Harvard Hosts MA Special Olympics

Harvard’s athletic facilities remain quiet most weekends during the summer months—but this past weekend, the bleachers were packed with spectators, the tracks were busy with runners, and the courts were abuzz with competition.

Sausages sizzled on grills and "Who Let the Dogs Out” blasted from the speakers, as Miss Massachusetts Teen USA made an appearance and cheered from the sidelines for the sprinters bolting down the rubber at Harvard’s McCurdy Outdoor Track.

These athletes were not boasting the names of colleges on their uniforms, as normally seen on these tracks. Rather, the runners were representing their respective cities and towns at the 2010 Summer Special Olympics Massachusetts.

Held at Harvard's athletics facilities over the past weekend, the event drew approximately 2,500 athletes and coaches from around the state and thrust them into a fun-filled competition for the gold through a series of athletic competitions, ranging from gymnastics to aquatics to power lifting.

"This is the biggest event of the year for them,” said David Tynes, program coordinator of the Cambridge Program for Individuals with Special Needs, which sent 60 athletes to compete at the summer games. “It gives them a chance to measure their gains and improvements."

“For these guys it’s as much for their social as their physical wellness,” Tynes added.

But the event's festivities—facilitated by a bounty of pulled pork sandwiches and a car show featuring police cruisers—did not detract from the heated competition and athletic prowess displayed at the events.

Swimmers duked it out in the 200-meter freestyle at Blodgett Pool, gymnasts twirled and tumbled in the floor event at Gordon Indoor Track, and power lifters competed to see who could hoist the most iron at the Palmer Dixon Strength and Conditioning Center.

Moments after receiving the gold medal for beating out the competition in the softball throw by just one meter and 14 centimeters, Richard Romano relished in his victory: "It feels good."

But even those who experienced defeat kept their spirits high. “We’re just having fun,” Lamar Forte of Cambridge said after his volleyball team started the tournament 1-1.

On top of the competition and fun and games, the summer competition also provided an opportunity for the athletes to take advantage of health screenings. Thanks to the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Initiative and dozens of volunteers, participants were able to receive free dental, vision, foot, and hearing screenings—as well as massages.

“For a lot of our athletes, that’s their first [health screening],” said Jon Muskrat, special Olympics vice president for marketing and Ddevelopment.