Special day for special athletes

The sounds of joyful efforts filled the air Thursday as Houston County elementary school Special Olympians ran, jumped, crawled, kicked and threw their way through a series of challenges.

Brenda Arnett, Houston County adapted P.E. specialist, said the Special Olympics witnessed its biggest turnout of young athletes.

“We had more athletes for this event than we’ve ever had,” Arnett said Friday before going back for another special day at Houston County High. “We had right at 300 athletes participating.”

Factor in teachers, paraprofessionals, volunteers, family and friends and it added up to a sizeable crowd on a sunny day.

Upon their arrival, the athletes were greeted by members of the high school’s Partners Club, who whooped it up and gave them high fives.

Before the challenges, students stood and solemnly recited the Pledge of Allegiance and the Special Olympics Athlete Oath: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

The young athletes were challenged by events such as soccer hockey, toss across, beanbag toss, parachute, tunnel crawl, kick and score, Frisbee toss, horseshoes and soccerball race.

It would appear that recess was the appropriate training ground for the athletes.

“Play skills are important here,” said Diane Mercer, who teaches moderately intellectually disabled students at Quail Run Elementary School. She is in her sixth year teaching and said, “I just love the kids. When you see that light come on their face, it’s special.”

Partners Club members were stationed at each of the events to provide guidance on how to play and give out stickers when students completed the challenges.

Angel Dylan, a fourth grade student at Kings Chapel Elementary, could not contain her glee in the toss across. “I did it! I did it!” she exclaimed after successfully flipping a stuffed ball in the air with the help Partners Club member Kayla Vonoven.

“I love working with the kids and seeing them happy,” the 10th grader said.

Fellow club member Madison Rizer said she was having fun as she helped Langston Road Elementary second grader Beau Lovett maneuver a hockey stick for soccer hockey.

There was some sibling rivalry, too.

At the shoot and score challenge, Bonaire Elementary School fourth graders Jalaya Robinson shuffled from side to side before successfully scoring against brother Jalean Robinson.

Gina Ernst, special needs teacher at the school, said the two competed against each other a lot.

One event proved very popular – the face painting table. Students let their imaginations run wild as Partners Club members tried to fill their requests. Stars, flowers, submarines, aircraft and superheroes appeared on appreciative faces.

It was an outing of sorts for the students as they ran up an appetite for a picnic lunch.

Thursday featured elementary school students while Friday was reserved for middle and high school students, Arnett said.

Special Olympics is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals with developmental disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. Special Olympics of Georgia currently has more than 26,702 registered athletes with more than 500 participants in Houston County.

HHJ News