The rain tapered off just in time for Atlanta Public Schools to hit an important milestone Wednesday: its 30th annual Track & Field Special Olympics at Lakewood Stadium.
More than 500 special needs students from 52 schools came out to compete in the standing long jump, the 25- and 50-meter dashes, wheelchair races and softball throws among other events.
Students entered the stadium grouped by school. They waved and smiled — sometimes sheepishly — at cheering spectators. Schools wore different colored T-shirts commemorating the event’s 30th anniversary. The South Atlanta High School marching band followed the students on to the field, playing proudly.
The opening ceremony included good wishes from Atlanta Superintendent Bryan Johnson and school board chair Erika Mitchell. A group of students also read the Special Olympics athlete oath, “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Taka Hines, the district’s Special Olympics coordinator, has been working on the event since January. That’s also when she registers the athletes, meaning they’re not just registered with APS, but also with the state.
“So they are able to compete or try out for state Games, state Olympics,” she said. “They are official Special Olympians.”
APS has been hosting the event in some form since 1981. Back then, it was more like a field day, Hines said. Eventually, the event became sanctioned by the Special Olympics, a national athletic competition for people with disabilities.
Hines coordinates the district’s adaptive PE teachers who train the athletes for the event.
“We don’t have a large team (of teachers), but they are able to cover all the Atlanta Public Schools athletes who come to our yearly event,” she said.
Shateena Love, the assistant superintendent of exceptional student programing for APS, said she looks forward to the event each year.
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“I feel like this is the one of the moments that our students are the most free, the most happy about … just shining in whatever their ability is,” she said.
Athlete Justin Thompson, an 8-year-old student at Peyton Forest Elementary School, was preparing for his event by biting into a cream-stuffed doughnut. He said he was excited about competing.
“My name is Justin and I can run superfast,” he said.
His father, Troy Thompson, said it was an important day for his family.
“It means the world that the public schools in the system of Atlanta can be inclusive to everyone,” he said. “My wife is up in the stands. We love to come here every year so (Justin) gets a chance to do different activities.”
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