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Where they are champions
By ADRIENNE P. SAMUELS LARGO -- I am the greatest!" he shouted, pointing one finger up in the air and turning so the crowd could see the number 1 written in black ink on his shoulder. He eyed the gold medal sitting on a table near the Olympic staging area. It sent shivers up his spine. "I am the champ." No, this wasn't Muhammad Ali strutting his stuff Friday morning, seconds after a fierce contest to place in the 100-meter backstroke. It was Brandon Sanford, 19, of Pensacola, realizing he won a gold medal for the second year in a row at the Special Olympics Florida State Aquatics Championships. "I feel like a winner," said the dark-haired, developmentally disabled teen. Nearly 950 athletes are in the Tampa Bay area this weekend competing in the 2002 Special Olympics State Championships. The swimming competition began Friday at the Southwest Recreational Complex in Largo, and it resumes today. Softball games and other individual skills competitions will continue today at Ed Radice Park in Tampa and the Eddie C. Moore complex in Clearwater. Athletes are separated into divisions of like abilities for competition. Everyone goes home a winner, whether they get the gold, silver or bronze or one of the other ribbons that go to the other finishers. An all-day sprinkling of rain Friday didn't stop the show or the smiles. Provided the lightning alarm didn't sound, the pool in Largo stayed surrounded by makeshift tents, bottles of Gatorade, 330 pairs of multicolored flip flops and the cheers of athletes, their parents and coaches. Before leaping into a 50-meter butterfly or breaststroke, swimmers recited the Special Olympics Oath: "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." They are words to live by, said Dina Lista, 22, of St. Petersburg. Lista, an Olympian for years, serves as a "global messenger" for the Special Olympics. Part of her job means hobnobbing with the mayors of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, explaining what to expect when their towns become Special Olympics venues. A swimmer, Lista also helps her team focus, egging them on in relay events, in which each team member swims 50 meters of one stroke before tagging the next swimmer. "I usually say, 'Good luck, I hope you win, ' " Lista said. The peer coaching must work because Pinellas County will send four Special Olympians to the world championships in Dublin, Ireland, next year. Going are swimmers Claudia Nelson and Stephanie Parr, bowler Troy Henry and track athlete Rachel Yates. "It's so inspiring," said Sue Wertz of Clearwater, who is pursuing her bachelor's degree in education from the University of South Florida. Degree requirements meant Wertz had to spend 20 hours with the Olympians, but now she willingly works "volunteer overtime." "I just got close to the kids," she explained. "Once I start something I have a hard time quitting." The games grow on the Olympians too, said some parents. Not only do their kids get a chance to be really good at something, they often open up and gain confidence. "It's a chance to excel as an individual, you know?" said Stew Hudson of Seminole County as he watched his 21-year-old son, Aaron, warm up in the practice swim lane. The Special Olympians are often in better shape than their coaches and parents. After all, it takes a lot to swim 100 meters while doing the breaststroke. "These kids go through life having to be helped with everything," Hudson said. "This is something they can do by themselves." Some of the Olympians compete in events so strenuous, they have no challengers in Florida. One is Joanne Counelis, 50, of Lake Mary, who swims 200 meters. She must race against her own times. "I went to the world games in 1997, and I want to do it again," she added. "When it comes to swimming, I am the best." That's exactly how an Olympian should feel, said Susan Hudson of Seminole County. "They may not be as fast as regular Olympians, but it means as much to them," Hudson said. "I think it gives them a feeling of self-confidence. When you're a normal person, it's important, but when you're special, it's even more important. It doesn't come easy for them." -- Adrienne Samuels can be reached at 445-4157 or samuels@sptimes.com
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