Janet Stone received some great news last week.

The longtime Barrington resident was visited by former senator David Bates, who had a special present for Ms. Stone: A license plate.

The gift was not just any license plate. It was, in fact, one of only 12 license plates in the entire state that displays the five Olympic rings and the words "Olympic Medal Winner" across the bottom.

"This is beautiful," said Ms. Stone, staring at the plate.

"Thank you so much," she said to Mr. Bates.

It was the former senator's final legislative act in 2014 that set the wheels turning on the new Olympic medal winners license plates. He said he had considered the idea for some time, but ran into a couple of roadblocks. First, other legislators misunderstood what he wanted, thinking that the Olympic plate would be available to everyone. They thought, he said, that there would not be enough interest in it.

Mr. Bates straightened out that confusion, but then caught a little flak about something else.

"The leadership thought it was for Michelle Kwan," said Mr. Bates. "I told them it was Janet."

In fact, there are six people who will receive the new Olympic license plates: Ms. Stone (track and field), Ms. Kwan (figure skating), Marissa Castelli (ice dancing), Sara DeCosta Hayes (women's ice hockey), Elizabeth Biesel (swimming) and Lynne Jewell (sailing).

Mr. Bates said he is not sure if there are other Olympic medal winners residing in Rhode Island currently, but added that if there are, they should email him (dbates@fullchannel.net) to receive their plates.

Ms. Stone — who ran the third leg in a world record-setting, gold medal-winning 4x100 meter Olympic relay race in 1952 in Helsinki, Finland — will receive the number 1 plate.

"That's unbelievable," she said upon hearing that news. "I'm so excited."

Mr. Bates reminded her that her actual plates — the one he showed her recently was a sample — will not arrive for another week or so.

The current resident Atria Bay Spring Village said she was not sure whether she would actually put the plates on her car. She said she was nervous that someone might take them.

Mr. Bates said he was happy that he could cap his 22 years of work as a senator with a fun piece of legislation. (The bill was sponsored by Bristol's Ken Marshall in the House.) He added that he believed Rhode Island was the only state to offer an Olympic medal winner license plate.

"People make this (Olympic pursuit) their lives," he said. "It's only fair that they are recognized."

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There are only six Olympic Medal Winner license plates in Rhode Island. Here's who has a special plate:

• Janet Stone (track and field)

• Michelle Kwan (figure skating)

• Marissa Castelli (ice dancing)

• Sara DeCosta Hayes (women's ice hockey)

• Elizabeth Biesel (swimming)

• Lynne Jewell (sailing)

Former senator Dave Bates said he is not sure if there are other Olympic medal winners residing in Rhode Island currently, but added that if there are, they should email him (dbates@fullchannel.net) to receive their plates.