Special Olympics - Page 2

When the medals were being announced, Timmy stood up on the platform to receive his gold medal for throwing the softball 81 feet. But first, those who didn't "win" received Participants medals, and the supporters in the stands applauded and whistled just as loudly for them. When Timmy's name was announced, he clasped his hands over his face in excitement and thrust his fists high above his head in a victory salute. "All riiigghhtt!" Then he headed towards the stands.

"Good going, Tim," said his dad. Tim gave his mom a kiss, and Tim's sister Susanne and his Aunt Jo put their arms around him. Tim was part of their family. He wasn't an outsider. He was their son, and they were genuinely proud of his efforts. "He has come so much further than I ever dreamed he could when he was born," Mrs. Martin said. "And after being around him for 21 years, I forget he's handicapped."

I'm always so proud of Lifespring whenever I come to these kinds of events we assist in because I see us doing something positive to make the world a better place. My personal viewpoint is that the mentally retarded belong on earth as much as the stars and moon belong in the sky. For one thing, they are a reminder of my (our) never-ending social responsibility for one another. They bring out the "humanity" in me. As President Kennedy once said, a nation's greatness can be measured by the way it treats its weakest citizens.

It's an overwhelming feeling to watch these athletes give their best on the field, because the mentally retarded have always been told, "You can't do this." But Special Olympics says, "You can do it. All you need is a chance." And I strongly suggest you go out and support these participants and catch a sense of their joy, health, and spirit. It's contagious.

For me, in my life, watching these athletes showed me that it's not so much how well I perform as it is getting out there and DOING. And to the athletes themselves, you could see it didn't really matter who won or not. In their faces and in their sincere support of one another, their attempt was their win.