Special Olympics swim meet provides fun for all who attend
Surrounded by cheers and applause from teammates and competitors alike, an athlete finishes his lap and stands, chest-deep in water, to take a bow.
Later, an awards ceremony takes place where the first and second place winners are dancing on the podium.
As the competition continues, medals start to appear around the necks of the athletes, some of whom accumulate two or even three awards.
Though not typical of most competitive sports, these kinds of things are what make up the atmosphere of fun and personality at Special Olympics events.
Utah State University hosted an invitational swim meet for the northern Utah region of Special Olympics on Saturday. The meet was well-attended by volunteers, athletes and supporters.
Abe Tanner, this year’s director, said this invitational was one of the best USU has ever seen.
“It’s never gone this smoothly. You can’t beat the support here; the community and the university are amazing,” he said.
Every volunteer agrees that volunteering for Special Olympics is what Tanner called a “life-long love” that one can’t help but get addicted to.
The sense of sportsmanship, encouragement and genuine enjoyment the participants radiate is what sets them apart from other competitive athletes, Tanner said.
Each swimmer was cheered on by everyone watching, regardless of team or ability. The cheers were just as loud for those who finished last as they were for the first. The athletes compete with each other, not against each other.
It’s not just a long-term dedication for the volunteers, said Kevin Nelson, head of delegations for the Aggies.
He said there’s an ongoing effort to recruit more athletes, but “once we have them, they love it so much they stay all year round.”
One such athlete is Camie Carlson, 22, who is currently practicing for the state competition in weightlifting.
She said she has been participating in Special Olympics for four years, and usually competes in cycling in the summer. She said she can bench press 90 pounds, but has an ankle injury, which keeps her out of other competitions for now.
“My goal is to do my best and get my ankle better … and to have fun,” Carlson said.
Though she likes to work hard, Carlson said her favorite thing about Special Olympics is the boys.
Tanner said social interaction is one of the major draws for the athletes, and most competitions are followed by a dance or other social activity.
“They thrive on competition, but they live for the dance,” he said. “They get jiggy with it for a long time.”
Special Olympics competitions are organized to follow the seasons, with different sports for every time of year. This fall, athletes are competing in swimming, power lifting, gymnastics and basketball. Practices are held every Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. and each season includes an invitational meet and ends with a state competition. Saturday’s meet was attended by about 100 athletes, but Tanner said there will probably be 300 to 400 athletes at USU’s fall invitational. State competitions are held at the University of Utah for the fall season.
Abby Bennett, a senior at USU, has participated in several state competitions.
“State games are the most fun things in the world, but I get so worn out. I have to sleep for about three days afterward,” Bennett said.
She is also the volleyball coach for winter and volunteers for various sports throughout the year.
Volunteers, who are mostly USU students, function as coaches, coordinators and sometimes teammates for volleyball or track relays. Tanner said the main purpose of volunteers, however, is to give encouragement and make sure everyone has a good time.
Tanner selects a committee to work closely with him for large activities like Saturday’s meet, and he said the volunteers put in a lot of time. Besides the continual need for people who coach and participate at practices, each event requires supervision of security, use of facilities, food and publicity. Tanner said volunteers are selected by their level of interest and availability, and are carefully screened because they run the show.
“My job is getting volunteers involved with the athletes so both go home better people. You can’t help but be a better person after coming here,” he said.
Practices for the winter season will begin after Thanksgiving. Winter and Spring/Summer events include cross-country and downhill skiing, volleyball, snowshoeing, track and field, cycling and soccer.
Students who want to get involved in Special Olympics can apply at the Val R. Christensen Service Center on the third floor of the Taggart Student Center, or they can e-mail Kevin Nelson at ktnelson@cc.usu.edu.
-stefaniesnow@cc.usu.edu
Janson Greenhalgh waits for Mark Skyler Wallace, both members of the USU Special Olympics team, to complete his lap as they compete in the 4×25 relay. (Photo by Scott Davis)
Stacy Adams, north area coordinator for the Special Olympics gets a hug from Steve Lower, a participant from the Canyon view team. (Photo by Scott Davis)