Over 700 Maine Special Olympians participated in the Special Olympics Cumberland County Area Track and Field Meet held at Bonny Eagle Middle and High School on April 26. According to Lisa Shiers, Gorham Special Olympics Track and Field Coach, there were about 20 volunteers and over 45 Gorham athletes who participated at the Special Olympic event.
Students from Great Falls, Narragansett, Gorham Middle and High School participated in the fun filled day. Each athlete competed in one running event, the softball throw and the standing long jump. In addition to those events, the Olympians also took part in many other fun activities including a visit with Slugger from the Sea Dogs, Crusher from the Red Claws, a bubble tent and bounce houses.
Eric Lelansky, a Unified Basketball coach and teacher from Gorham High School, shared, “The weather wasn’t great, but we made the best of it. We had four athletes from the high school that participated.”
Photos credit Lisa CurleySpecial Olympians and volunteers gathered during the Olympics at Bonny Eagle. Pictured (left to right) Front row: River Cummings, Brice Lyon, Niko Gagne, Preston Mahaney, Henry Jensen, and Grant Mahaney. Back row: Abrahim Rabbani, Sara Bolt and Brett Barney.
Lelansky asked some of the students what their favorite part of the day was: Barney, Jensen and Gagne all agreed that the Softball Throw was fun. Cummings liked running fast, and Mahaney said, “Just chilling.”
Though the weather was gloomy, it certainly didn’t affect the athletes, coaches and volunteers’ sunny dispositions. Shiers shared that a good time was had by all on the day of competing, cheering on their teammates and receiving their ribbons.