A Day of Competing

Michael Rosedale displaying his medals

A Day of Competing 

As the winding and mountainous roads of West Virginia were vacuumed beneath the hood of the silver car, a sign slowly drifted towards the front windshield that read, “Welcome to Hampshire County, West Virginia’s Oldest County.” Hampshire High, which is located it Romney, West Virginia held its annual Special Olympics out on Rannells Field on April 26^th in order to give special needs individuals a chance to compete in athletic competitions.

            As large groups of people made their way down to the track and into the stands an announcer from inside the booth began making announcements for the first completion that was to take place. First up was the men and women’s 400-meter dash.  Handfuls of people of all ages were lined up at the starting line and with a quick hand motion were running full speed around the track. Some of the other competitions included long and short distance walking, long jumping, and a softball throwing. Even though the day started out as a dreary and overcast day, it wasn’t long before the sun broke through the clouds and made it the perfect temperature for an entire day of competitions.

            Along with the actual competition there were also a number of activities for other kids to participate in even if they weren’t competing. One station that was set up had a see saw that the kids would stomp on to launch a beanbag into a bucket of water and another one was a wood cutout of a catcher with a hole in it, so that kids could try to get softballs through the hole. There was even a concession stand set up with free hotdogs and drinks for people who were participating in any of the events. Needless to say, the hotdogs were a hot commodity.

             One of the biggest accomplishments of the Hampshire Special Olympics is that they focus not on who wins but rather having fun while also being able to compete. When asked what is important for people to know about the Special Olympics, Erin Cheshire-Jenkins, who works with the Hampshire County Special Services Center answered, “Regardless of physical limitations everyone deserves the same opportunities to succeed.” The competitors in the Special Olympics train all year in order to participate in their particular event so it is an incredibly big deal for each person to be able to participate.

            Overall there are a total of 10 different schools and organizations that come together in order to make this event happen. Each of the organizations brings a different set of contestants to the table, but everybody ends up competing in friendly competitions together in order to create a closer community. Having proudly won two gold medals, Michael Rosedale, a contestant in the Special Olympics states, “ It’s not about winning. It’s about having fun.”