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It hasn't been easy for Chris Perry to step to the starting line. There have been hurdles, seemingly, all along the road to Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High for the Falcon senior track-athlete.

Racial hurdles, physical hurdles, psychological hurdles, financial hurdles - but also plenty of love, forgiveness aplenty and plenty of coddling hands along the way.

That's why he'd either walk or ride a bicycle better than five miles from the family's homestead on the Rehoboth-Swansea line, to get to practice or to meets on the weekends.

That's why in the blistering heat and humidity of last week, Perry was over at Robert T. Roy Field on the D-R campus completing a workout, to better prepare himself for the football season, for the basketball season, for next spring's track season.

"I'm glad that I'm on the teams, I'm glad that I'm wanted," said Perry, who was adopted into the family of Mike and Patricia Perry when he was little more than two years old, one of six boys in the family along with five sisters - the siblings ranging in age from 25 to three - five of the children being adopted. Perry did not play any sports at D-R as a freshman or sophomore as the family was financially unable to meet the "participation" fee.

Perry was an average student through his first two years as a Falcon, but once athletics and his coaches demanded a full-fledged commitment to discipline and team rules, he found himself as a member of the D-R academic honor roll.

His parents cringed at the thought of him playing football, as a wide receiver on offense, a safety on defense. While basketball might be his first love, he didn't play at all last winter after snapping a knee tendon in three spots attempting to dunk the ball in a pickup game during gym class in October, missing the second half of the football season as well.

Three screws and three months later, Perry was learning how to long jump, how to high jump, how to sprint. He was doing it all wrong too, instead of planting his strong side left knee, he was jumping off of his right knee to mask the impairment.

By season's end, he was long-jumping over 20-feet, high-jumping six feet and running the third leg for D-R's SCC championship 4x100 relay team.

But, more than that, Perry found that he had acquired a new family, new friends and confidence.

"It felt good, it was like I couldn't wait to get to school the next day, I couldn't wait for practice, I couldn't wait for the next meet," said 6-foot-2, 182-pound Perry.

Perry came under the "wing" of former North Attleboro High track great and D-R assistant track coach Jerry Espinosa, the regional manager for the Bally's Health Club.

Perry thought that "an old man" could never "out" high jump him or "out" long jump him, but he did, Espinosa challenged Perry to correctly learn how to jump, to better organize and prepare himself for his classroom work every day, to integrate himself into the Falcon student body.

Espinosa was nearly brought to tears with Perry, also with an artistic talent for sketching and painting, presented him with an etching of a pair of track shoes, "wings" attached with an inspirational phrase. "He hasn't had it easy, but he's an incredibly positive kid," said Espinosa of Perry, who was brought to his attention by D-R head track coaches Dave Moura and Mike Rubin, an incredibly talented athletic specimen who needed some direction, some guidance.

"He takes nothing for granted and appreciates those who are there for him," added Espinosa, who might be prouder of Perry than another other track-athlete under his "wing" through the years.

"Several stories come to mind," continued Espinosa. "One, when he told me and my son (D-R track star Brian Espinosa) that we were part of his family because he knew that he could trust us.

"Two, when he walked away from fighting a kid who was calling him names in the cafeteria because he didn't want to let me down.

"Three when he came to me after the 4x100 relay at the SCC Championship, to let me know that he didn't want to let me down.

"After the Class Meet, he came up to me with tears in his eyes because it was the last meet of the year and he told me how much that he was going to miss his family.

"He has touched my life as much as I have touched his by simply reminding me that we can make all the difference in someone's life by just taking the time to listen and to get to know them - that's why athletics is so great."

Perry grew up as a toddler in the Conimicut section of Warwick, R.I., "with all those brothers and sisters, I had to fight for my food," he chuckled. With the neighborhood kids, Perry was always playing games, even street hockey.

But, his parents fear for his physical well-being postponed Perry from competing in Pop Warner football leagues, for AAU basketball teams, on club track teams. "I'd play pickup games with other kids, but I kept by myself a lot too. A lot of times, I'd just look up in the sky and wonder."

Perry is one of very few minority students at D-R, "but I never had a problem with race," he said. "Some kids do. Like that fight, I hopped in the middle of things, I got really mad. But, I backed up. I learned from my coaches what to do in those situations."

Importantly too Perry learned how to jump off of his wounded, but repaired left knee. "It took me nearly four months to get back to walking normally," he added. "I was barely high jumping five-feet." Under the "wing" of Falcon teammates John Scanlon, Bobby Cuervels and Brian Espinosa, Perry began to learn that technique has more of an impact upon the total performance equation that sheer talent.

"Now I'm pushing myself," said Perry, who wants to make an impact on the field for the Falcon football team, to soar through the sky for the Falcon basketball team, to become a track champion.

In many ways, Perry has already.

"Even my school, I always did all right, I never thought that I'd make the honor roll. It's all because of sports, of track, of having coaches care for me, my teammates look after me - it makes me keep going."

Wherever that road may lead for Perry.

PETER GOBIS can be reached at 508-236-0375 or at pgobis@thesunchronicle.com.