By Lisa Moore
Hometown Weekly Contributor
The Special Olympics of Massachusetts held its Summer Games this past weekend at Harvard University, bringing out thousands of athletes and volunteers from across the state. The athletes competed in events spanning aquatics, gymnastics, power lifting, track and field, volleyball, and tennis. The mission of the Special Olympics, founded in 1968, “is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympic athletes and the community.”
Participants have been training for months at their respective sports and competed in qualifying events in the weeks leading up to the Summer Games. With the help of thousands of volunteers, the athletes, some looking to exceed their personal best attempts at their event and others looking to take home the gold, gave their all. The motto of the Special Olympics, recited by the athletes at opening ceremonies is: “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” Athletes showed courage and determination, sportsmanship and dedication as they competed against their peers.
Several Wellesley residents competed in this year’s games, while others were on hand to volunteer and assist athletes throughout the weekend-long competition. It was an inspiring weekend, and volunteers and athletes alike were all winners in the end.Special Olympics holds Summer Games
