They Met on the Court. They Both Won in Love.

By Tammy La Gorce for the New York Times

Aug. 16, 2019

Eric Wankerl and Paige Marquardt first connected in 2013 during a Special Olympics event in Minnesota.

Eric Wankerl is probably nobody’s idea of a swaggering jock, but when Paige Marquardt caught his eye on a Minnesota basketball court in 2013, he didn’t hesitate to let her know he was curious.

“He asked me 20 questions,” Ms. Marquardt said. “He wanted to know a lot about me, how old I was and all that.”

Given the setting — a Special Olympics tournament — he already knew at least one thing about Ms. Marquardt. Like him, she has a disability. He thought they might have more in common. Maybe she, too, was a Minnesota Twins fan, or maybe she would like to be his friend.

Continue reading here