2013 Winter Special Olympics New Jersey

The 2013 Special Olympics New Jersey Winter Games was hosted in Mountain Creek and Skylands Ice World on February 4 through 6th. The Winter games features sports in alpine skiing, x-country skiing, figure skating, speed skating, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation created this event and the Winter Games are authorized and accredited by the Special Olympics, Inc. for the Benefit of the Personas with Intellectual Disabilities. Special Olympics is a worldwide program that offers sports competition and training to individuals with intellectual disabilities, no matter the severity of the disability. The Winter Games is one of four statewide competitions held annually by Special Olympics New Jersey. The Olympics has a distinct mission to deliver their athletes with a wonderful experience by giving them the opportunities to develop physical fitness, gain confidence, and enjoy participating in their sport with their families and all those who attend.^[1]

Genuine Jersey Pride

Genuine Jersey Pride is what defines the Special Olympics New Jersey. All those hosting this event, those who attend, and participate feel privileged to witness an athlete with an intellectual disability become a champion during the games.^[1]

Athlete Eligibility

When the Special Olympics program was started there was a requirement for an eight-year-old to be reviewed by a professional as having an intellectual disability which is a “cognitive delay as determined by standardized measures such as intelligence quotient or generally accepted measures” or a developmental disability which are described as “functional limitations in both general learning and adaptive skills.” Thus recently, The Young Athlete Program was created to reach the two-and-a half to seven year olds to teach them the basics of sports movement, and prepare the younger athletes for their awaited Special Olympics participation.^[1]

2013

The 2013 Olympics began with the gathering of approximately 300 athletes and their friends and families at the Red Tail Lodge. The Opening Ceremonies began at 7:30 PM and was hosted by Rich Dwyer who was a volunteer this year. After various speakers like Don Flaght, Bradford Johnson, and Mayor Vic Marotta, a torch procession down the mountain followed with a ski patrol-lit path. The honored torchbearer was Becky Grant from Somerset County. The entire ceremony was concluded with fireworks.

The following two days, February 5 and 6, held the games in two locations, Mountain Creek and Skylands Ice World. Mountain Creek hosted skiing, snowboarding and show shoeing from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM while Skylands Ice World hosted figure skating and speed skating from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM. This year was the first to hold a new event for athletes ages 7 and younger. “Riglet Park” is a snowboarding event that provided the prospective young athletes with their first introduction to snowboarding and sliding on snow.^[2]

Volunteer

The Special Olympics allows anyone to volunteer as long as those individuals agree to abide by their code of conduct and are willing and excited to help out and get involved with the athletes. They offer people to be escorts, coaches, and help out in any way while being respectful and careful in supporting the athletes and their goal to win. A volunteer spoke on behalf of the volunteers and they told me that "interacting with the athletes just thrills them. They love seeing new people and making friends. They love the support and as a volunteer it is amazing to have someone appreciate you for what you are doing when all the athletes want is to have fun and be supported." The volunteer that reported is 19 years old and the 2013 Special Olympics is her 2nd time volunteering.^[3]

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