STERLING, Va. —
Sam Richard navigates his entire life like it’s a puzzle.
While working as a guidance counselor at the Claude Moore Recreation Center in Sterling, he is constantly finding solutions to daily tasks; his favorite is assisting those on the center’s rock climbing wall.
“If you like this, you might like the Rubik’s Cube,” Sam Richard tells those who are attempting to navigate the wall.
Most conversations come back to the Rubik’s Cube for Sam Richard, who can solve the 3x3 device in just seconds. He first picked one up nearly two decades ago after a friend got him hooked. Sam Richard now has a collection of more than 500 cubes at his Leesburg home and a loyal following in the Rubik’s fan community.
Sam Richard was born without the corpus callosum, a structure that connects the brain’s two hemispheres. Since he grew up learning differently than other children, Sam Richard was often bullied in school.
“There were a lot of times he’d invite friends over [and] they wouldn’t show up,” Mark Richard, Sam’s father, said. “So there was a lot of heartache growing up.”
Still, Sam Richard found a way to find solutions to his torment through puzzles.
“I should not be able to solve a Rubik’s Cube,” Sam Richard said. “I should not be able to work [at Claude Moore], and I should not be able to drive.”
But Sam Richard does all those things and much more. He’s currently an official Rubik’s ambassador traveling to competitions and events across the country. He also frequently speaks to school groups about his experience with the Rubik’s Cube.
“Had I not had a disability, would I have become a Rubik’s Cuber?” Sam Richard recently asked a group he was presenting for. “Most likely not."
This story is part of WUSA9’s ongoing series “The Heart of It”, which highlights inspiring and emotional stories from the DMV and beyond. If you have a story suggestion for Sean Martinelli, you can email TheHeartOfIt@wusa9.com.