Special Olympics
by Barb Quaintance
Basketball. Bowling. Track and field. Softball. Aquatics. Soccer. Floor hockey. Volleyball. Bocce. Rhythmic gymnastics. Golf. Snowshoeing. Powerlifting. Tennis. MATP (Motor Activities Training Program).
Whew! Those are the Special Olympic sports in which Misericordia athletes participate. Some are team sports, some are individual sports, but they are all very special for these special athletes.
The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics gives them ongoing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with other Special Olympians and their families. Athletes must be eight years or older and have an intellectual disability. There is no upper age limit. Wheelchair athletes also participate in sports such as track-and-field, bocce, wheelchair racing and bowling.
Misericordia began participating in Special Olympics in 1978, with their first gymnastic and track-and-field teams. Today, 200+ athletes are involved, from all over campus and the CILAs. Most participate in multiple sports, with track-and-field, aquatics and basketball the most popular. Because Special Olympics operates year-round, athletes can play seasonal sports throughout the year. While many participants play the same sport every year, it’s not unusual for athletes to try something new each year/season.
The Chicago Park District administers the Special Olympics so athletes compete across the city. They often travel to regional or sectional competitions. The ‘big’ event is the state competition at Illinois State University. This year, Mis’ teams were particularly strong at the state competition in track-and-field and powerlifting.
Gail Wojciechowski, a Misericordia staff veteran of 50 years, leads Mis’ Special Olympic efforts, as well as other leisure sports on/off campus. You can hear Gail’s pride as she talks about the athletes. She emphasizes how important Special Olympic is to the athletes. They make a commitment to their sports. Some just enjoy participating and being with their friends—and others are fiercely competitive. But all of them take pride in their accomplishments.
Recently, Misericordia athletes participated in the Golden Games. These games were for retired athletes over age 45. They participated in sports such as bowling, track-and-field, softball, archery, fishing and bocce. For some of the athletes, the games included a 2-night stay at the Hilton. Fun was had by all!
Currently, the Special Olympic coaches are Tessa Kammer, Amanda Cipriani, Frankie Silva and Mary Ann Zielke, Jacob Green and Lilah Roth. The Recreation team also depends on volunteers who serve as coaches or assist with practice and the events. For anyone who is interested in volunteering, please contact Gail at:
Thank you to Gail, the coaches and all the volunteers for giving our residents the gift of Special Olympics.
