My+First+Special+Olympics

Andrea Green Composition G April 16, 2009 Mr. Bouton My First Special Olympics

March of my sophomore year was the first time I had personal interaction with people with disabilities at the Special Olympics. My initial reason for going was because I would be missing two days of school to hang out at Waterville Valley, but looking back, I realize that it changed the way I now view people in general, with disabilities and without. Prior to the Special Olympics, I had very little interactions with those who have special needs. In elementary school there were kids in my grade that attended separate classes and constantly had the attention of an aid, but I never understood that the attention they received was not a privilege but a necessity. Of course this naïve sense of reality vanished as I changed schools in sixth grade, but not because I had an epiphany that changed my thinking; as I moved to a small private school, the presence of special needs students also vanished. Attending the Special Olympics reminded me that there are still people with disabilities in the world, but while most act and look different than me, their competitiveness, love and determination to be successful in their sport is similar to mine.

As it was my first time having direct contact with competitors of the Special Olympics, I was uncomfortable at first in how I should behave around them. The athletes are divided into three divisions depending on their levels of disabilities. Because of my discomfort I opted to help with the competitors with the mildest disabilities. My job was to gather cross country skiers awaiting their races and make sure they were at the starting line when they were called. Soon I realized that I had to adapt quicker than I anticipated because of the job I was given, but I still didn’t know whether to treat the athletes as I would anyone else or whether I had to treat them more simply.

At the events the competitive atmosphere was familiar to me yet the camaraderie among the athletes was unlike one I had ever seen. The athletes were all joking around, happy and having fun. I noticed a few who hung out together, and when conversing with them, I found out they had met through competition. This was refreshing to me because these people should have been each others’ competition, their enemies, but they seemed to be good friends; it was a common phenomenon between most of the athletes. In all of my experiences as an athlete, I have never seen competitors associate in that way with the opposing side unless they have a previous association.

Although the social dynamics between athletes in the Special Olympics are friendlier than in other competitions, there is definitely no difference in the drive to perform. The second day, I worked at the snowshoeing events in which the athletes had more severe disabilities. I would watch these athletes as they moved as quickly as possible to travel the ten yards to where their coaches were standing at the finish line. Almost every athlete finished the race even if faced with physical and mental challenges. The most inspirational athlete I remember was a snowshoer named John. He had to use crutches in order to compete, so from the beginning he was at a disadvantage. When the race began he started to come towards the finish line but fell. Volunteers are not allowed to help athletes up if they fall otherwise they would risk disqualification. Watching John, I desperately wanted to help him up. I suppose I sort of expected him to stay on the ground helpless, but I was proven wrong. John picked himself up with very limited use of his legs, but soon fell again. He could have easily stayed on the ground until volunteers came to pick him up, but he was determined to finish. His actions showed me that just because someone has a disability it does not mean that they are totally incapable of completing any task. If a person has the perseverance, determination and courage, anything is possible.

Many, when done racing, would cheer on competitors to make sure they would also finish their race, and it seemed like nothing made the racer happier than having the support of others. John had his family, coaches, competitors and many volunteers cheering him on which helped him finish his race. On the final day I was assigned to hand out medals to the athletes. The other volunteers and I were instructed to make the ceremony as important as we could and try to gather as many people as possible to clap and cheer for the athletes. Whenever a racer was called up to receive their medal I cheered as loud as I could, acting as if I knew each racer personally. The image of each athlete’s mile wide grin is permanently engraved into my memory. All they wanted was a little support and acknowledgement for their accomplishments. This made me think about whether I could accomplish my goals without the support that I get from my family and friends. Whenever I do something I’m proud of, I enjoy being acknowledged for it. These athletes overcome so much when they compete in the Special Olympics, and if anyone deserves praise, it is them.

My experience not only taught me about determination, but also about people in general. These athletes are faced with challenges more difficult to overcome in life, but their disabilities do not make them less than anyone else in this world. I came into this experience thinking that my job would be to guide the athletes’ moves because they were not capable of understanding simple concepts. My preconceptions were completely off base because I came to the realization that these remarkable people want the same thing as everyone else; they want acknowledgment that they can achieve what they want on their own and to be recognized for their accomplishments.