November 19, 2004
Moultrie- "It's very exciting. He's already got two in there," says Sonia Garcia.
Garcia is one of the proudest mothers in the crowd of spectators for the floor hockey match.
"I don't have words for it. I makes me feel so good. I get chills. I'm so happy hearing people shouting and making him get energy and power to go out there. His doing real good," Garcia says.
She can't help but cheer for her son Jonathan, one of the members of C.A. Gray Bulldogs unified team.
"We have traditional teams that participate, and those are teams that are special students with special needs, or special adults. And we have unified teams which combine both special needs students and students that are involved in regular education classes," explains Brian Law, one of the members of the Special Olympics Management Team.
Floor hockey is just one of the events at the indoor winter games where special olympians can show their skills and compete for top honors.
Half-way through the skating competition five-year old Taylor Jones has already rolled his way into first place, twice.
"I have strong legs," he says.
Just like other athletes, these olympians are counting on practice to make perfect.
"Every Friday and Saturday night I come skate," says 10-year old Tyler Turner.
Jones says the competition makes him feel happy, a benefit his peers also receive even if they don't take home a first place prize.
Four hundred students from Colquitt, Dougherty, Mitchell and Thomas counties competed in Friday's Special Olympic games.
Posted at 4:35 PM by elaine.armstrong@walb.com
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