off, not wanting any part of that.

You know, when I first met you, I thought you were Jewish. Then when I heard your name was Kinmont, I figured that you weren’t.

But I am Jewish! My middle name is Hupert. That’s Jewish. It was my mom’s maiden name.

How about that! I guess my Jewdar was working after all.

Do you relate to your Jewish side?

I’d say I’m more Jewish than Christian. My dad is Christian. I’d like to learn Hebrew someday, but I haven’t gotten to that yet.

School?

I started out at Bank Street School in New York City. It’s actually a college with a built-in elementary school. Then I went to a school for disabled kids out on Long Island. That’s where I was for 9/11. …. Then once out here, to Twin Hills and then Orchard View, which is meant for homeschoolers.

I’ve gone to the JC where I focused on art and American History. I was in student government, too.

Interests?

I like American History, and I’d love to become an American History teacher some day.

If you’re serious about that, you'd better get your ass back to school.

Ha ha. I suppose I do. I also love watching and reviewing movies and the same for video games.

Favorite movie?

Here’s my top three: The Incredibles; Avengers: Infinity War; and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri.

Loved that Billboard film. How about video games?

Funny you should ask. I was interviewed in April for a job at Gateway Games in Santa Rosa, and they asked the same thing. I chose two. I grew up with AN64. That’s a game console from the late 90s. My favorite game was Pokemon Stadiums Two. The guy interviewing me laughed when I told him that and admitted it was his favorite one, too. I also liked the Batman Arkham Series.

No Minecraft or Fortnite for you?

I’ve never been into online games.

Well, that’s a good thing. You’re probably saving yourself shitloads of time.

No doubt.

You told me earlier of another thing that you’re involved with. The group that you co-lead at the library.

Oh yeah. I’m not the one in charge, but I organize 50% of the activities. It’s a monthly event, the second Tuesday of every month for people who have autism or are neurodiverse.

Again, wow! So, are you neurodiverse?

I have some aspects of neurodiversity but was never diagnosed. I have some traits that are similar to autism. I actually use it to my advantage.

How’s that?

I have a great memory and can memorize anything I want to. It helps with my interest in U.S. History.

You know, I remember when Tim Walz got the nomination to be Kamala’s running mate, and his family came up to celebrate with him on the stage at the convention. (Maybe if it was a true convention and we had chosen the ticket in actual primaries, we wouldn’t be in this pickle that we are, but never mind that.) His son, Gus, was especially animated, yelling, “That’s my dad!”, and it became clear that he was a bit different. It got a lot of attention, and later, Walz spoke about his son being neurodivergent. I think there has been an increased awareness of neurodiversity and all the variations of human behavior since then. I’ve seen it cited that as much as 15-20% of the general population is neurodivergent.

I’d agree. At the time, I couldn’t understand why all the TV cameras were focusing on Walz’s son and thought it was inappropriate.

If anyone wants to get involved in that monthly event at the library, Alysha at North Bay Regional Center is the contact. Her company is called The Considerate Coach.

Okay. A few standard questions. Favorite Mimi’s flavor?

Of course, the Mud, but I like their Olive Oil as well.

Yuck. That’s the only one I don’t like.

Favorite restaurant?

I go to a lot of the local places, but mostly El Tarasco (7235 Healdsburg Ave.). Love that place. Also, The Redwood (234 S. Main St.). We know the owners there and like supporting them.

El Tarasco has been our family favorite for 25 years now. And The Redwood, serves up some exceptional dishes. Good call.

Ian, I’m so glad we found some time together and that people around town who are wondering about that friendly-looking, curly-haired guy in a wheelchair will now have a better idea about him. Hearing part of your story has been great. Have a good New Year, man.

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