About 1,100 athletes and coaches joined hundreds of volunteers Saturday for the second day of competition. They cheered for participants from the 33 counties represented at the summer games. The state Special Olympics is part of the international organization that provides opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities to compete athletically.
The weekend competitions were spread around the city, with field games at Laidley Field, aquatic races at the YMCA, softball at the King Center and cycling and tennis at Coonskin Park. The events included an opening ceremony Friday and victory dance Saturday night.
Jarrell, 34, played bocce for Lincoln County's delegation and helped to cheer for her fellow athletes. She said she trains with her coach to compete throughout the year and enjoys seeing the friends she's made at the games.
"It's pretty good. We have a lot of fun," Jarrell said as she sat with her coaches and teammates under a tent during a break.
Coaches are certified by the state organization to work with the athletes as they prepare for the local and state competitions. They support the participants during the games and encourage them with the athlete's oath to "be brave in the attempt" to win in the competition.
Between events, athletes escaped the sun under tents in the "Olympic Village" at Laidley Field. They sang karaoke, played games and cooled off with water guns while wearing their team T-shirts.
Many watched the red awards podiums, where the competitors from each heat received recognition to the sounds of the Olympic fanfare. Charleston Mayor Danny Jones presented medals and ribbons to beaming athletes at the main awards podium Saturday afternoon, while coaches and friends clapped from the stands.
At the Special Olympics, athletes compete with people of similar age and ability. Many athletes compete in several different events. The award ceremonies are continuous and no athlete walks away empty-handed.
"You just get to see the culmination of all their efforts. It doesn't matter what place they win because they're happy to stand up on the podium and be recognized," said Phyllis Potterfield, a Charleston attorney who staffed the main award podium Saturday.
David Morris, 29, of Wood County stood on the podium's silver medal step twice during the day's events. Morris is also a longtime competitor in the games.
"It is really exciting to win. You have something to do and it's fun," Morris said after accepting his silver medal for the running long jump.
The athletes aren't the only part of the delegation that return year after year, said John Corbett, state executive director of the games. He said volunteers and coaches from the 41 active county delegations often stay involved for years after they become part of a Special Olympics team.
"There's an immediate visual satisfaction. You get to see them improving during the training and then succeeding during the competition," Corbett said. "This is their moment to shine."
Participation in the games has increased steadily since West Virginia's organization was founded in 1968. This year's games included Clay and Tucker counties for the first time, and welcomed back Mingo County after an absence from the games, Corbett said.
West Virginia plans to send between 40 and 50 athletes to the national Special Olympics in Omaha, Neb., in 2010. The next event the group sponsors is a non-competitive sports camp in August.
For more information about the West Virginia Special Olympics, contact Corbett at 345-9310.
Source/Writer:
The Charleston Gazette
By: Kellen Henry
Samantha Jarrell is a Special Olympics veteran. She has competed in the games for 28 years and medaled at the national competition.
But she was still excited to join West Virginia Olympians new and old as they cycled, swam and jumped for the gold this weekend in Charleston.
About 1,100 athletes and coaches joined hundreds of volunteers Saturday for the second day of competition. They cheered for participants from the 33 counties represented at the summer games. The state Special Olympics is part of the international organization that provides opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities to compete athletically.
The weekend competitions were spread around the city, with field games at Laidley Field, aquatic races at the YMCA, softball at the King Center and cycling and tennis at Coonskin Park. The events included an opening ceremony Friday and victory dance Saturday night.
Jarrell, 34, played bocce for Lincoln County's delegation and helped to cheer for her fellow athletes. She said she trains with her coach to compete throughout the year and enjoys seeing the friends she's made at the games.
"It's pretty good. We have a lot of fun," Jarrell said as she sat with her coaches and teammates under a tent during a break.
Coaches are certified by the state organization to work with the athletes as they prepare for the local and state competitions. They support the participants during the games and encourage them with the athlete's oath to "be brave in the attempt" to win in the competition.
Between events, athletes escaped the sun under tents in the "Olympic Village" at Laidley Field. They sang karaoke, played games and cooled off with water guns while wearing their team T-shirts.
Many watched the red awards podiums, where the competitors from each heat received recognition to the sounds of the Olympic fanfare. Charleston Mayor Danny Jones presented medals and ribbons to beaming athletes at the main awards podium Saturday afternoon, while coaches and friends clapped from the stands.
At the Special Olympics, athletes compete with people of similar age and ability. Many athletes compete in several different events. The award ceremonies are continuous and no athlete walks away empty-handed.
"You just get to see the culmination of all their efforts. It doesn't matter what place they win because they're happy to stand up on the podium and be recognized," said Phyllis Potterfield, a Charleston attorney who staffed the main award podium Saturday.
David Morris, 29, of Wood County stood on the podium's silver medal step twice during the day's events. Morris is also a longtime competitor in the games.
"It is really exciting to win. You have something to do and it's fun," Morris said after accepting his silver medal for the running long jump.
The athletes aren't the only part of the delegation that return year after year, said John Corbett, state executive director of the games. He said volunteers and coaches from the 41 active county delegations often stay involved for years after they become part of a Special Olympics team.
"There's an immediate visual satisfaction. You get to see them improving during the training and then succeeding during the competition," Corbett said. "This is their moment to shine."
Participation in the games has increased steadily since West Virginia's organization was founded in 1968. This year's games included Clay and Tucker counties for the first time, and welcomed back Mingo County after an absence from the games, Corbett said.
West Virginia plans to send between 40 and 50 athletes to the national Special Olympics in Omaha, Neb., in 2010. The next event the group sponsors is a non-competitive sports camp in August.
For more information about the West Virginia Special Olympics, contact Corbett at 345-9310.
To contact staff reporter Kellen Henry, use e-mail or call 348-5179.
