SMILES ALL AROUND
Special Olympics returns to Catoosa after three-year hiatus
The games and activities, events and awards, even the jumbotron at Don Patterson Field, said “Special Olympics”, but the atmosphere on the field this past Friday morning felt more like a long overdue family reunion.
For the first time since 2019, the Catoosa County Special Olympics returned to Ringgold High School and it was obvious, even before the opening ceremonies began, that everyone was happy to be back.
There were smiles, laughter, high-fives and hugs to go around as the county’s athletes got to see the familiar faces of friends and teachers from other schools.
There were the traditional events, of course, such as the 50-yard walk, the 100-yard dash, the long jump, the softball throw and the tennis ball throw, but the results themselves were secondary to the great time being had by athletes, teachers, fans and volunteers alike.
“I think they’ve missed it,” said Lakeview Middle School teacher Kristi Thomas. “They’ve asked every year and they’ve implied that they’ve missed it, so it’s an awesome feeling to see all of us come together with all of these different schools. I’m just happy to be here and I know the teachers and students are happy to be here.
“We’ve had students from other schools come up to us or come up to students from our school. It’s a special feeling, it really is.”
LFO teacher Nick Dunn said it was neat to see the community come together so the kids could relax and have fun.
“Just the social interaction and having people cheer them on is great,” Dunn said. “Life’s hard already, but to have the encouragement just to finish, it’s great for everybody and not just for the kids participating. It’s great for the other students that are watching and for the parents in the stands. As for me, it’s just the happiest day of the year and I’m super excited.”
While the athletes were competing in their designated individual heats, there were plenty of other games and activities going on in the Olympic Village portion of the field. Games like Giant Jenga and Giant Connect 4 drew a crowd, while impromptu dance parties, surrounded by bubbles as the music played, were a big hit among everyone in attendance.
That included the volunteers as many students helped run the events or served as “buddies” for the athletes, escorting them from station-to-station. They added a personal touch to the cheers coming from parents and other students shouting encouragement from the bleachers.
“It means a lot to be out here,” said Ringgold High’s Gage Keener, who spent the morning with classmate and athlete Chase Sholtz. “I’m already buddies with Chase during sixth-period class, so I know him and I know he’s fun to be around. I’m really having a good time just watching him have fun.”
Cooper Sexton, another RHS volunteer, echoed Keener’s sentiments.
“I have Leo (Mills) in my sixth block also and we hang out a lot,” Sexton said. “He’s a cool guy and it means a lot to me for him to have fun. It’s great to be able to come out here, play some games and stuff like that.”
While there were concerns about the
weather, the rain held off, much to the relief of Michelle Callahan, the individual coordinator for the Special Olympics at RHS. Callahan took over as the new coordinator for the entire Catoosa County
Special Olympics in September of 2022.
“I am so happy right now,” she beamed. “Everyone is having such a great time and all the kids are loving it. I’ve had so much help from the coaches at Ringgold to help get things set up all week, and all the other schools have been so cooperative with their athletes, getting their T-shirt sizes and everything. It’s been smooth and we had no rain today, which was good. The smiles on everybody’s faces is giving me a big smile.”
Callahan, who has worked with Special Olympics in the county for a number of years, said the day meant a great to her personally.
“I’m very passionate about Special Olympics and the kids in our community and in Catoosa County,” she added. “I’m just so thrilled to be back and I hope we can continue for years to come.”