David Latu, an employee at Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, is gearing up for the Special Olympics Florida Swimming Competition.
Latu has competed in the Special Olympics for 22 years. He recently won three medals in swimming at the Florida Regional Special Olympics. He won Gold for the 40-meter Breast Stroke, Gold for the 4x50 Meter Freestyle Relay, and Silver for the 50-meter Freestyle.
"I've had autism ever since I was born," Latu said. "My autism is OCD and that could be very, very severe."
Latu has worked at Goodwill's E-commerce department for 19 years. He posts high-end items people donate on Goodwill's auction website.
"He has a good confidence about him and I think that confidence is really contagious," said Latu's manager Leslie Stepper.
She said Latu's attention to detail is like a superpower for this job.
"He catches a lot of things that maybe might have slipped through if we hadn't seen it," she said.
Stepper also said his smile wasn't just for our cameras.
"He's generally a happy guy and it's great to work with somebody who's happy all the time, you know?" she said.
In the end, it's not about breaking records or winning medals. To Latu, it's about seeing your hard work all the way to the finish line.
"I feel like I'm a champion. I feel like I'm on top of the world," he said.
The State Swimming Competition is on Saturday, Sept. 28 in Sebastian, Florida.