ATHLETES from Special Olympics Barker Club in Mount Gambier travelled to Adelaide for the Special Olympics State games recently.
With the help of Tigers All Ability’s Netball and Limestone All Ability’s, nine athletes made the trip and returned home with a total of eight gold and three silver medals from the three days of competition.
Medals were won in swimming, netball and soccer – the impressive efforts made even more so as six of the nine athletes had never experienced the state games before.
This year’s games were held at Marion Bowland and Westminster School, where 240 athletes competed in tenpin bowling, swimming, soccer, basketball and netball.
Amechai Bawden and his team won gold in netball, while Jamal Seiler, Micheal Thomson, Ray Mansfield, Ronan Poyner, Shaun Austin, Molly Foster and Maddie Haarsma won the gold medal in the their soccer division.
Completing the medal winners was Kristy Weber, who showed her talents in the water to win three silvers – in breaststroke, backstroke and freestyle.
Mount Gambier Special Olympic soccer coach Keith Seiler could not have been more impressed by his team and the sportsmanship displayed over the competition.
“I could not be any prouder of our athletes, showing determination and team spirit throughout the games,” he said.
“All members of Special Olympic Barker Club scored goals and they pushed themselves to their limits.”
Over 100 volunteers were involved in the event, which provides not only a chance for athletes with intellectual disability to showcase their sporting talents, but to make new friends and catch up with old ones.
Special Olympics helps competitors gain self confidence through high-quality sports training and competition opportunities.
Each year athletes can choose to compete in hundreds of competitions locally, nationally and internationally.
This year the Special Olympics received a grassroots giving grant, which included access to community marquees as well as giveaways such as sunscreen, skipping ropes and footballs.
To finish off a busy period, the Mount Gambier athletes had a final soccer training session with the Law Enforcement Torch Run members at Malseed Park – thanks to the partnership between Special Olympics South Australia and South Australia Police.
Thanks was also given to all sponsors of the Special Olympics Barker Club for their help throughout the year.
