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Special Olympians succeed by leaps and bounds at meet
By ANN MARIE SHAMBAUGH, Community Editor
The Little Elm Athletic Complex was teeming with Olympic athletes adorned in medals Thursday morning during the inaugural Special Olympics track meet.
Special needs students from Little Elm, Frisco, Denton, and Keller ISDs competed in various track events for medals and the chance to make their school proud. Several schools from around the Little Elm school district took a break from class to watch the track meet under a warm sunny sky.
Students from Jenny Gaddis’ second-grade class at Cesar Chavez Elementary shook handmade noisemakers and waved personal signs to cheer on the athletes. The class had prime seating along the track’s main straightaway.
Gaddis’ students cheered “You’re No. 1!” to athletes as they competed in walking and running races just feet away. Students all over the stadium cheered enthusiastically, waved their hands and brandished signs of encouragement throughout the morning.
About 100 Little Elm High School student volunteers participated more directly by acting as a “buddy” with an athlete to bring encouragement and friendship throughout the day.
LEHS junior Kellie Anderson decided to volunteer because she thought it sounded fun. She met her athlete the morning of the meet, and after just a couple of hours the two had already bonded.
“She’s the coolest kid ever,” Anderson said.
Cathy Wood, administrative assistant to the superintendent, spent the morning handing out gold, silver and bronze medals to the winners, and ribbons to all participants. She said the athletes were thrilled to receive an award, no matter where they placed.
“It was great,” Wood said. “The kids were so excited, and we were really trying to make it a big deal.”
The morning began with a torch run from the district’s administration building on Lobo Lane to the track, where the torch was handed off to Superintendent Steve Murray and a Special Olympics athlete for the first leg of the lap around the track. After the cauldron was officially lit, the athletes walked around the track, waving and smiling at the cheering crowd.
After Lakeside Junior High School student Raven Void sang the national anthem, the athletes recited the Special Olympics creed in unison before the games began.
Girls competed in track events while boys gave their all in field events during the first half of the morning. After a group macarena dance, they swapped competitions.
Winners proceeded to white tents to claim their medals, followed by friends and family members beaming with pride.
“I like to be a winner,” said Little Elm student and long-jump champion Josh Bippus with a smile. He also said that the experience was “awesome” for him, a sentiment with which most of the athletes agreed by their continuous smiles.
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