Six Orchard Village clients participated in the State Special Olympics at Illinois State University in Bloomington/Normal in June after winning gold medals at the local Track and Field event in May. Alex got gold in the softball throw and Ira in the 800m run!
Our clients train with their coaches for months and compete against their peers in regional and state competitions in their chosen sporting events. Our clients traveled 3 hours to Normal, Illinois, and stayed in dormitories at Illinois State University. Sleeping and eating in the dorms is exciting and gives athletes a unique experience.
The games aren’t the only fun thing about the weekend; Semayah, softball throw athlete, said she loved the dance on Saturday and made some new friends. Tuwuan, 50 meter run athlete, said his favorite part of the weekend was the opening ceremony with the BMX stunt riders. He hung out with the other guys at the dance and the parade.
Special Olympics is a global nonprofit organization providing training and competitions to athletes with intellectual disabilities, enabling them to realize their full potential in sports and in life. Over 23,000 athletes in Illinois compete in Special Olympics games each year.