Special Olympics Summer Games
Our delegation this year going to the 2015 Special Olympics Summer Games of Kentucy consisted of a total of 77 athletes in swimming, soccer and track and field events. I went this year as one of 3 Track & Field coaches and I must say, I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend! When I was looking at the weather last week, I was getting concerned because they were calling for the possibility of showers and thunderstorms and that would have been disastrous for us. We had already been wrapped up in clear rain ponchos for the Regional Track & Field event (we looked like a bunch of leftovers for the fridge!) and I did not want to go through that again! But the weather ended up absolutely perfect for us. It was cloudy all morning, actually a little chilly, and didn’t get warm until the afternoon. Perfect for running and it showed in our athletes.
We had 33 students compete in the 50 meter dash and walk, 100 meter dash and walk and the 200 meter dash. This was actually the first time I have tried any of our athletes in the 200 meter and I was so proud of all of them! In all, we brought home 19 Gold medals, 16 Silver and 15 Bronze. I think the bus weighed an extra 20 lbs just from all their medals! I always tell our athletes that all I want is for them to do their best and to have fun. If they get a medal, that is the icing on the cake but as a runner myself, I know that you can never be sure of your competition and there is always going to be someone out there faster than you. Maybe not in your particular heat but they are out there somewhere! So you can compete against yourself. Do your best, try to pass anyone in front of you, that’s just competitive nature, but don’t let that define you or your race. If you pushed yourself as much as you could, you won, and I am proud of you and you should be too. I think they got the message, I saw no tears after any events and I saw a lot of tired smiles! Makes for a great day!
Stewart Home & School is one-of-a-kind community. Most special education programs end at age 21, and then adult settings focus on vocational options and daily living skills. Stewart Home & School assigns each person with special needs a special education plan in addition to goals for vocational placement, social maturity growth and daily living skills training. Working together with the student, his/her family and the school faculty, each plan is implemented on a year-round, three-semester basis and schedules are adjusted as needed.