By PHILIP M. VOLMAR

As Davie Elmer’s teammate tossed him the baton in the 4-by-100 meter relay, he did not know how he could possibly outpace the runner ahead of him. Elmer, a 28-year-old Special Olympics athlete with autism, said he found strength through his teammate — who also happened to be his girlfriend.

With her support, and a crowd of parents, siblings and friends cheering him on, Elmer clutched the baton and sprinted toward the finish line, outpacing his opponent by three stride-lengths.

“I was happy and proud of myself,” Elmer said about the event that happened three years ago, adding that it was his girlfriend who invited him to participate in the games.

Stories like Elmer’s happen every year at the Summer Special Olympics, hosted at BYU.

While children and adults with disabilities are able to participate in traditional recreational sports all over Utah, the Special Olympics provide athletes a way to socialize and make new friends — all while getting exercise and winning medals.

“I like the fact that I get to have fun,” Elmer said. “It’s not about winning — it’s about having fun

and doing the best you can.”

Even though public schools and recreational teams intermingle special-needs students with their peers, events like the Summer Special Olympics give the athletes an event of their own.

“In high school, everyone has a sport or a club,” said life-skills teacher Michelle Holbrook. “This is a place for Special Olympics kids to have their place.”

Holbrook teaches at Lehi High School and has a 15-year-old son with Prader-Willi syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes its sufferers to have insatiable appetites and little sense of being full.

She said some children, who are sometimes overweight because of their disabilities, lose weight when they participate in the events, especially swimming. One athlete lost 10 pounds this year practicing her butterfly stroke, she said.

“It’s a nice combination of the social and physical,” Holbrook said.

In addition to providing exercise, many parents of children with disabilities believe the summer games give their children a way to be included in teams that provide opportunities to make friends.

Cedar Hills resident Shelly Nelson’s son Sam, who has Down syndrome, participated in the Special Olympics last fall. “It gives Sam a social outlet,” she said.

Nelson said Sam shied away from competition when she put him on a public recreational team with other children from her city. Nelson said the sideline yelling and shouting confused him, and when it came time to put him on the field, the players treated him as if he was invisible.

“Some teams look at what kids can’t do,” Nelson said. “But Special Olympics look at what kids can do. That’s the difference.”

Sam practiced for the Special Olympics with the Eagles soccer team, a group of 20 Utah County athletes with disabilities.

The team was coached by volunteer coach Derek Price. Price’s 9-year-old daughter, Kiley, also has Down syndrome and kicked for the Eagles on Thursday. Price volunteered to be coach so his daughter could make new friends.

“It’s hard for them to meet new people,” Price said.

As part of his coaching, Price started out the makeshift team by having get-to-know-you exercises. He had the participants, who ranged in age from 8 to 21, sit in circles. Price would then point to an athlete and have the rest call out his or her name. He also divided up the team into two groups, one youth and one adult, which helped the athletes get to know each other better.

But friendships aren’t the only thing the Special Olympics foster among participants. Price’s daughter Kiley did more than just make a friend. Her friend, Holden, is on the Eagles as well. When he arrived on the soccer field on Thursday morning, they embraced and giggled.

Whether dating is considered a part of the Special Olympics experience or not, Chandler Pace, a 21-year-old forward for the Eagles, who has learning disabilities, said he put a ring on his girlfriend’s finger last Christmas.

He said he is grateful he met her two years ago at the Victory Dance the Special Olympics hosts on BYU’s campus every year.

“She’s the best one for me,” he said as he was getting on his green and yellow Eagles uniform for the game. “I’m ready, baby, I’m ready.”

Pace then played a winning game on Thursday with a magic-marker tattoo his girlfriend etched on his arm. It said, “Kim.”

Aside from the relationship opportunities for each athlete — whether they be friendly or romantic — parents say the activities also provide a chance for parents themselves to mingle. One parent said she believes the Special Olympics are more than just a support group.

“It’s good for us parents; it’s like a club,” said Price’s wife, Robyn. “We’re going through the journey together, experiencing issues no other parent goes through.”

Even though the games pit athletes against each other in competitive events, Elmer said the Athlete’s Oath helps him remember what it’s all about.

According to the Special Olympics of Utah Web site, the Athlete’s Oath is “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

Elmer, who is in his third year of competition for the events, said the oath is recited by athletes during the opening ceremonies.

“Winning wasn’t what was cool,” he said. “It was being able to catch up to the runner ahead of me.”



Copyright Brigham Young University 28 May 2009