"If it weren't for the coaches. If it weren't for Nate Smith, the guy suffering, the volunteers, this wouldn't come about. Takes special people to organize something like this," says Eric Williams, a Special Olympics athlete from McDowell County. "It's just the thought of them having the joy, to see them, a smile come to their face," says Nate Smith, Eric's Special Olympics coach.

This is the 40th anniversary of the Special Olympics Summer Games in West Virginia. 300 coaches and volunteers are helping make the games a success. Una Giersey has served as a volunteer all 40 years. One reason, her daughter is a competitor.

"I really keep saying, oh if she quits i'm going to get out of it. You just kind of get hooked on it," says Giersey. "It's undescribable. It's like the best feeling you can imagine. It's like knowing you've done good and helped out at the same time," says Zach Morris, a high school volunteer.

Perhaps that feeling is seeing the joy of medals won and friends made through a competition that build self-esteem. "Some of our volunteers say I feel guilty. I say why, because I get as much out of this as I have given our athletes. A feel-good for everybody involved," says John Corbett, Executive Director of Special Olympics-West Virginia.

It's because of the commitment of the city of Charleston and those volunteers that the Summer Games of Special Olympics West Virginia will be in Charleston for the next 3 years.

Some of the winners could move on to the National Games in 2010 in Omaha, Nebraska or even the World Games in Greece in 2012.

Source/Writer:

The State Journal
By: Gil McClanahan