West Villages Improvement District: At Special Olympics, "there are only smiles"

Sarasota Herald Tribune

More than 200 swimmers from six counties compete in Sarasota for berths in the State Games in October

SARASOTA — For more than 200 sunscreen-lathered Special Olympics swimmers, Saturday was a huge deal.

Just ask Meghan Mellentine from Lee County, who was still dripping wet after completing her 400-meter freestyle race in under 14 minutes. But talk fast. The 33-year-old had only a few moments to spare before the next race.

“It’s a chance to prove to everyone that even though we’re born with special needs, we are much more than that,” said Mellentine, who has Down syndrome. “We are champions.”

At stake in the Special Olympics Aquatic Competition Saturday at the Evalyn Sadlier Jones YMCA in Sarasota were berths in the State Games in October. The athletes included schoolchildren and adults from Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto, Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties.

The athletes were judged on their time and how well they attended practices leading up to Saturday’s event, said Troy Brode, a coach for the Sarasota County team.

“Today is more of a competition than our other events, but it’s a good, healthy kind, where everyone has a good time,” said Brode, whose 15-year-old son Sam competed. “Look around you, there are only smiles.”

People with intellectual disabilities often face an uphill struggle for acceptance and inclusion. Not so in the Special Olympics, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

In my relatively short time here, I’ve seen too many touching moments to put into words,” said Randy Klinger, director of the Sarasota County Special Olympics. “If I can be selfish for a minute, I have never left a Special Olympic competition without a smile on my face.”

Raymond Barrows has taken his 38-year-old daughter Kristen to competitions for the last 25 years.

“I can’t put it into words,” Barrows said. “Special Olympics just improved our lives so much. It’s brought us closer.”

Nancy Erickson, a longtime DeSoto County Special Olympics Coach, attended the first International Special Olympics Summer Games in Chicago in 1968.

“That day changed the world forever,” Erickson said. “Just think of all the lives that have been touched and continue to be touched. It’s a sport, yes, but it’s so much more.”

The athletes are the “heart of the Games,” Erickson said.

In addition to physical fitness, Special Olympics athletes build social skills, friendships and self confidence.

“We’re not trying to make great Olympians out of our local people,” Erickson said. “We’re trying to make a place in the world where they can feel comfortable and participate like every other person.”

Ali H. Johnston, MBA in Real Estate

REALTOR®, Lic. Broker #BK3284964