Special Olympics Georgia: “Bring out the Champion in Everyone.”
Left: Rahul Patel beams from his Gold Medal spot in 100 Meter track (14-18 age group) at the Special Olympics.
Right: Rohan Kapur again got a Gold in the 100 Meter Dash this year: the Champ is modest at the victory stand.
Special Olympics Georgia (SOGA) hosted its annual State Summer Games on May 17-19 at Emory University. Nearly 25,878 children and adults with intellectual disabilities enjoy participating in SOGA’s programs during the year, and more than 1,800 athletes and coaches participated in these summer games.
Athletes competed in aquatics, athletics, flag football, gymnastics, soccer, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball, with medals awarded throughout. The games were sponsored by Aetna.
“We know there will be tough competition but the athletes have trained hard and will do their personal best. We hope people from the community will come out and cheer on the athletes,” said SOGA CEO Georgia Milton-Sheats before the games.
On Friday morning, elected officials and law enforcement officers met in a press conference outside the State Capitol steps to tell how law enforcement officers from all over Georgia teamed up with SOGA leading up to the State Summer Games. The “Flame of Hope” that was carried in a 1,000-mile torch relay across the state had lit the cauldron early that morning in a dramatic opening of the games!
Athletes paraded into the field, led by three-time Olympian Hazel Clark and escorted by the Law Enforcement Torch Run Officers and Atlanta Silverbacks players. Games and parking were free and open to the public.
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