Special Olympics Minnesota Athletes, Coaches Head To Greece For World Summer Games
Minnesotans join 315 athletes and 125 coaches from Special Olympics Team USA as they journey to Greece for the country’s largest sporting event of the year
After months of rigorous training and preparation, eight Special Olympics Minnesota athletes and two coaches will depart Saturday for the most spectacular sporting event happening this year — Special Olympics World Summer Games Athens 2011, where they will compete as part of Special Olympics Team USA alongside 7,000 athletes from nearly 180 nations, June 25 – July 4.
The Minnesotans will join 315 athletes from every state and the District of Columbia and 125 coaches and managers on Team USA. The team will meet in Baltimore, Md. on June 18 and then depart for Greece. In Athens, the birthplace of modern sport, the talents and skills of Special Olympics athletes will remind us what the World Games are really about, where all participants are winners in their struggle for respect, inclusion and unity. This event will draw more than 25,000 volunteers, 3,000 event officials and thousands of families, spectators and journalists from every continent. Read more
Special Olympics Minnesota’s 2010 Summer Games Continue
Today’s competition includes track and field and gymnastics, culminates with Celebration Ceremonies
Track and field events continue today at the University of Minnesota’s Bierman Athletics Complex (corner of 15th Avenue SE and 5th Street SE) from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Between competitions, athletes have the chance to spend time in Olympic Town and Healthy Athletes Village, open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. Rhythmic gymnastics competition is also taking place at Mini-Hops Gymnastics Club in Minnetonka (131 Cheshire Lane, Suite 100) from 2:30-5:30 p.m.
Summer Games Celebration Ceremonies will be held this evening at 7:30 p.m. at Bierman Field and will include guest speakers, an athlete parade, Minnesota law enforcement personnel and the ceremonial lighting of the “Flame of Hope” by Special Olympics Minnesota National Games athlete Erik Westenfield. Law enforcement volunteers participated in a 2,000-mile Torch Run Final Leg relay running the flame across Minnesota in the week leading up to Summer Games. The 2010 Final Leg will culminate tonight at Celebration Ceremonies. Pre- ceremony entertainment begins at 5:30 p.m. and includes a performance by the Minnesota Vikings Skol Line.
Today in Olympic Town athletes can enjoy Olympic Town Stage performances by Rince Na Chroi, an Irish dancing troupe, and Ruben, a Stillwater-based band. Athletes can also sing karaoke on stage and dance to music in the Boogie Town tent. This afternoon, athletes can visit the Hairstyle Station to get styled for tonight’s Celebration Ceremonies and subsequent athlete dance. Read more
Harmony School student wins State and National Special Olympics competitions
17 year-old Dimple, of the Harmony School in Dharamsala, India, wins National 25 meter Special Olympics competition and has the opportunity to compete internationally.
Harmony Through Education (Harmony) is a 501(c)(3) international non-profit organization, specializing in creating schools in rural India for mentally and physically challenged children, was asked to participate in the annual statewide Special Olympics competition, held in Himachal Pradesh. The Harmony School sent four students to compete against other special needs children. One of the students who participated was a 17 year-old female student, Dimple Lal, received a gold medal in the 25 meter dash and a silver medal in the 50 meter competitions. This qualified Dimple to compete in the National Athletics Championship competition in Anatapur, India on January 12, where she was took home the gold metal in the 25 meter dash. Dimple will go on to represent India and compete internationally with the other star athletes in the international Special Olympics competition.
Harmony Founder and President, Seth Shaffer was ecstatic after being informed that Dimple won the 100 meter dash competition by the Director of the Harmony School, Anil Bhatnagar. “Dimple is from a rural area located in the foothills of the Himalayas and three years ago and her family couldn’t imagine having access to educational opportunities that would accommodate Dimple’s learning challenges, said Mr. Shaffer. “One and a half years later, Dimple has been recognized and rewarded for her strengths and abilities by the entire sub-continent of India.”
Source: Harmony Through Education
Cheer on Special Olympics athletes competing at State Indoor Winter Games in Cobb County Jan. 15-17
Athletes from all over Georgia will compete in Special Olympics Georgia’s State Indoor Winter Games, sponsored by Stadion Money Management, in Cobb County this weekend.
The games mark the first event of Special Olympics Georgia’s 40th anniversary. The organization has grown from 500 athletes in 1970 to nearly 23,000 today. Special Olympics will debut red and white scarves knitted by the community. Next year, the organization aims to give every athlete a scarf.
More than 2,000 participants from all over Georgia will compete Jan. 15-17 at various locations in Cobb County. Athletes will compete in basketball, bowling, floor hockey, power lifting, artistic gymnastics and roller skating.
The games, which are free and open to the public, begin Friday morning with basketball competitions at Smyrna Community Center and Opening Ceremony at 7:30 p.m. at Cobb Civic Center in Marietta. Grand Marshalls are Kennesaw State University athletes and Doc Shaw of Disney’s Suite Life on Deck and Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.
Competitions will continue Saturday and Sunday at various locations, including AMF Marietta Lanes, Brunswick Zone, Marietta Middle School, and Cobb County Civic Center. The full schedule is available at www.SpecialOlympicsGA.org.
Source: Special Olympics Georgia