Special Olympics Celebration At Grand Prix
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Some of the island’s top Special Olympics track and field athletes will showcase their talents as part of the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix at the Flora Duffy Stadium on April 28.
The Special Olympics Celebration will run from 3.45 pm to 4.30 pm and feature some of the athletes who represented Bermuda with distinction at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin last summer.
Although the Special Olympics athletes also had offers to compete at the recent Carifta Games in St George’s, Grenada, and the upcoming Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Sacha Richardson, the Special Olympics Bermuda board chair, said the opportunity to perform in front of a home crowd on such a prestigious stage was unmissable.
“We jumped on the invitation because it’s such an excellent opportunity for our athletes,” Richardson told Bernews.
“A big draw for us is that it’s in Bermuda. The Penn Relays and the Carifta Games were also great opportunities, but we’ve never previously had a chance to compete at this level at home.
“Very rarely do people get to see our athletes in competition locally.”
Richardson believes the Grand Prix is the perfect platform to highlight the resilience, courage and determination of the island’s Special Olympics athletes and raise awareness of such a supportive and inclusive community.
“It’s a prime opportunity for our athletes and a prime opportunity for our community to see our athletes do what they do best in their home country,” she said.
“Our athletes can do amazing things; it’s just that they have a disability that makes it more challenging. When they achieve amazing things, it makes it even more inspiring.
“For them to compete at a world-class event with world-class athletes in their company is wonderful.
“It’s a perfect opportunity for both sides to see what training and dedication brings.”
Special Olympics Bermuda will also hold the Invitational Games at the Flora Duffy Stadium on April 15 to help its athletes prepare for the Grand Prix.
Some of the events will be used as qualifiers for the meet.
For more information on the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix, click here.
