After an exciting and successful Special Olympics basketball season, Shelby County Board of Developmental Disabilities (SCBDD) staff and volunteers are looking forward to our upcoming track and field event. Practices are underway to prepare Special Olympics athletes for a fun and competitive event.
Although this event will look different than past years, our goal is to provide an opportunity for athletes to gain competitive experience and qualify for more competition outside of Shelby County. This means that in future years, our athletes will be able to qualify for regional or state-level Special Olympics events. Special Olympics Ohio is a separate organization than the 88 local Special Olympics chapters. In order to qualify to participate in state events, local and regional events must be held to certain rules.
This year, our track and field event will be held on April 29 at 11 a.m. at the Sidney High School track. We are working with over 50 athletes who are planning on participating in the meet. Events offered will include Wheelchair Racing (separate events for electric and manual chairs), Shotput Throw, Softball Throw, 50 Meter Run and a 25 Meter Assisted Walk, among several other events. Special thanks to Sidney City Schools for allowing us to use their space.
SCBDD staff are hard at work preparing for this day, and we could not manage it without some amazing volunteers. We have been able to recruit volunteers with experience with track and field events and will help ensure that the day runs smoothly. Volunteers are led by our SCBDD Community Education and Outreach staff, as well as our Finance and Operations Director Tyler Davis, who has collegiate track and field experience.
If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about Shelby County Special Olympics or more about what the Shelby County Board of DD does in our community, please contact us at 937-497-8155. You can also check out our website at www.shelbydd.org and follow us on social media to stay up to date with current happenings at the Shelby County Board of DD.
The writer is the superintendent of the Shelby County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
