Special Olympics

Every year the St. Francis track and field team volunteers their time to officiate the track portion of the Special Olympics. This year, the Special Olympics happened to fall on a freezing cold, rainy Sunday at the end of April. As I got ready to go help out, my enthusiasm was lacking. We had gotten home late the night before from a track meet, and the weather looked less than pleasant outside. However, I am very pleased that I went. It was an experience I will not soon forget. As I wrote about in my previous blog, running has become quite tiresome and tedious lately. Helping with the Special Olympics helped to give me a new perspective on my sport.
The competitors at the Special Olympics had every reason for giving up, but not a single one conceded to defeat. None of them would ever be great athletes, but it was obvious that they found great joy in competing. While my teammates and I were complaining about not wanting to race yesterday in the pouring down rain, the competitors at the Special Olympics today did not let the bitter cold and chilling winds put a damper on their day.
Some of them were significantly slow than the others. While some people were finishing their race, some were still half a lap behind them. Whenever a few teammates and I cheered for one man who was slowly walking along with a look of determination in his eyes, he smiled at us and simply said, "I go on my own time." He was clearly not going to win. In fact, he was about to come in last by at least thirty seconds. However, it was clear that he was enjoying the moment and was not about to back down.
It was inspiring to see the competitor's support for each other. I watched two young boys race each other down the straightaway in a 100m dash, and lovingly embrace each other and throw their hands in the air with happiness at the end. At the end of the race, many of the runners would give each other high fives and compliments on their performances, even when the other person easily prevailed over them.
Smiles never left their faces, even as they became weary and tired. Many would finish the race, and immediately give me a handshake and a hug. After the race one man, who came in last in his heat, asked me what his finishing time was. As I told him he had just walked 100m in over 1 minute, he just looked at me with the biggest smile on his face and said, "Hey, that's pretty good."
At this time in my life, this experience was exactly what I needed. I realized that running and competing can be fun. I learned just how big of an impact a simple high five or "good job" can have on someone who may be struggling. It was clear that the competitors in the Special Olympics did not have the ideal life, but by observing them and speaking to them, it was clear that they loved their lives, nevertheless. The participants today will never be able to run as fast as I can, but they were enjoying it more than I ever have. Running brings me great joy in life, but there are more important things, such as making an impact on the lives of others.

For  more information on the Special Olympics and to learn how to get involved, click on the following link: http://www.specialolympics.org/