Special Olympics comes to Logan
Athletes and volunteers learned more about friendship, self-worth and courage at the event on Saturday.
All participants, including athletes, coaches and volunteers, took in a full day of events and friendly competition during the semi-annual Special Olympics Invitational.
Utah State University hosted the invitational which was held all day Saturday in the Fieldhouse and the HPER Building.
The event was organized under the direction of Sarah Dallof, Special Olympics Invitational director for the Val R. Christensen Service Center.
Dallof said, more than 350 athletes and coaches from all around Northern Utah participated in the invitational on Saturday along with more than 200 volunteers.
“I was really happy with the turnout of athletes and volunteers,” Dallof said. “It was almost overwhelming.”
Dallof said the invitational is organized each year to provide Special Olympics athletes a place to compare their skills and abilities with other athletes.
“We do it [to] help the athletes improve their own skills and make new friends,” she said.
Christopher Phillips, a graduate student in instructional technology, has been involved in Special Olympics in one way or another since it was reorganized at USU.
As a sophomore at Preston High School, Phillips helped his two brothers, who each have Down syndrome, to get involved in Special Olympics in Logan.
Phillips also helped in the organization of the Special Olympics team at USU which now includes between 50 and 60 athletes.
During his involvement in Special Olympics, Phillips said he has learned a lot about self-worth and determination.
“I have learned a lot of important life lessons from the athletes. They are incredible examples of determination and are people who have overcome tremendous challenges,” Phillips said. “Sometimes I think the athletes understand life better than we do.”
Phillips said he thinks the Special Olympics organization is a great way for the athletes with disabilities to forget about their problems and find the skills they have.
“Special Olympics helps athletes to focus on abilities rather than disabilities,” he said. “I love the friendships I have made with the athletes. That is where I’ve found some of my best friends.”
Phillips brother, Patrick, participated in the invitational held on Saturday. He won three medals in swimming this year and has won many medals in past competitions.
“My favorite part [about Special Olympics] are my friends and coaches,” Patrick said.
Troy Andersen has participated in Special Olympics for the past 18 years and competed in basketball on Saturday.
“Special Olympics gives me self-respect. I just love being able to participate,” Andersen said. “I also like all of the volunteers, and we always need more of them.”
Saturday, his team won one of their basketball games.
He said he doesn’t mind winning or losing because he has won too many gold medals to remember. Andersen has also competed in biking, track, soccer and volleyball.
Dallof said Special Olympics rarely focuses on whether an athlete wins or loses.
“The focus of the competitions is on doing better each time,” Dallof said. “All athletes can learn by looking at how others handle winning and losing so they can improve on their own skills and make friends.”
Another great benefit of the invitational is the opportunity for other people to volunteer their time to help these athletes improve their abilities, Dallof said.
“A lot of times people donate money or a little bit of time to an organization and never see the effects of what they have done. During the invitational, volunteers see those effects immediately,” she said. “[The invitational] is one of the most positive experiences many of these people will ever have in a volunteer situation.”
Dallof said the volunteer force this year was much bigger compared to other times she has participated.
Volunteers were provided by different organizations including fraternities and sororities like Sigma Nu, Psi Sigma Phi and Kappa Delta, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Aggie Leadership Academy and Latter-day Saint Student Association, she said.
Kristin Dahlquist, a student in social work and LDSSA Special Olympics chair, has been involved in Special Olympics for three years.
This year she helped to recruit volunteers through LDSSA to help publicize the invitational, work with the athletes between competitions and serve food throughout the day.
Dahlquist said she loves what Special Olympics stands for as an organization and the great examples the athletes are for others.
“If the world could play the game of life like these athletes play their games, the world would be a much better place. When the athletes fall, they just get right back up again and finish the race,” she said.
Above all, Dahlquist said her favorite part about Special Olympics is the oath – Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.
“Everyone should live their life like that,” she said.
The athletes, volunteers, coaches and anyone else who chose to attend, finished the day with a concert in the Kent Concert Hall.
The concert featured Jon Schmidt and Peter Breinholt and was opened by Eclipse. All proceeds went to help the Special Olympics in the future.
“It was the perfect way to end a full day of events for the Special Olympics,” Dahlquist said.