MHCC hosts Special Olympics

This Sunday, Oct. 25, MHCC’s Aquatics Center will host the 2015 Special Olympics regional Aquatics Competition. Admission is free and the event kicks off at 10 a.m., continuing through the afternoon.

Serving Oregon since 1972, the Special Olympics provide individuals with intellectual special needs training to compete at a high standard.

“Each person has a ‘chance to be celebrated’ for their talents,” according to Mark Hanken, senior vice president of sports for the Oregon group. “Participants gain self-confidence, acceptance and respect. They develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics participants, and the community,” he said.

Currently, the Oregon Special Olympics serve around 12,000 individuals and hold fall, winter and spring sports competition at the regional level. This season, tournaments include volleyball, soccer, bowling and aquatics (bowling will be the only sport omitted from  state competition).

The Special Olympics is an annual event, but practices, coaching and training occurs throughout the year. Attendance is always free for these events and is greatly encouraged. According to Hanken, attendees are often one of the ways that people become involved as coaches, serve as volunteers and keep up with the program. He said that in many cases, attending Special Olympics is a life-changing experience.

“Many of our volunteers were spectators when they saw the talent, the true sportsmanship and the genuine joy. It’s hard to walk away and not come back,” he said.

As for the venue at MHCC, Hanken has only good things to say.

“We are so proud to partner with Mt. Hood Community College each year for this annual regional swim meet. We are also fortunate to work with MHCC to host our regional track meet every June. These great venues enable us to provide high-quality experiences for our athletes, coaches, volunteers and supporters each year.

“The continuity of having a ‘home’ at Mt. Hood Community College is something that our competitors really enjoy,” he said.

Stay tuned to the Advocate for a Special Olympics follow-up, where we will introduce you to some of the great athletes competing.

They include Elizabeth Bostrom, 44, freestyle swimmer and skier and winner of the Athlete Les Swab Pride and Performance award. She will be doing the 100-meter Freestyle, 200-meter Freestyle and the 4 x 50-meter Freestyle Relay, swimming the anchor leg at this weekend’s regional meet.

Another is Meagan Paxton, 36, another Les Schwab Pride and Performance award winner. She has attended in Special Olympics World Games three times: She competed in gymnastics in 1995, swimming in 1999, and  cross country skiing, in 2005. At the MHCC regional competition she will be doing the 200-meter backstroke, 200-meter individual medley, and the 4 x 50-meter medley relay, swimming the backstroke leg.

Bostrom and Paxton are two of four people to be included in next week’s coverage of the Special Olympics by the Advocate.

Upcoming regional Special Olympic events

November 21

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Aquatics at Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District (THPRD) Aquatic Center

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Soccer at Providence Park and Lincoln High School

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Volleyball

7 to 8:30 p.m. – Games ceremonies at Providence Park

November 22

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Soccer at Providence Park

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Volleyball at THPRD Athletic Center

Directions to the Aquatic Center can be found on MHCC’s website and as follows:

From I-84 take Exit 17 and follow the frontage road. Turn right onto 257th Avenue/Kane Drive, and continue south past Stark Street, to 17th Street and turn left. Take the first left after the soccer field and then left again into the Aquatic Center parking lot.

Advocate Staff