Bowling tournament ‘breaks down barriers’
Special Olympics event more than competition for these participants
Athletes passed a red Olympic torch down a line at a bowling ally in northwest Houston.
Some grinned. Some danced. Some stood stoically
Wanda Christensen stepped up to read the athlete’s oath on Saturday morning as hundreds of others recited it back to her. After she finished, bowling kicked off for the day at Copperfield Bowling Center as part of a competition for Special Olympic athletes.
Christensen, 51, been participating in Special Olympics for more than 20 years. She was named its female Athlete of the Year for Greater Houston, an award bestowed to a nominee with at least five years with the group.
Christensen, who has intellectual disabilities, said she really enjoys bowling, especially because of the other players and her coaches. Her mom, Virginia Wells, 71, said she’s watched her daughter grow even more through participating in the sport.
“She’s become more mature,” Wells said. “Special Olympics gives her the opportunity to do things which she wouldn’t be able to. There’s a lot of young adults out there. I wish we could reach them all.”
A chance to participate
About 600 bowlers participated in six abilitybased divisions during the two-day competition. Awards and ribbons are given out after the competition, but program director Renee Klovenski said that as long as athletes participates, they qualify for the statewide competition in Austin in February.
And age doesn’t matter. Participants in the Houston competition range in age from 8 to in their 70s.
Special Olympics, a nonprofit organization, seeks to provide people who are affected by disabilities the chance to participate in a wide range of sports, including track, soccer, kayaking, cycling and even power lifting. More than 50,000 children and adults in Texas participate in activities through the program.
Sense of community
Christensen is the oldest on her bowling team of 36 members from Katy. Joanne Alley, 47, who coaches the Katy Wolf Pack, said they have people with all of kinds of disabilities, including autism and Down syndrome.
But Sandi Dancel, 68, who is the head of delegation for the Katy team, said the organization doesn’t just help the kids.
“This team brings parents together, and they can share resources, tears, happiness and so many things that they wouldn’t have a chance to do,” Dancel said.
When Wells and her daughter first moved to Katy four years ago from Nebraska, they said the program helped provide a sense of community.
Klovenski said she notices the self-confidence it brings out in participants. She watches as they interact with one another throughout competition.
“They’re high-fiving their friends, buddies and even people they’ve never met,” Klovenski said. “It breaks down that barrier for them, where they feel more confident to talk to someone and show them what they can do.
“So many times our athletes are told all the things they can’t do.”
Dancel notices the competitive spirit between participants. She said Christensen definitely wants to win, but is always there for her teammates.
“Even if they don’t (win), five minutes later they’re cheering for the next person, and their hearts are bigger than you could ever imagine,” Dancel said.