HomeMy Public PortalAboutWinter Sports: Special OlympicsTHE IDAHO STATESMAN, Boise, Sunday, March 18, 1984
175 compete in Winter Special Olympics
MCCALL — From as far away as St. Anthony
and Idaho Falls, more than 175 handicapped
athletes gathered in McCall on Friday for the
first statewide Winter Special Olympics.
The three -day event includes competition in
speed skating, figure skating, nordic skiing and
alpine skiing. In addition, the athletes are
treated to snowmobile rides, a judo exhibition
and aerobic dance lessons.
Nearly six months of planning and over three
hundred volunteers from the town of McCall
were needed to bring the event off successfully.
"For our first statewide event, it's come off
pretty well," says Hal Sager, a Special Olym-
pics official.
Finals in all events will be today. A dance to-
night for all athletes will cap the event.
At far left, Joel Nichy brings Shawn Mason
to a stop in a downhill ski event. At left,
nearing the finish line, David Treese of
Boise Elementary gets a helping hand from
Ron Bartrow, left, and Anette Petersen.
Above, Harrison Remer, Pocatello, nears
the finish line of the one kilometer cross -
country time trials
Photos by Arnold Gold
More than special
RAGE 9 -- WINTER IN THE IDAHO HEARTLAND -- DECEMBER 1984
Wintergames warm the heart
There are many wintertime
activities in Idaho's Heartland
intended to generate income for
area merchants, but there is one
event that generates something
quite different: love.
On Feb. 23 -24, a band of
special athletes from all over
Idaho will gather in McCall to
compete in the 1985 Idaho
Winter Special Olympics.
1985 will be the second con-
secutive year that the winter
olympics have been held in Mc-
Call.
An estimated 300 mentally
retarded residents of the state
plus their coaches will come to
the area to compete in downhill
skiing, cross country skiing and
skating.
The main difference between
Special Olympics and a normal
competition is that here there
are no losers, only winners.
Every contestant receives a
medal, and each of the
volunteers who assit in staging
the event gets a large dose of
satisfaction out of helping make
the games work.
The Little Ski Hill, located
west of McCall, will again be
the site of the Nordic and alpine
phases of the games, which are
sponsored by Idaho Special
Olympics and the McCall Area
Chamber of Commerce.
Event coordinator Hal Sager
said that last year's olympics
produced a phenomenon where
volunteers who had signed up
for just a couple hours ended up
working the entire weekend.
"It gets people in the com-
munity involved who don't or-
dinarily get involved," Sager
said. "It is non - selfish; our
reward is that we've helped out
other human beings.
"We get as much out of it as
they do," he said.
Anyone wishing to volunteer
to assist with the 1985 Idaho
Winter Special Olympics should
call 634 -7750.
Everyone's a winner at Special Olympics.
Star News 2/20/85
Special athletes to return to McCall
Photo by Tom Grote
Everyone's a winner during the Idaho Special Winter Olympics.
Star News 2/20/85
For the second year in a row, McCall will be the
setting this weekend for a heart - warming event set
among the snow and ice.
The Idaho Winter Special Olympics will draw an
expected 180 mentally retarded athletes and 70
coaches for a weekend of sharing as well as intense
competition.
The athletes, some young and some not so young,
will gather from around Idaho to show themselves
and the rest of the world that their mental disabilities
do not stand in the way of their ability to achieve,
said Cameron Ventura, who with his wife, Linda, is
local chairman of this year's event.
"Special Olympics brings them up for this one
weekend that shows them that they are really suc-
cessful," Ventura said.
This year's line -up of events will again include
giant slalom, downhill and cross country skiing held
at the Little Ski Hill west of McCall. An additional
event, snowshoeing, has been added this year.
Speed skating and figure skating will be held on the
frozen surface of Payette Lake off Art Roberts Park
behind the sphinx ice sculpture.
The sphinx will serve on Saturday as the stage for
the opening ceremonies. Plans call for a parade of
athletes from the McCall Public Library to the
sphinx beginning at 10:30 a.m.
Welcoming the athletes will be speakers such as
Darrell Imhoff, a former professional basketball
player _who won a gold medal at the 1960 Summer
Olympics in Rome.
McCall's Craig Ryan is scheduled to carry the
ceremonial torch to light a larger torch that will burn
throughout the games.
Skating practice and time trials will take place the
rest of the day on Saturday, with final competitions
in all events beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday.
As with last year, the athletes and their coaches
will be housed in several group accommodations, "in-
cluding Camp Ida Haven, Quaker Hill and con-
dominiums arranged through McCall Vacations.
A full line -up of entertainment has been arranged
for the athletes for times they are not competing, in-
cluding sleigh and snowmobile rides, a variety show
on Saturday night at the Masonic Hall and a victory
dance Sunday night at McCall - Donnelly High
School.
Ar,-Az o f,— Pal es
Closing ceremonies will be held in the high school
parking lot beginning at '9 p.m. Sunday.
Persons attending the events at the Little Ski Hill
are asked to park in designated areas. A lot at the
Seventh -day Adventist Church near the ski hill will
be available.
The athletes themselves will be transported on
shuttle buses between the high school and the Little
Hill.
Volunteers are still needed to serve as "greeters"
and "huggers," and donations of cookies, coffee
cakes and other treats will be appreciated.
Volunteers should call Carolyn Wallace at
634 -8543. Donations can be left beginning Thursday
at the Depot, which is serving as the "nerve center"
for the events.
A hot line will be set up beginning Friday. for all
calls for aid or information about the oympics. The
hot -line number will be 634 -4101.
Special Olympics athletes look forward to the
event all year long, said Anne Alenskis Vance, ex-
ecutive director of Idaho Special Olympics Inc., the
supervisory body for the event.
"It's a very special time, one of the biggest events
of their lives," Vance said.
Parents also benefit from the competition, Vance
said. "Their children have always been different, and
here is an area in which they can excel and are ap-
preciated," she said.
Nineteen of the athletes competing in this
weekend's games will represent Idaho in the 1985 In-
ternational Winter Special Olympics to be held
March 26 -29 in Park City, Utah.
The Star News 2/27/85
The smiles of winners
Mary Kay Countryman, Pocatello, heads for finish line in ice skating competition.
Yelps of joy and squeals of delight were as thick as snowflakes
on the slopes of the Little Ski Hill last weekend. The Special
Olympians were competing.
A total of 172 mentally retarded athletes from 21 teams from
across Idaho skied, skated and snowshoed their way to medals
and a reassurance that their disabilities do not stay in the way of
achievement.
McCall also was the host of the first Idaho Winter Special
Olympics last year, but the games will move elsewhere next year
under rules of Idaho Special Olympics Inc., said executive direc-
tor Anne Alenskis Vance.
&a ,v 14/ oj- Z paps
As with any event, sponsors and volunteers took heavy burdens
:off game organizers and made the event even more special, said
Cameron Ventura, who coordinated the events locally with his
wife, Linda.
"Anyone who we have missed thanking should know that we
appreciate their support and contribution in helping making the
_games come off as well as they did," Ventura said.
Four Valley County athletes competed in the games. Here is
•how they finished:
McCall
Doug Irving: first place, 50 -meter showshoe race; first place, 100 -meter Nordic
sprint.
The Star News 2/27/85
Mike Dalpiaz, Pocatello, gets a tow by snowmobile.
Photos by
Star -News
staff
Craig Ryan: second place, 100 -meter Nordic sprint, third place, I kudffieter
ordic race.
JoLynne Knauff: second place, 25 -meter snowshoe race; second place,
00 -meter Nordic sprint.
Cascade
Timothy Raber: second place, 100 -meter snowshoe race; first place, 1 kilometer
ordic race.
Ryan and 18 other athletes who competed in the Idaho games„
International
a '
ill now travel to Park City, Utah, for the 1985
t
Olympic Games scheduled for March 26 -29. The other
pecial
athletes are: t
Kevin Mitchell (Coeur d'Alene), Rob Sanders (Coeur d'Alene), Ralph Duncan
(Cottonwood), Larry Lyon (Lewiston), Audrey Barnes (Notus), Casey Fearnley
(Boise), Shon Doramus (Nampa), Max Williams (Mountain Home), Chris Fronk
(Burley).
Garth Reden (Pocatello), Curtis Whitworth (Pocatello), Kelly Higgins
j
(Pocatello), Shawna Countryman (Pocatello), Ginger Cornwall (Pocatello), Eddie
Lasson (Chester), Randy Otteson (St. Anthony), Sherri Burke (Idaho Falls),
+
ichelle Killian (Idaho Falls).
Here is a list of sponsors and contributors:
N:
Clinic Contributors
Alk &A
McCall Rental and Sales, Rowland Brothers, Wildwood Log Homes, High
ountain Sleighs, Northwest Passage Sleighs, McCall - Donnelly basketball and
restling cheerleaders, Brundage Mountain Office Supply.
Payette Lakes Sports and Marina, McCall Printing, U.S. Forest Service (for
mokey Bear and Woodsy Owl), Honey Dippers, Titus Family, Valley County,
dams County, McCall Aerobics, McCall Recreation Department, Weller Miller
nsurance.
Businesses and Organizations
Hotel McCall (Lawrence and Blanche Luce), McCall Vacations (Frank and Jane
olk), Albertson's, High Country Enterprises, Cutty Sark (Hal Sager), Little Ski
ill, McCall - Donnelly School District (staff and students).
Mountain Valley Community Church (Pastor Ron Bartron), McCall Area
hamber of Commerce, McCall EMTs, McCall Memorial Hospital, Contel,
eadows Valley Ridge Riders, Camp Ida Haven, Quaker Hill, Elaine Foxall,
eneral Foods, Frito -Lay, Home Dairies, Merrill Eggs.
Weller Miller Insurance, Payette Lakes Lumber Co., Seventh -day Adventist
hurch and School, Aloa and Bob Stevens, Coca -Cola, The Mere, Shaver's, The
tar -News, The Toll Station, Bo and the Zos (high school rock band), alpine ski-
0 )
g staff, Nordic skiing staff, snowshoe staff, ice skating staff.
Simonson family, Eddy's Bread, Grassmick Produce, McCall Wine & Cheese,
&L T- Shirts, variety show entertainers, food preparers and clean -up crew, hug -
rs and greeters, clinic volunteers.
'
Special Thanks
Bob Rodriguez, Nora Rodriguez, Polly Collins, Carolyn Wallace and family,
ick Bollar, Patty Boydstun - Hovdey, Lydia Edwards, Mayor Clyde Archer, Anne
ilde, Aloa Stevens, Jeff Lappin, Bob Coats, Harriet Jorgensen, John Lyon and
cCall Police Department.
Karen Dorris, Dency Montgomery, Ellis Sanford, Pam Woods, Glenn Loder,
m Betzold and family, John Stright, Dean Hagerman, Darrall Imhoff, Kim
ith, Ron and Mary Tucker, "Big Al" Miller, Laura Trees, Ralph Colton.
Rita Drape au, Coeur d'Alene, smiles at her snowshoe finish,
Star News March 25, 1989
Locals take gold medals
at Winter Special Olympics
Two area residents won gold
medals last week during the
Idaho Winter Special Olympics
held at Bogus Basin Ski Area
near Boise.
Jolynne Knauff of Donnelly
won first =place and a gold medal
in the 50 -meter snowshoe event.
Knauff also won a silver medal
for her second -place finish in the
100 meter cross country dash.
Craig Ryan of McCall won the
gold medal in the one kilometer
cross country race. Also, Ryan
took a silver medal and second
place in the 500 -meter cross coun-
try dash.
A total of 280 competitors and
coaches attended the Idaho
Winter Olympics, which are
sporting events designed for the
mentally retarded.
Medley's The Other Place
donated ski rentals for Knauff
and Ryan, while operators of The
Club allowed the competitors to
use their facility for training.
Star News June 1, 1995
Star -News Photo by Roger Phillips
Special Olympics team needs support
These local Special Olympics athletes posed for a
photo before leaving today for the Idaho Summer
Special Olympic Games in Moscow. At rear are Craig
Ryan, Pat Kelly and Scott Mockwitz, and in front are
Wanda Mansfield and David Dean. Coach Janet Lord
said the team still needs funds to pay for the Special
Olympics events, and anyone who would like to donate
money can do so through an account in Lord's name at
West One Bank in McCall. Ryan and Kelly have both
been on the team for more than 10 years, and both have
won medals at past state competitions. For information
on the account, call West One Bank at 634 -2281.
Star News 12/4/08
Star -News Photo by Lucia V. Knudson
Volunteers Lucy and John Schott view the course at Ponderosa
State Park that will host the snowshoe events of the 2009
Special Olympics World Winter Games in February.
Special Interest
McCall couple looks forward to helping
stage Special Olympics World Winter Games
BY LUCIA V. KNUDSON
The Star -News
An article in The Star -
News was all that was
needed to convince John
and Lucy Schott of Lake
Fork to help out at the 2009
Special Olympics World
Winter Games.
The Schotts are familiar
with amateur winter sports
competition, having been
volunteers at the Masters
World Cup Nordic ski races
in March.
Ponderosa State Park is
slated as the venue for snow-
shoeing events of the World
Winter Games. Snowshoe
competition begins Feb. 8
and ends Feb. 12 with Feb.
13 a make -up day. Closing
ceremonies are in Boise
Feb. 13.
About 290 athletes rep-
resenting 50 countries have
entered the 10 snowshoe
events.
At the snowshoe events,
Lucy Schott will be the
"pre- staging coordinator," a
role in which she will help
athletes at the staging area
prepare for their races.
John Schott will be
a course referee, out on
the course monitoring
competition and ensur-
ing competitors follow the
rules.
the couple moved to the
McCall area from Juneau,
Alaska, about four years
ago.
Since then, they have
giventheirfree timeto volun-
teeringatMCPAWS Regional
Animal Shelter.
"That's been a real joy not
only helping animals find
new homes but having been
with the staff at MCPAWS,
a good cadre of volunteers,"
Lucy Schott said.
Being MCPAWS volun-
teers helped the couple get
acquainted with community
members.
Time spent as a volun-
teer is its own reward, John
Schott said. "Whatever you
give you get back many times
over," he said.
J6�
The international flavor
of the games was part of the
draw for the Schotts.
Also important to them
was that MWC Executive
Director Erin Roper and
Ponderosa Park Manager
Dennis Coyle were included
( in the organizing team.
The Masters World Cup
was well organized and full
of good energy. the couple
said.
"As soon as we saw the
article in the paper that
this was happening and
that Erin Roper was looking
for volunteers, we thought
'oh, "' John Schott said.
"The Masters World Cup
was so well organized and
they treated the volunteers
so well and it was such a
delight to interact with the
foreign athletes that were
here," he said.
"I just came home jazzed
every single day, just driv-
ing in there with all the
flags and the activity" Lucy
Schott said.
John. Schott retired and
Star News 2/5/09
Special
Olympics
head to
McCall
Nearly 450 athletes, coaches from
around the world expected
BY LUCIA V. KNUDSON
The Star -News
Expect exciting, head -
to -head racing at the
snowshoeing events of
the 2009 Special Olympics
World Winter Games, one
of the venue's organizers
said.
Competitionwillbeheld
at Ponderosa State Park,
and events begin Satur-
day and run until Friday,
Feb. 13.
Snowshoeing is the only
Special Olympics winter
sport with head -to -head
competition, , said Tom
Sobal, Special Olympics
technical delegate to the
event.
The 385 athletes, coach-
es and officials coming to
McCall represent 50 Spe-
cial Olympics programs,
according to the Special
Olympics Web site.
This is second major in-
ternational winter sports
event within a year to be
held in McCall and Pon-
derosa park. Last March,
McCall hosted the 2008
Masters World Cup Nordic
ski races.
See OLYMPICS, Page A -14
Olympics
(Continued from Page A -1
McCall was named th
snowshoeing venue for th
Special Olympics because o f
the commitment of its volun
teers and previous succes
organizing winter compe
titions, including Junio
Olympics.
"There are a group o f
people there who know wha t
to do and good volunteers,'
Sobal said. "I am overjoye d
we're having snowshoeing i n
McCall."
Spectators who remembe r
the Masters World Cup wi ll
find differences in this year's
event.
The Masters World Cup
is open to anyone at least 30
Years old, while the World
Winter Games are open only
to people with "intellectual
disabilities." Snowshoeing's
Youngest competitors are 9
Years old while the oldest will
be age 59.
Both events foster excel-
lence in competition. "Going
beyond one's limits, trying
a little bit harder to surpass
them," Sobal said of Special
Olympic's ideal.
"Special Olympics is based
on the premise that athletic
competition is a good thing
for people, and it's a way for
these individuals to learn and
to have fun and learn to be
independent," he said.
"It places a premium on
competition where everybody
... has a chance to win, and that
brings out the best in people,"
he said.
Unlike the Masters World
Cup, the Special Olympics
snowshoers will be matched
by ability, which makes for
exciting, head -to -head racing,
Sobal said.
"Basically what we are
running is a track meet on
snow," he said.
A Diverse field
Expect to see a diverse
field of athletes at the Spe-
cial Olympics. At the World
e Masters, 23 mostly European
e .countries were represented,
but snowshoers will represent
- 48 nations from around the
s world including large contin-
gents from the Canada, China
r and the U.S.
English is the official lan-
guage of Special Olympics,
and many head coaches speak
English. Translators will be
assigned to teams without an
English speaking coach.
Athletes hail from every
continent except Australia
and from tropical and desert
climates as well as temperate
and cold climates.
Snowshoers who live in
desert climates train on sand,
and for many their McCall
visit will be their first chance
at seeing snow, said Justine
Sgalio, a Special Olympics
spokesman.
Nineteen of the countries
represented have large Mus-
lim populations, and include
Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan,
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, the Comoro Islands
in the Indian Ocean, among
others.
Dietary restrictions, such
as the Muslims' avoidance
of pork, have been taken into
consideration and food service
providers will properly pre-
pare meals to meet all dietary
requirements, Sgalio said.
The 25 -meter and 50 -meter
races will be staged mainly
for lower- ability athletes,
Sobal said.
The athletes entered into
longer- distance events are
what Sobal called "high func -.
tioning," or able to act on their
own without a lot of care or
intervention.
"You can carry on a con-
versation with them and not
know they have a limitation,"
Sobal said.
Star News 2/5/09
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
WORLD WINTER GAMES
IDAHO USA
Athletes come
from countries
around the
globe
Here is a list
countries and
the number of
people from each
nation attending
the World Winter
Games snowshoe
event in McCall.
There are a
total of 439partici-
pants expected,
including 279 ath-
letes.
Austria 14
Bahrain 8
Bharat 7
Bolivia 7
Canada 24
China 19
Chinese- Taipei 10
Comoro Islands 4
Cyprus 3
Djibouti 4
Egypt 5
El Salvador 5
Finland 6
France 9
Gibralter 4
Greece 10
Hong Kong 11
Hungary 9
Indonesia 6
[ran 4
Isle of Man 7
Italy 11
Japan 14
Jordan 3
Korea 11
Kuwait 7
Lebanon 2
Libya 23
Lithuania 4
Luxembourg 6
Mauritania 5
Monaco 7
Oman 4
?alestine 5
?uerto Rico 4
Zomania 9
Zussia 14
San Marino 2
>audi Arabia 9
>lovenia 3
iomalia 4
>pain 11
Sudan 6
>yria 3
Ceam USA 61
JAE 6
Jzbekistan 11
lenezuela 10
lemen 4
Ponderosa park
ready for SO
snowshoe events
BY MICHAEL WELLS
The Star-News
Spectators at the 2009
Special Olympics World
Winter Games snowshoe-
ing competitions to be held
at Ponderosa State Park
will come away with a re-
warding experience, Park
Manager Dennis Coyle.
"Of all the events we've
done atthe park, nothing is
as rewarding as the Special
Olympics," Coyle said.
"These athletes are just a
joy to work with."
Hosting international
winter sporting events and
winter events for Special
Olympics are nothing new
for the park.
A year ago the park
successfully hosted the
Masters World Cup Nordic
ski races, which saw more
than 1,100 Nordic skiers
from more than 20 coun-
tries. The park has also
See PARK, Page A -14
Photo for The Star -News by Matt Moehr Photograpny
Robb Bryan goes over staging plans with
Richard Taplin from Ponderosa State Park .
Park
(Continued,trom Page A -1)
hosted two state Special Olym-
pics.
The world games at the
Park will host snowshoeing
events for about 385 athletes,
coaches and officials starting
Sunday and concluding next
Thursday.
Most of the events will be
held in the stadium oval, which
will be located in about the
same location as the start and
finish lines of last year's Mas-
ters World Cup, Coyle said:
The track course is a 400 -
meter continuous loop with
a course width of at least 1
meter for each competitor in
a race.
The 400 -meter loop is rela-
tively flat, and the "starts in
the oval will be staggered
like track events to ensure
each athlete runs the same
distance.
There is also a 1,600 meter
course that takes the athletes
along a trail down by Payette
Lake and back and offers a va-
riety of terrain, Coyle said.
Athletes will race on snow-
shoes in distances of 25m, 50m,
100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and
1,600m, and in relay races of
4 by 100m and 4 by 400m.
The events are "specta-
tor friendly," Coyle said. "I
encourage people to come out
and be a fan."
Although there are fewer
athletes competing in McCall
than at last year's Masters
World Cup, more countries
from around the globe will
be represented at this year's
games, he said.
"It's truly an international
event," Coyle said. "This helps
to stimulate the local economy
and the state economy.
Parking for the games will
be available on University
Loop, Carico Road and at the
new park visitor center park-
ing lot.
Star News 2/12/09
Courtney Cook CANADA
David Gonzatti VENEZUELA
Gaelle Cauret FRANCE
Ismail Mohamed Omar SOMALIA
Lizbel Rojas VENEZUELA
Madiba Roble DJIBOUTI
Mika Miettinen FINLAND
Wafeequ Khali Jarragh BAHRAIN
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
WORLD WINTER GAMES
IDAHO USA
"My country is crumbling, but we need this sport for
encouragement for disabled people. It's a hard time for my
country, but now I think I am standing on snow!"
Chattering BY MICHAEL WELLS in the winter and 97 degrees in the summer.
The star -News Macau is about an hour -long ferry ride
Chinese First impressions of Idaho and McCall by the southwest of Hong Kong in southern China,
Macau, China, speed skating team competing delegation leader Ada Lo said.
in this week's Special Olympic World Winter
Games were unanimous -it's cold here. Aftera32- hourjourneytheteamarrivedwith
Ice skaters from Macau The team came to McCall Friday to practice their host family in New Meadows. As the sun
not use
on Clllll on the ice rink at Manchester Ice and Event came up on Friday, the team of four athletes, two
y Centre in McCall. coaches and a delegation leader saw snow, a first
mountain tem eratureS Theyhad never seen snow inMacau wherethe time experience for many of them, Lo said.
p average temperatures range between 43 degrees See SKATERS, Page A -5
Skaters
(Continued from Page A -1)
Several host families in
McCall, Donnelly and New
Meadows played host to Olym-
pic delegations from Bulgaria,
Norway, Macau andmany other
nations during the Special
Olympics, said Holly Jewel, a
volunteer for the Special Olym-
pics from Donnelly.
After the practice Friday
the group planned to tour the
snow sculptures in McCall,
participate in skijoring at a
local ranch, go sledding, and
attend a barbecue atthe Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter -day
Saints, Jewel said.
This is the first time that
the team will compete in speed
skating, Lo said.
"We hope our team will see
the world," she said. "It will
help them in Macau later on
when they go to work. It is an
opportunity to gain self-con-
fidence and independence in
their own lives.
The team was allotted four
spots for the games -100 tried
out for the team. Joe Chan,
18, George Lo, 12, Lily Chan,
22, and Abbie Kwok, 18 were
chosen to represent Macau at
the games.
While it was cold outside,
the team could not get over
how cold it was on the ice at
Manchester Ice.
Getting used to the cold was
the first priority of the team,
said coach Hardy Wong.
People who are intellec-
tually disabled are gaining
acceptance in China, Lo said.
The team holds programs
within the community so that
they are more accepted by the
community, she said.
"I enjoy coming to the USA
to compete with other athletes
and to meet other athletes,"
Joe Chan said through Lo who
interpreted. "I am happy to be
selected to the team."
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f r o m G r e e c e ( 8 8 ) , E r i k a G o l d s b y o f T e a m U S A ( 2 4 7 ) , V a n e s a G o m e z o f S p a i n ( 1 4 2 ) , E r i n P e c k o f T e a m U S A ( 2 6 8 ) a n d A i O g a t a o f J a p a n ( 1 4 ) .
' H E A R T A N D S O U L ' " T H E S P E C I A L O L Y M P I C S I N P I C T U R E S " P A G E A - 1 0
S p e c i a l O l y m p i c c o m p e t i t o r s t a l k a b o u t
c o n d i t i o n s a t h o m e , t h r i l l o f c o m p e t i t i o n
B Y M I C H A E L W E L L S
a n d L U C I A V . K N U D S O N
T h e S w - N e w s
H e r e a r e b r i e f p r o f i l e s o f s o m e o f t h e
a t h l e t e s , c o a c h e s a n d p a r e n t s w h o c a m e
t o M c C a l l t h i s w e e k t o c o m p e t e i n t h e
S p e c i a l O l y m p i c s W o r l d W i n t e r G a m e s .
A b o u t 4 4 0 p e o p l e , i n c l u d i n g 2 8 0 a t h -
l e t e s , f r o m 5 0 c o u n t r i e s t o o k p a r t i n t h e
s n o w s h o e e v e n t a t P o n d e r o s a S t a t e P a r k .
T h e g a m e s w i n d u p t o d a y w i t h f i n a l
r a c e s a n d a w a r d s .
T O K O K U W A H A R A " J A P A N
T o k o K u w a h a r a , J a p a n S p e c i a l O l y m -
p i c s p u b l i c r e l a t i o n s , c o m f o r t e d t e a r f u l
H i r o m i N a k a d a w i t h a h u g a t t h e e n d o f
h e r r a c e S u n d a y . N a k a d a t o o k f i f t h p l a c e
i n s n o w s h o e i n g d u r i n g J a p a n ' s w i n t e r
S p e c i a l O l y m p i c s i n M a r c h 2 0 0 8 , a n d s h e
h a d e x p e c t e d t o d o b e t t e r i n h e r q u a l i f y -
i n g h e a t S u n d a y a f t e r n o o n .
K u w a h a r a i s d e l i g h t e d s o m a n y p e o p l e
h e r e k n o w a b o u t S p e c i a l O l y m p i c s . T h a t
i s n o t t h e c a s e i n J a p a n , s h e s a i d .
A s c h i l d r e n , t h e i n t e l l e c t u a l l y d i s a b l e d
a t t e n d t h e s a m e s c h o o l s a s a l l c h i l d r e n
b u t a r e t a u g h t i n s e p a r a t e c l a s s r o o m s .
C h a n g e i s u n d e r w a y t o r e m o v e t h e
s e p a r a t i o n w i t h i n t h e s c h o o l s y s t e m ,
K u w a h a r a s a i d .
D R . R U S T A M J U S U F " I N D O N E S I A
T h e 2 0 0 9 W o r l d W i n t e r G a m e s a r e a f i r s t
f o r I n d o n e s i a , d e l e g a t i o n l e a d e r D r . R u s t a m
J u s u f s a i d .
A t h l e t e s t r a i n e d w i t h m a k e s h i f t
w o o d e n s n o w s h o e s , r u n n i n g i n s a n d a n d
i n s w i m m i n g p o o l s . F o r s a f e t y ' s s a k e ,
I n d o n e s i a n a t h l e t e s , w h o l i v e m o s t l y a t
s e a l e v e l , d i d n o t e n t e r t h e 1 , 6 0 0 - m e t e r
r a c e b e c a u s e o f M c C a l l ' s h i g h a l t i t u d e ,
J u s u f s a i d .
S e e G A M E S , P a g e A - 5
Games: Special Olympians
talk about conditions at
home, food in McCall
(Continued from Page A -1)
Indonesia has adopted
progressive policies for the
intellectually disabled, he
said. There are special educa-
tion schools that teach youth
from elementary through high
school. After leaving school,
intellectually disabled people
can find jobs doing cleanup,
handicraft painting and other
work in manufacturing and
offices.
MARIO GARCIA
EL SALVADOR
Mario Garcia, 25, became
familiar with snow before the
Special Olympics World Winter
Games when visiting Lake Ta-
hoe with his aunt, Dalina Trejo
of Daly City, Calif.
Garcia and his teammates
trained for snowshoe events
on sand and grass with skate-
boards strapped to their feet.
In his hometown of Santa
Tecla, Garcia, attends a school
for the intellectually disabled.
There is no chance for him
to have a job, but his mother,
Juana Maria Francia, makes
sure he has activities to keep
busy and he goes to the gym
and takes karate classes.
COURTNEY COOK
CANADA
Tannis andIan Cookbraved
curvy mountain roads of Lolo
Pass to drive from the prairies
of Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Mc-
Call to cheer on their daughter,
Courtney, 16.
Cook's 10th grade teacher
andadvisoris alsohercoach. At
Cook's school, the intellectual-
ly disabled are integrated into
regular high school classes, her
parents said.
Cook is becoming indepen-
dent and loves animals, but she
has not decided what job she
wants to pursue after school,
her parents said.
ISMAIL MOHAMED
OMAR • SOMALIA
Ismail Mohamed Omar
traveled a great distance in
miles and climate from the
hot equatorial African nation
of Somalia to the snowpack of
Ponderosa State Park. .
He and his delegation over-
came a country in shambles to
garner support from the gov-
ernment and Somali citizens
in order to provide an oppor-
tunity for his intellectually
challengedteamof twoathletes
to train, travel and compete at
this week's Special Olympic
World Winter Games.
"My country is crumbling,
but we need this sport for
encouragement for disabled
people," Omar said. "It's a
hard time for my country, but
now I think I am standing on
snow!"
He hopes to bring more
athletes to future games.
LIZBEL ROJAS
VENEZUELA
Lizbel Rojas of Caracas,
Venezuela has felt at home in
Idaho due in large part to the
hospitality of the people she
has met in the short time she
has been here cheering on her
son in the snowshoeing events
at Ponderosa State Park this
week.
"People are learning to ac-
cept disability (in Caracas),"
Rojas said. "We are trying to
help develop potential to the
fullest right now, and people
are trying to help them."
Events like the Special
Olympics help each athlete
have a sense of accomplish-
ment they may not know
otherwise, she said.
DAVID GONZATTI
VENEZUELA
David Gonzatti trained on
sandy beaches near Caracas,
Venezuela, to prepare for the
Special Olympic World Winter
Games being held this week
at Ponderosa State Park and
other venues in Idaho.
A young man of few words
he has enjoyed his experience
and has found that running in
snowshoes is easier in snow
than in sand.
FRANCK VITRY • FRANCE
Intellectually disabled
people face an uphill battle.
for acceptance in France, said
French Delegation Leader
Sophia Jouineau.
Franck Vitry trained for
the snowshoeing events on
the beach at La Rochelle in
France. While France had
snow, training for this week's
Special Olympics was for
Vitry much like the training
s4 �
Star -News Photo by Michael Wells
From left, Macau Assistant Speed Skating Coach Monie
Chow, Coach Hardy Wong, Joe Chan, Lily Chan, George
Lo, Abbie Kwok and delegation leader Ada Lo at the
Manchester Ice and Event Centre training for the Special
Olympic World Winter Games.
of athletes from countries that
have no snow.
"Yes and I appreciate the
sports," Vitry said through his
interpreter Jouineau when
asked if he enjoyed the United
States and the Special Olym-
pics.
GAELLE CAURET
FRANCE
The food could be better at
this year's Special Olympics,
said Gaelle Cauret, a French
snowshoe athlete, through her
interpreter Sophia Jouineau.
American food comes all on
one plate, and there isn't a plate
of cheese with the meal, much
to the chagrin of Cauret.
Cauret is competing in the
800 -meter snowshoe race. Oth-
erwise she believes the games
and the experience, her first in
the United States, have been
"very good."
MADIBA ROBLE
DJIBOUTI
It was the first time Vor
Madiba Roble, the Djibouti
coach and her team to experi-
ence snow.
"Here it is beautiful," Roble
said. "We do have a lot of sup-
port from the people of the
country. When they win they
(the people) are happy; this is
not the first time to participate
in Special Olympics."
The team trained in Dj ibouti
on the east coast of Africa with
the Somali team. They ran on
the sandy beaches in shoes to
„�
prepare for the event. The sand
training was a good substitute
for snow, she said.
WAFEEQU KHALIL
JARRAGH • BAHRAIN
After a long ordeal to get
here that had a medical emer-
gency force the landing of the
plane in Glasgow, Scotland, and
missing the last leg of the trip
to Idaho from Denver, Wafeequ
Khalil Jarragh would like to
spend more time in the United
States than she will during this
week's Special Olympics.
It's not her first trip to the
U.S. Jarragh also visited Alaska
at another sporting event her
country participated in.
The food for Muslims has
been a challenge here, she
said. Although she doesn't
mind pizza, she has been eating
mostly salad since arriving in
Idaho last week.
Her team trained in the
sands of Bahrain, a Middle
Eastern country near Saudi
Arabia along the Arabian Sea.
A carpenter cut wooden
models of snowshoes to speci-
fications, and the athletes
strapped the wooden shoes
to their feet and trained, she
said.
MIKA MIETTINEN
FINLAND
Miettinen came to Idaho
with one goal in mind: to win.
"I want to win the gold for
Finland!" he said raising his
arms in the air.
While Americans do not
eat enough to suit Finns, Miet-
tinen is having a great time
competing for a gold medal
in a valley settled by Finnish
immigrants.
PAGE A -10 - THE STAR -NEWS - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009
2009 SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD WINTER GAMES • PONDEROSA STATE PARK
Ri
A tale of triumph, tribulation, and jubilation unfolds at Ponderosa State Park
s .
r„
AT TOP: Benilde Abajo of
Spain (138) crosses the finish line
into the arms of a coach.
ABOVE FROM LEFT:
The joy of competing rises above
all in Special Olympics. But there
is plenty of competitive fire too.
Ji Yeon Kwon of South Korea
(56) stumbles but springs back
up during her event.
AT RIGHT: (clockwise
from top left) Blaine Schulz of
Team USA (271) celebrates the
i P
�t
ah`
(56) stumbles but springs back
up during her event.
AT RIGHT: (clockwise
from top left) Blaine Schulz of
Team USA (271) celebrates the
completion of his race. Members
of the Hong King team gather
for a team photo. Werner
Stadelwieser of Austra (69) is all
smiles after completing his heat.
ACROSS THE
BOTTOM: As with any
athletic competition, the World
Winter Games had its share
of exhausted athletes and
celebrations.
Photos for The Star -News by Matt Moehr
Photography and Gary Ertter, page design by
Tom! Grote
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