A special team
The athletes and their coaches
Special Olympics is an international program of year-round sports training and athletic competition for more than one million children and adults who are intellectually challenged.
Through this, children and adults with intellectual disabilities are given the chance to develop physical fitness, show courage, experience joy and friendship.
A doxology from the SPED-ISEC students brought
smiles to the audience
Alexander Babs, national executive director of the Special Olympics Philippines and a father of a special child, said that the program was patterned after the way that regular World Olympics in Beijing, China is being handled. "There is one difference --- the policy of exclusion. In the regular competition, there are three medals --- gold, silver and bronze. In the Special Olympics, the athletes are placed in divisions that encourage their ability to perform. "That is why athletes are able to show their best," he said. "It is pure sports. Pure amateurism," he added.
Dance from Bahay Dalangpan Boys
He said that these days, sports has become commercialized. "Athletes are paid by the millions. Hardly will you see one who will participate because one loves the sport, but rather, one will take part because it is one's bread and butter. In Special Olympics, we are there to accept the disability of a person and recognize one's ability to perform like the rest of society."
Dance from Bahay Dalangpan Boys
On Sept. 28 to Oct. 12, 2007, the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games will be held in Shanghai, China and 7,000 special athletes from 160 countries will converge and compete in 22 games.
This is a memorable event for Iloilo City because we are fielding eight athletes, five coaches and three support staff. The athletes are Tanya Denamarca, Carmella Rose Villaruel, Nelson Magahum and Julius Granada for aquatics; Nemia Yao and Joby John Pama for table tennis; Christine Galura for rhythmic gymnastics; and Louies John Deoclongon for power lifting. Their coaches are Edvin Cabrera, Mary La Verne Iquina, Mary Gen Mahinay, Gilbert Cang and Emelita Gepigon.
Ikembot Mo
All of them were presented before the public last Aug. 15, 2007 at the Iloilo City Social and Cultural Hall.
The athletes are students of Special Education Integrated School for Exceptional Children (SPED-ISEC).