NSSRA Sending 21 Athletes to June 12-14 Special Olympics Illinois State Summer Games
Northbrook – June 9, 2015 – This weekend 21 NSSRA Gator athletes will descend on Bloomington-Normal to compete in Illinois Special Olympics’ annual State Summer Games.
The Gators will compete in bocce, powerlifting, swimming, and track and field. In order to qualify each athlete was required to win first place at each sport’s respective regional competition. In May NSSRA’s track team walked away with 15 gold medals at the Special Olympics District Track Meet. Even better, each of the team’s 12 athletes qualified for the Summer Games, the first time an entire team has qualified in NSSRA’s 45 year history. Additionally, NSSRA is sending four bocce players, four powerlifters and one swimmer to compete in the Summer Games.
NSSRA’s athletes won 34 gold, 18 silver and 12 bronze medals in qualifying competitions, with some athletes qualifying for more than one event. “The coaching staff couldn’t be more proud of the athletes and their effort this season. So many of them were asked to try new events or new techniques and they never hesitated. They always rose to the challenges presented to them,” said Mark Schultz, NSSRA Recreation Specialist for Athletics & Fitness.
The Gators range in age from 10 to 57, and 10 of the 21 athletes are competing at state for the first time this year. Ten coaches will accompany them to the competition. “With our teams only practicing once a week it’s hard to touch on everything,” continued Schultz. “Many of the athletes came to the coaches and asked for training they could be doing outside of practice to stay sharp or stay in shape. That extra effort really paid off. A lot of the athletes that were going above and beyond outside of practice are the ones who are making the trip down state this weekend.”
The Illinois State Summer Games are held annually at Illinois State University, attracting over 4,000 athletes from districts throughout the state.
NSSRA Gator Athletes
Bocce
Randy Huffmaster, Highland Park
Mollie O’Connell, Northfield
Christopher Shaw, Highland Park
Vicki Shaw, Highland Park
Powerlifting
Michael Daugerdas, Wilmette
Bill Fisher, Highland Park
Bryan Parent, Wilmette
Michael Stack, Highland Park
Swimming
Tim Siebert, Lake Bluff
Track & Field
Maddy Gillespie, Northbrook
Sam Green, Winnetka
Mikey Hull, Deerfield
Megan Langner, Highland Park
Miguel Lara, Highland Park
Katie Livingston, Winnetka
Dianna Mann, Highwood
Sam Mitchell, Highland Park
Jackie Richardson, Highland Park
Alison Shapiro, Highland Park
Luke Toussaint, Glenview
John Wrenn, Wilmette
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NSSRA provides and facilitates year-round recreation programs and services for children, teens and adults with disabilities who live in the partner communities. NSSRA is an extension of ten park districts, two cities and one village in the northern suburbs of Chicago. This partnership includes the Park Districts of Deerfield, Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, Lake Bluff, Kenilworth, Northbrook, Northfield, Wilmette and Winnetka; the Cities of Highwood and Lake Forest; and the Village of Riverwoods. NSSRA has been creating an environment of belonging through play since 1970, and has the distinction as the first Special Recreation Association in the country. For more information about NSSRA and the programs and services they provide visit www.nssra.org.
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, 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 Olympics athletes and the community. Special Olympics Illinois, part of the global Special Olympics family, opened its first games at Soldier Field in 1968. In the years since they have grown to provide opportunities for over 20,000 Illinois athletes with intellectual disabilities in all 102 counties. For more information about Special Olympics Illinois, visit www.soill.org.