Revealing the Champion

I recently competed in aquatics at the 2013 Special Olympics Virginia (SOVA) Summer Games in Richmond. This year’s Summer Games were different from previous, as heavy rainfall cancelled all the outdoor sports on both Friday and Saturday. While rain left most of the athletes with little to do, the athletes in Aquatics and Bowling were able to compete.

My delegation, Area 23 (Greater Prince William Area), had ten athletes and three coaches. While small, we brought home 19 medals out of the 30 events we competed in two days. We also had other members of our delegation come and cheer us on. It was a new experience for us.

Let’s Go Greater Prince William Area

My individual events were the 25 meter Breaststroke, 50 meter Freestyle and Breaststroke. Coming into Summer Games, I had my mind focused on going all out to try and earn the opportunity to compete at the 2014 Special Olympics USA National Games. I knew that I needed to earn gold to have a shot. My first event final was the 25m Breaststroke. When the start signal went off, I swam as fast as I could and finished in first place with a time of 22.41 seconds. I was pretty excited that I won the first gold medal for my delegation.

Jerry winning the gold medal in 25m Breaststroke

Day two of the aquatics competition was energy packed day with the remaining event finals. My two event finals were the 50 meter Freestyle and Breaststroke. My 50 meter Freestyle event final was my first event of the day. I was nervous going into this final since I only swam twice in previous meets. When the start signal went off, I swam as fast I could and finished with the silver medal with a time of 46.52 seconds. I was happy with that result.

My 50 meter Breaststroke final was almost two hours after my 50 meter Freestyle final. When it was time for me to get into the water, I knew I was ready to go for the gold. When the start signal went off, I went into my zone of swimming fast and keeping my focus ahead. When I touched the wall, I looked straight at the scoreboard for my time. I won the gold medal with a time of 50.24 seconds. I was excited that I repeated for the third time in a row as the fastest 50 meter Breaststroke swimmer in Special Olympics Virginia.

After the aquatics competition was over, my team went back to the dorms. We were all proud of ourselves for what we accomplished over those two days of competition. I was proud of myself because I knew I had a chance of being selected for Team Virginia.

The Closing Ceremony was great and reminded me that I came to Summer Games on a mission and succeed in that mission. When Sunday came, it was kind of sad to be leaving Richmond after a great weekend of competition.

Every athlete from all five sports was happy that they got the opportunity to come down to Richmond. Regardless of competing or not competing, the smiles on the athletes’ faces are what are important of being a champion. In the end, there is a champion in us all and we revealed it in many different ways.

From the 2013 Special Olympics Virginia Summer Games

Farewell to the GYAS

The day is finally upon us – we have to bid farewell to all of our amazing youth leaders and chaperones and officially close the 2013 Special Olympics Global Youth Activation Summit.

The past 10 days have been energetic, thought provoking, inspiring and amazing. These passionate youth leaders from around the world are primed to make positive change in their communities and are ready to promote acceptance, respect and dignity for all people.

As we close out the 2013 GYAS, I wanted to leave you with a few words from Sashi Montaña and Brina Maxino of the Philippines. These dynamic and effervescent young women were elected by their peers to serve as the co-chairs for the 2013 – 2015 GYAS. In this role, they’ll help guide their fellow youth leaders in activating Special Olympics around the world and help to plan for the 2015 GYAS in Los Angles, California.

“My name is Sashi Montaña, youth partner for the Global Youth Activation Summit (GYAS), and I am writing this together with Brina Maxino, Special Olympics athlete, and we are from the Philippines.

We are thrilled and very honored to be elected as the co-chairs for the next GYAS in Los Angeles, World Summer Games 2015! We are beyond grateful for this opportunity to be part of this wonderful movement. We will continue to strive to do our best always.

During the GYAS, we have learned many valuable and practical things and we have made awesome new friends from different delegations around the world who share the same mission and vision. We have created such beautiful memories together that we will never forget! It would be an understatement to say that it has been such an AMAZING summit!
We have definitely caught on the fire of Special Olympics and we want to pass it on to others as it was passed on to us. We want to lead and activate other youth like us to be agents of change.

Brina and I may not be as experienced and skilled as others may be because of their long involvement with Special Olympics, but we learned that what matters most is our hearts. We have the hearts to change the world. We believe that a difference can be made in this world if we have the love and the courage to help, be selfless, and do all that we can do. We will achieve our responsibilities with positive, motivated and changed hearts.

Many believe in us, we believe in ourselves and we believe in each other.”

Their spirit, passion and dedication is a true representation of the power and determination of our GYAS youth leaders.

Good luck to all as you head home to change the world!

Unified Sports at World Games

Yesterday, five youth leaders from the Global Youth Activation Summit had the opportunity to participate in the Floor Hockey Unified Sports Experience. The event was a great chance for our youth leaders to show off their sports skills and have fun with some amazing Special Olympics supporters!! Unified Sports Experience events pair Special Olympics athletes with partners, celebrities and supporters in an exhibition match that helps promote the importance of Unified Sports within Special Olympics.

Abraham Moreno and Daniel Giordani of Special Olympics Southern California were two of the lucky young people selected to play in the game. 

“My experience playing in the Unified Sports Floor Hockey Game was incredible. I am glad to be selected to play in that game at the world’s grand stage at the World Winter Games. I totally love to play floor hockey, I love it very much and I wish I could play it every single day. I was glad to play floor hockey again for the first time in two months. It was a great feeling playing it again.

The officials gave us uniforms to wear and there were four teams. I was on the blue team. We played two games. I scored two goals in the first game. We had a big lead in the first half of the game, then the other team caught up to tie the score 6-6. In the last minute, my team was able to break the tie and win the game. In the second game, it was for the championship, winner against winter. There were celebrities that played and they were pretty tall. We won the game by five and got first place.

I was glad that I was able to play in this game and I had a great time.”

- Abraham Moreno, athlete

Abraham Moreno faces off against former NBA star Sam Perkins in the Floor Hockey Unified Sports Experience

“My Unified Sports Experience was a very enjoyable one. I played floor hockey. Although we lost both games, I bonded with all of my teammates and we had a blast! I didn’t realize how much fun floor hockey could be. It was such an amazing experience meeting so many people of different races, genders and abilities. While participants in Unified Sports, all of our difference seemed to be non-existent and we were just out there having a good time and enjoying each other’s company.

Unified Sports really bring out the true meaning of Special Olympics: love, acceptance and tolerance.

It was amazing.”

- Daniel Giordani, partner

A Call to Action – Ready to Share YOUR Story?

In history classes, students learn about the lives of our Founding Fathers such as Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and even Benjamin Franklin.  Students discover the important contributions these leaders sacrificed in leading the Citizens of the United States of America, through times of happiness and sadness.  Each one of them had a unique personal message and perspective of this world.  Now I ask, “What is your story?”

When Eunice Kennedy Shriver saw the injustices, the exclusion and the inequities facing persons with disabilities, she founded a Camp to capitalize on the idea of “yes we can!” through engaging in sports.  For nearly 45 years, Special Olympics has grown from a vision to a reality, empowering more than 4 million Special Olympics athletes from over 170 countries.  Many initiatives such as Healthy Athletes, Spread the Word to End the Word, and Project UNIFY have strengthened our message of inclusion, acceptance and dignity for all people.

The United Nations Post-2015 Civil Society is part of a group of consultants from throughout the world, inquiring for our experiences as youth in today’s world.  The topic is on Young People and Inequalities and the last day for submissions is January 18, 2013.

Now is it YOUR Turn, to share YOUR Story!

We encourage you to:

1. Create an account which can be completed quickly.
2. Contribute to the online discussion about the inequalities facing Young People:
   1. Do we believe that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as people without disabilities?
   2. Do we co-create inclusive school environments that are supportive, respectful and equitable?
   3. Do we value that people of all abilities are assets that can contribute their unique gifts and talents to the community?
3. Follow @inequality2015 on Twitter; Tweet including the Hashtag, #inequalities2015
4. Activate your friends, family and the community to contribute too!

You may be thinking, where should I begin?  You can use the following paragraph to start your post, and then share your personal experiences from Special Olympics.

I am an advocate and believer in the Special Olympics Movement that provides opportunity and growth for persons with intellectual disabilities.  Through awareness and education, youth are co-creating equitable and inclusive schools, celebrating the talents and gifts of all people.  Through Unified Sports and Inclusive Youth Leadership, we continue to crush the barriers of exclusion and build communities of respect and inclusion.  We are thankful for the progress that has been made in making this world a more just place for all people.   We declare that more needs to break free from chains of hatred and initiate community bonds of acceptance and love. 

Thank YOU for your leadership and courage in taking action on our Dignity Revolution for all People!

We are United,

We are Committed,

And we ARE Agents of Change!

—

About the Author: Clement Coulston is a National Youth Activation Committee Member who is co-chairing a committee that is developing an Inclusive Youth Leadership Guide for high school students, and State YACs to engage, support and encourage this type of leadership.

Inspired to Lead

Today’s guest blog post comes from Special Olympics Delaware youth leader Lauren Conley, who is currently a student at the University of Delaware. 

I can remember being six-years-old, standing on Rehoboth Beach along with thousands of other Special Olympic supporters, bundled up in my snow gear holding my dad’s towel as he proceeded to plunge into the icy Atlantic Ocean. Twenty years ago, my dad, was dared by a patient of his to embrace the cold for an outstanding organization and take part in the Delaware Polar Bear Plunge. Since then, Special Olympics Delaware as changed the life of my family through miraculous experiences we continue to witness today.

For the past 18 years, Special Olympics has been much more to me than just a chance to get some community service hours. Special Olympics has served as my second family and the place where I learned the true essence of perseverance, respect, inclusion, and acceptance. Through my involvement as a Unified Partner, swim coach, and camp counselor, the dedication and drive each athlete displays reminds me every day that we are capable of all things, some deem impossible. Those who wander outside the atmosphere and community of Special Olympics will never know the life changing experiences this organization provides to those with and without intellectual disabilities.

Through my experiences, I have longed to attract more people my age to come and discover the greatness of Special Olympics. For so many years, Special Olympics was something I did with my family; however, as I started developing a better understanding for Special Olympics, I found that I wanted my friends and peers to experience the fantastically overwhelming environment I had been exposed to my entire life.

That is why I started my high school’s Project UNIFY club two years ago. Our club is devoted to volunteering at Special Olympics sporting events, promoting awareness about Special Olympics and having students take the lead through Project UNIFY. In high school, I began to understand what Special Olympics really meant to me when I witnessed the bullying of a fellow athlete and classmate. Through Project UNIFY, I was inspired to lead others to help change people’s attitudes towards those who are different. From that moment on I can truly say that without Special Olympics I would not be the person I am today.

Special Olympics athletes have ignited the passion within me to make sure those with intellectual and physical disabilities receive respect, dignity, and loyalty from their peers. These athletes are capable of so much more than the stereotypes the world outside of Special Olympics portrays. They are individuals with caring souls, minds of determination, and the desire to be treated like the rest of us. They have given me the greatest gift I could ever ask for — inspiring me to have a voice and to see the strengths that lie within myself to be the best person I can be.

In return, I will do all I can to help keep this organization alive and well here in Delaware or wherever my path may take me. The athletes of Special Olympics deserve a chance to show the world all that they are capable of, as well as a chance to make friends, experience happiness, and most of all, succeed in all that they do.

The Blessing of Friendship

For Special Olympics athlete and National Youth Activation Committee member Jared Niemeyer, friendship is a blessing that he’ll never take for granted. Read his inspiring blog to see why. 

Friends are people who care about you, respect you, really listen to you, are thoughtful and do nice things because they want to see you smile, but most of all – you are important to them because you matter!  I have some really great friends!

As a Special Olympic athlete I have a lot of friends with intellectual or developmental disabilities.  We love doing things together; we care about what happens to each other, we encourage each other and look out for each other.  We are friends and enjoy doing things together! Special Olympics has given us the opportunity to experience a lot that some of us would never have had the chance to do.  We also play Unified Sports, so many of our teammates are also Unified partners and don’t have disabilities; we are friends and have a lot of fun working and playing together.

Going to a public school that promotes inclusive education also allows you to be friends with all students. We get to know one another well; we work and study together and enjoy being together every day. Sometimes you have to make your own way; be friendly so others learn who you are and what you can do. Usually, I make friends with others easily and am a great friend. One year during a Special Olympic area event the Varsity and Junior Varsity baseball team came to cheer me on!!!! They had made signs because they wanted to help me just like I help them as the baseball manager!! It was awesome to have my friends there cheering me on!

I graduated from high school in 2011 and work in our community.  I even moved into a place of my own with a friend of mine; Max and I graduated from high school together and planned to live independently within 2 years.  Our parents helped us figure out how we could afford living on our own, helped find a duplex in a residential neighborhood, and taught us how to manage every day. The day we moved in one of my friends from school stopped by to welcome us to the neighborhood!  He wanted to make sure we knew how to reach him if we needed anything or just wanted to talk.  He’s a great friend and we have Bible Study regularly – he graduates in May and will be going to West Point next fall. Another friend’s parents live around the corner and I can reach them anytime – his dad is a police officer and we’ve done the Torch Run together! I’ve learned so much about being a good friend because of the experiences and opportunities I’ve had.

Special Olympics isn’t just about amazing people – it’s about being all you can be and doing all you can! Opportunities teach you a lot – I even have an entire YAC (Youth Activation Committee) family because of Special Olympics Project UNIFY.

A lot of my friends don’t have disabilities; I’m so grateful that they look at me and see who I am, not just seeing that I am someone with a disability. I have value to my friends – they care and truly listen. They tell me that I’ve taught them about respect and thoughtfulness.

I’m blessed to have the friends I do!

Inclusion for All: Fact or Fantasy?

The following guest blog comes from Megan Clodi, a special education teacher at Mt. Vernon Township High School in Illinois. Mrs. Clodi is also the Director of Special Olympics programming at her school. 

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and get ready to imagine a scenario. The scene begins with a gymnasium built in the 1930’s filled to the brim with rich high school basketball tradition overflowing with stories of championships won, hall of famers inducted, and decades of sweat and tears from losses and wins. Now listen to the thud on the caramel wooden floor of the cheerleaders landing their tumbling stunts. The drum line thunders their tune and the band strikes up a fight song. Every seat in Changnon Gymnasium is filled with students and teachers. When will the game begin? No Varsity Basketball game will be played right now at 9am on this brisk Friday morning. Instead, this is the scene at the Mt. Vernon Township High School school-wide assembly.

This assembly is unique because it is a RALLY . . . a rally to Spread the Word to End the Word! Mt. Vernon Township High School is a culturally diverse school located in the heart of Southern Illinois and comprised of roughly 1,300 students from 13 feeder schools. The campus sprawls 11 buildings on two full city blocks. Three times a year students come together for assemblies to celebrate student involvement and success in sports and in other extra-curricular activities. This particular assembly is similar but has a unique feature, one of which . . . SILENCE. Never before has the entire student body quieted themselves during an assembly.

A parent stands at the podium and explains how ALL of her children are competitive and participate in a wide array of activities . . . including her daughter, who has an intellectual disability. She shares how her other children feel and react when their friends use the R-word (retarded) in haphazard and derogatory ways. Subsequently, the School Resource Officer describes the Polar Plunge fundraiser to benefit Special Olympics and why he supports the athletes. Two students gather their guitars and play their original acoustic song that won first place in the Mt. Vernon’s Got Talent competition to benefit Special Olympics. Next, the student Editor of the Vernois Yearbook takes the microphone to issue a call to action for his classmates to stop using the r-word. A tall-framed woman with a familiar face steps to the microphone. This face is aired into homes during the sports segment on the local news. During her speech, she details that over her years of experience competing in sports and reporting sporting events, the athletes that have emblazoned a lasting impression on her heart is the MVTHS Special Olympics athletes. Lastly, a Special Olympics athlete bravely stands before his classmates and honestly opens up as he tells everyone that over the years he has been called retarded and routinely been made fun of. His feelings and raw emotion is bared for all to hear the pain he endured. At the end, he implores his classmates and all adults present to use helpful words instead of hurtful words . . . achingly to STOP using the R-word. Never has silence been so loud.

The SILENCE hangs thickly in the air until the basketball theme-music, “Put it on the Line”, plays over the sound-system as the team gathers in the lobby. The excitement builds and every single person jumps to their feet to clap. The starting line-up is announced and the team takes the floor. Which team? The first-ever MVTHS Special Olympics Basketball Team takes the floor and basks in the delight of the standing ovation. The team sets up on the floor and the ball is tossed into the air for the starting tip-off!

Now open your eyes.

Time to decide . . . is this fact or fantasy? How about at your school?

If it can be a reality at Mt. Vernon Township High School, it can be reality at your school, too!

Being a Big Sister

The following guest blog comes from a volunteer with Special Olympics Missouri.

My name is Patricia. I’m a college student, intern, and executive board member of several on-campus organizations. But the thing I am, full time, with no exception is an older sister. I have two younger sisters and both of them are amazing. Hailey is 16 and interested in math and science more than anything on the face of the planet. She has told me that she wants to, one day, be a scientist in the field of stem cell research. My sister Harley is wonderfully creative, an artist, a caretaker, and one of the most loving people I have ever met in my entire life.

Harley has Autism. People have told her horrible things her entire life about herself, which are entirely untrue. I try to let her know that her Autism is something that makes her special, because it lets her look at people differently: with her whole heart. Many of the “faults” we see in people she completely overlooks because she sees them as kind, loving, and gorgeous individuals. Needless to say, having a sister who has affected my life so fully has had an impact on me. It’s made me see how beautiful all individuals are, how special.

When I went to college I started hearing about Special Olympics volunteering. It made me think how I could help, and how I can be a big sister to children who may not have someone to reach out to. Being involved in Special Olympics in Missouri has been such a rewarding experience, because I get to work with children whose happiness and excitement is contagious. I love being able to see all the smiles and getting all the hugs every time I volunteer.

I love being a big sister.

Together We Are Greater

The following guest blog comes from Juan L., a partner at Neuqua Valley High School and a co-chair of the Special Olympics Illinois Youth Activation Committee.

Everyone was cheering, and people surrounded us yelling congratulations, giving us high fives, and big hugs. We felt like we were on top of the world for a moment, it was truly one of the best feelings in the world.

Our names are Juan and Liam and we are two of the co-chairs for Project UNIFY. The cheering and praise was a result of our fantastic first place prize in our schools dance competition, Neuqua Knows It Can Dance. It was our third year doing the dance competition and it has always been a blast with a mix of friends with intellectual disabilities and their peers.

This year we wanted it to be perfect, so we started early practicing and practicing till we coud do the dance in our sleep. Although, we had never won before and didn’t expect to this year (since we exceeded the maximum amount of people in a group allowed) it came to our surprise when they announced the winners of this years dance competition. The moment they said “PEER PARTNER ROCKSTARS” our entire group erupted in cheers and all of our peers were equally ecstatic.

Looking back on that night I could truly appreciate the hard work we all put into it, to show that people with intellectual disabilities are able to accomplish the same things that other people can do. When we were talking about that night, Liam said his favorite part was when everybody cheered for him. In our society many people don’t realize the potential and awesome talent that Special Olympics athletes have and it feels great to finally be recognized.

That entire week we were treated like royalty in the halls and everyone kept telling us how great we looked and how well organized it was. Liam and I felt so proud not only on our victory, but on our school’s support. It is good to know that our school not only has a program for students with intellectual disabilities, but encourages them as well. The last day of that week we were able to perform at the school pep rally in front of four thousand students. I think that was when we really shined, and not just because of our neon costumes.

Our dance not only showed that we had mad dance skills, but that students with intellectual disabilities are capable of amazing things and that together we can be even greater.

Friendship through Golf

The following post comes from Michael H, a High School junior and Unified Partner. Michael and Jason, a Special Olympics athlete, recently competed in the Unified Sports division of the Special Olympics North America Golf Invitational Tournament.

I have had some experience in volunteering in the past.  My mom has always encouraged (okay, pressured) me to do different forms of volunteering, but my experience with the Unified Partners and Special Olympics has been a wholly different experience.

I first joined the program because an email had been forwarded to all fall sports athletes looking for volunteers.  At the time, I was participating in the off-season baseball camps at my high school.  When my mom asked if I was interested in playing golf as a volunteer – I replied yes, because I love golf and I thought it would be a really good experience to help.

I really had no idea what to expect from the program as I had never heard of the program or spoken with anyone who had participated before.  I showed up at the first practice at the golf course certain that I would not know a soul.  While still in the parking lot unloading my clubs, I recognized a kid from my grade named Jason.  I had recognized Jason from my freshman year Health/PE class and he often sat at the same lunch table with me and my friends, but quite honestly, we really did not know each other.  I soon found out that Jason was one of the athletes looking for a partner and we started our partnership on the golf course that day.

We have partnered in multiple tournaments including the National Special Olympics Golf Tournament in Phoenix last month where we won the silver medal in our flight.

In the beginning, had anyone asked why, I would have said I was volunteering to help others.  Over a year later, I can honestly say, the experience with the Unified Partners Special Olympics has ultimately helped me.  The people in the program – from our director, our coach, Jason’s family and all of the athletes and volunteers I have met – have been so incredible.

Through my stories about the experience, I have recently recruited some friends to join me in the program. I have enjoyed the practices, the tournaments and the special events (like our recent Arizona Special Olympics Breakfast of Champions)…but seeing the smile on Jason’s face and knowing he too is enjoying himself is the best part of it all.

When my mom talked about how volunteering was good for the soul, I always assumed it was one of her silly attempts to get me to do something I did not really want to do.  Now I can truly relate to Booker T. Washington’s famous quote: “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else”.