An Invincible Spirit: The True Story of a Boy's Fight to Leave His Demons Behind, and His Journey To Find Justice Paperback – December 29, 2025

This story is true. It began a long time ago. In 1969, before I turned 9, I joined the Huntington, L.I., N.Y., YMCA. I was a swimmer, they had an impressive swimming program, and I wanted to be a part of it. That was the worst decision my family and I have ever made; it has haunted me for my entire life.In the 1960s and 1970s, the Huntington YMCA was infested by an organized pedophile ring led by their own Aquatics director and head swimming coach, William Nolan. Nolan was accompanied by two lower-level Huntington YMCA employees who were equally dangerous pedophiles. There were many victims.These monsters were eventually discovered, but rather than face justice, the Huntington YMCA never called the law, and these men were allowed to flee in the night. These dangerous men have never faced any consequences for their actions that hurt so many young boys. Nolan fled to the Metairie, LA, YMCA, where he continued his illegal sexual exploits against a brand new group of innocent young boys. Shame on the Huntington YMCA.At the tender age of 12, my childhood was over, and I had to figure out what my future held and what path to take. Though my start in life was rough and I suffered mightily after this tumultuous period, I was eventually able to bury my demons deep within the recesses of my mind and continue on my life’s journey, and what an interesting adventure it’s been.In my efforts to outrun my turbulent past, I kept moving forward, constantly reaching for bigger and better challenges. I’ve been very fortunate to serve as a teacher and a coach on Long Island, a flight attendant for American Airlines, a NYC firefighter stationed in a busy Harlem firehouse, a US Navy pilot flying the world over, a US Navy SCUBA diver, and an airline captain for American Airlines. Along the way, I met the love of my life, Belinda, and together we raised three wonderful children. We’ve been married for almost 40 years now.In 2018 or so, I stumbled upon a Facebook post inquiring about swimming for the Huntington YMCA in the early 1970s. My heart skipped a beat, my demons were once again unleashed, and I was a wreck for several days. I eventually responded, which led to a conversation with the poster. His name is Adam. I soon learned that Adam was also a victim of the Huntington YMCA as a young boy. That led to a quest for truth and justice. We decided to take action to hold the Huntington YMCA accountable. Please read on to see how we seek and obtain justice, redemption, and finally peace after nearly 50 years had passed. Read more