Jerry Windle and Jordan Windle, 2000 | Jordan Windle and Jerry Windle, 2018 | Source: Instagram.com/jordanpiseywindle
Jerry Windle simply wanted to raise a child, even though he was a single gay man. When he adopted Jordan in Cambodia, he had no idea that his son would become a global inspiration.
About two decades ago, Jerry Windle was a single man in his mid-30s whose life had been going through turmoil. His mother had passed away, so he decided to make a career change and move to Florida from California.
He had wanted to become a father for many years. He had been trying to adopt a child, but the opportunities to adopt, especially as a single, gay man, were very few. He casually browsed through a magazine article while waiting at the doctor’s office in Florida, changing his life forever.
Despite the difficulties he had experienced trying to adopt, the magazine article describing another single gay man’s Cambodia adoption story reignited lost hope.
Jerry’s Journey to Fatherhood
Jerry quickly contacted a Cambodian orphanage, and an agency sent through a picture of a little boy named Pisey, which meant “little darling” in Cambodian. The hopeful man knew that little child would be his son.
He sent back a photo of himself and a necklace asking for them to be forwarded to the child. Jerry requested that the agency explain to the boy that he is his father and would come through to take him home.
Months later, the single man arrived in the country to begin his journey to fatherhood. He met baby Pisey and called him Jordan, and they fell in love immediately. Jordan was a sickly two-year-old who weighed only 16 pounds.
Jerry wasn’t even sure how long the baby would survive. “I promised him that I would do everything that I could, that he wouldn’t ever have to suffer again. I would make every sacrifice I could as a parent to get him every opportunity,” said Jerry.
Five months after Jerry started his adoption process, in June 2000, he was finally able to bring his son back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Little did he know that he’d taken in a future athlete.
Jordan’s Incredible Diving Skills
When Jordan turned seven, he developed a love for diving. While at an aquatics summer camp, the little boy was allowed to jump off a diving board, and the next time his father left him there, the man who ran the event told Jerry he had to get his son into the sport.
The camp orchestrator envisioned that Jordan could become a national champion and maybe even an Olympian. Jerry allowed his son to follow this new passion and signed...
