Every Olympics is not special. But York County Special Olympics is, and here’s why
All over Cherry Park on Friday, balls were thrown, races were run and jumpers jumped. The annual Special Olympics took center stage. The Special Olympics is the largest, by number of participants, sporting event in a sports city that has sent many athletes to the NFL and major colleges.
There were no TV cameras at Cherry Park. No scholarships. No giant stadiums.
Just greatness.
Every one of the more than 1,300 athletes were stars.
Every one of almost a thousand volunteers also were stars.
The athletes get so much today. But we get more. It changes you. Today, after this, I am better than I was. Because of my friend.
Renee Hilton
They needed no stadium. Their hearts were larger than Williams-Brice or Death Valley.
Somehow, all that action seemed to stop, for one minute and 26 seconds on one of the ball fields. All that is the Special Olympics shone through as dozens and dozens of people cheered for someone who could not run.
Many had never met her.
Michelle Thomas of Fort Mill, 18, a Special Olympics athlete from Nation Ford High, was in the 100 yard dash. The leader for the event called out “Michelle is so special, she has her own race.”
Michelle had volunteers on either side, holding her arms, as she made her way down the race track. The spectators stopped and turned and cheered for this heroic girl who would not quit.
Some gravitated to the finish line.
At the end of the race, Michelle climbed up on the medal stand and received a gold medal. Her medal was for being the best she could be.
It’s simple. Every person can make this world a better place,” Clamp said. “Everyone matters. Everyone can do something, donate, help someone else.
Ann Clamp
The whole field cheered.
Similar scenes happened all over the fields as the athletes showed what it means to try. Rock Hill High’s Alexandria Carter, 16, ran that 100-yard dash and Renee Hilton, 16, was right there with her. Carter is the Special Olympics athlete, and Hilton was asked what she was.
Her answer was immediate and lit up the field.
“I’m her friend,” Hilton said. “The athletes get so much today. But we get more. It changes you. Today, after this, I am better than I was. Because of my friend.”
Then Carter and Hilton did what friends do: They hugged and held hands. They walked off to the next event. Together.
Even the tiniest kids with special needs had special friends. For the 23rd year in row, Ann Clamp’s eighth grade science students at Rawlinson Road Middle School went to the games as mentors for kids under age seven. Clamp sends her students out like Patton sent troops. She directs and assigns and then stands back and watches joy spread.
“It’s simple. Every person can make this world a better place,” Clamp said. “Everyone matters. Everyone can do something, donate, help someone else.”
Every teen was partnered up with a child. And the kids’ faces lit up when they had this bigger kid all to themselves. Clamp paired up two strangers who quickly were strangers no more. Mason Brancato, 5, a Special Olympian, and her student Michael Stinson.
“Mason this is Michael and he’s gonna be your buddy and your friend and you are gonna play,” Clamp said.
“Michael,” called out Mason.
It was windy Friday at the Special Olympics but a hurricane could not have torn Mason’s hand from Michael’s.
“Every kid needs a friend,” Michael beamed. “I am proud to have Mason as my friend.”
They ran off to jump and share and laugh.
Friends stick together at Special Olympics, Michael Stinson said.
He was asked why and he said words that will last as long as the gold on every kid’s medal:
“Because being somebody’s friend at Special Olympics is pretty special.”
Andrew Dys: 803-329-4065, @AndrewDysHerald
This story was originally published April 7, 2017 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Every Olympics is not special. But York County Special Olympics is, and here’s why."