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University Daily Kansan, February 14, 1983
Upper right; Steve Thompson, Shawnee Mission school district student and Special Olympian, looks at Kami Rancharar from Kansas State University's Circle-K club.
Upper left; Michaela Baska, Kansas City, Kam, sophomore, helps a participant in the volleyball competition in the Special Olympics at Robinson Gynasium.
Above: three members of the Special Olympic's team practice before they start their volleyball game.
Photos by Larry George Story by Susan Stanley
Special Olympians vie for joy
Richard Wallace stood at the edge of the emity roller skating rink waiting to perform.
Wearing a yellow helmet and knee and elbow pads over his clothes, Richard, 11, listened for
As the theme song from "Charliots of Fire" began, Richard made his way slowly and a bit more rapidly.
He skated slowly, turning circles, doing slips and making small turns while the chic woman spiked.
Richard smiled and waved.
RICHARD, A VICTIM of Down's syndrome,
was one of 1,100 mentally and physically
handicapped athletes who took part in the
2015 Olympics winter games in Lawrence this weekend.
With every new trick, the audience clapped and observed, and Richard's smile grew.
He ended his performance with a low, sweeping bow.
When it came time for the awards ceremony, Richard proudly took his place on the highest stage.
After the announcer placed the gold medal around Richard's neck, he clapped his hands and ran out of the room.
It was the first time the games were in Lawrence, said Chris Haum, director of special populations for the Lawrence Parks and recreation department and planner for the games.
THE PLAYERS went to clinics and then competed in volleyball, roller skating and basketball.
Haun said the games were a chance for
community members and the handicapped to meet each other.
"About the only contact some people have with the retarded is seeing them drive by in the bus," he said. "They say, 'There goes the retard bus.' They never get to know them."
"School districts today don't help the problem," he said. "Because the students are separated from each other on purpose, they don't have contact."
Haun said that the athletes competed in three levels: éducable, trained and severely multi-
Tom Wilkerson, director of recreation services at Robinson Center, said that he had no problem with the program.
HE SAID ABOUT 250 students signed up to work.
Julie Hillstrom, Leawood junior, worked with the female bowlers who were older than 30.
"Since they were older, they already knew how to bow." she said. "In a lot of ways they knew."
"One lady would put the bail between her legs and wash it. She Kent getting strikes."
The athletes arrived by private car or bus early on Friday and stayed in local hotels.
"The hotel experience was good for the kids," said Linda Perky, a coach from the Shawnee team.
"They get to find out that we teachers are real people. While we are here it's not just 'straighten that line,' and 'no talking,' she said. "We can come up and hug them and say 'great job.'"
BRUCE WOODLAN and his wife, Mary, were among the blue-sweatshirt volunteers who
came with the 45 members of the Shawnee Mission group.
Bruce Woodland said, "We asked the leaders in there was anything that we could do, and they did."
"It gives them a chance to socialize and apply some of the things they learn in school to real life."
Nick Showmaker, one of the athletes from the Shawnee Mission group, said that he had bowled 177.5 yards.
"I practiced for a long time before I came, though," he said.
Perky said that she had mixed the age groups in the competitions and rooms at the hotels.
"WE MIXED THE older ones and the younger ones," she said. "That gave the older ones some touch over, which gave them a real sense of respect, which gave the older ones had someone like them to look up to."
Some multiple handcapped bowlers were able to bowl with the help of a metal ramp. The ball was placed on the ramp and the player pushed it down the ramp.
"It's not real bowling, but the kids love it," Perky said.
Saturday, the bowling alley used for the games, Royal Lanes, was packed with athletes,
Cindy Paul, coach and special education teacher from Emporia, watched the students she taught in classroom.
"THEY ARE GETTING a chance to meet with other people like themselves, they are having a great time and they are learning about companionship and team work," she said.
Members of the "Wings" team watch the action of the Special Olympics volleyball games.
Shane Collier and Macella Rogers, Shawnee Mission school district students, wait for their events to begin.