Special Olympics is in the air
by Jeanne ~ May 5th, 2008. Filed under: Down syndrome, Special Olympics.A greater number of links to articles about Special Olympics have been coming through the Down syndrome mail-lists lately and the stories are all well-worth reading. So I decided to do a Google news search to see what else could be found on the subject. Here are a few highlights, but click on the links to become further inspired.
Then Macklen’s parents hugged him and kissed his cheek.
“I liked seeing the light in his eyes when he got out there and achieved that,’’ said his mom, Kay Macklen of Myrtle Beach. “Davey is our miracle.’’
As with other athletes at the Special Olympics, young Macklen’s achievement was more than how he finished a foot race.
It was about competition.
The 14-year-old Macklen, who has Down syndrome, had scampered along the track to an ovation from hundreds. He smiled happily as coaches, volunteers and fellow athletes encouraged him to finish. Every other athlete, regardless of how he or she fared, got the same treatment.
It’s part of the reason for Special Olympics. Begun 40 years ago in Chicago, Special Olympics is a way to help people with handicaps get involved with sports and gain a sense of achievement.
Special Olympics has spread across the world since the first games in 1968. Today, 2.5 million people are involved, including about 15,000 in South Carolina. Many parts of the state hold regional events. This year’s summer games in Columbia attracted about 800 athletes to participate in track and field, swimming, bowling, softball, and gymnastics.
Low muscle tone seems to be the crux of many of the obstacles our children with Down syndrome must overcome. From birth, we whisk our babies off to Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy sessions in an effort to allow our children to master basic skills. Perhaps this extra effort has put the heart of a champion in each of our children.:
Nick, 24, has Down syndrome. Coached by his dad, he’s training to compete in powerlifting at Special Olympics Missouri’s State Summer Games. The event for people with mental disabilities will be held for the first time in Springfield, May 28 through 30 at Missouri State and Drury universities.
Five feet tall and weighing 132 pounds, Nick is a three-time gold medalist in his weight class. His personal best is dead weightlifting 255 pounds and bench pressing 160.
His training routine rarely varies. After a weightlifting warmup and short rest time, he growls to psyche himself up for heavier loads. Finally gripping the bar, he strains and lifts, gritting his teeth and tipping back his head in focused concentration.
Heads turn when he roars loudly while lowering the more-than-200-pound weights to the floor.
Nick’s strength is atypical for people with Down syndrome, as most are prone to weight gain and low muscle tone, his parents say. But it didn’t happen overnight.
When he started training six years ago, David says, Nick could hardly lift the bar alone. He’s shown incredible determination — urging his dad to the gym even when David might be tempted with a night off.
If for no other reason, click on the last link to see the photos of how beautifully muscular Nick has become from his training. It’s surprising the expectations we can learn to have. My son is only five and everyday I LEARN to have new expectations.
The weight lifting stories are more intriguing to me - and again, more photos:
Colten Gibbs is ready to flex his muscles.
For the past six months, the 19-year-old Prescott man has worked out on weights with the goal of dead-lifting 175 pounds and bench-pressing 160 pounds. An athlete with Down Syndrome, he’s excited to compete in his first Special Olympics on Saturday in Prescott Valley.
Asked if he’s nervous, Gibbs quickly responded with a laugh, “Just a little, yeah. I’ll be OK.”
Finishing off with just a few more links: