Date: Fri 25-Jun-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Special-Olympics-soccer-Vouros

Full Text:

Special Olympics Celebrates Its 30th Year In Fine Fashion

(with cut)

BY SHANNON HICKS

FAIRFIELD -- Over 2,000 athletes -- and nearly double that number of volunteer

coaches and volunteers in other areas -- spent three days devoting their time

to reaching for the gold earlier this month. Many went home having attained

that gold -- the gold medal of Special Olympics -- while others went home

wearing perhaps a silver or bronze medal or even a ribbon for their efforts.

Some athletes even went home medal- or ribbon-less.

But at the close of the weekend of June 4-6, there were no losers leaving the

campus of Fairfield University or Sacred Heart University. The 30th annual

gathering that was the 1999 Special Olympics Connecticut (SOC) Summer Games

produced more winners than those who stood on various podiums during the

three-day weekend.

The Summer Games weekend is the largest competitive weekend of the year-round

Special Olympics program. Competition is divided between the two campuses, and

this year a grand opening ceremony welcomed thousands of spectators to The

Ballfield at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, where invited guests and dignitaries

officially opened the Games.

Athletes from across the state convened in Fairfield to compete in their

summer games of choice. There were competitions Saturday and Sunday in

aquatics, athletics (track and field events), cycling, gymnastics, masters

sports (including bocce skills, horseshoes skills, croquet skills and golf

skills), masters racewalking, powerlifting, soccer and tennis.

As is tradition, the weekend started long before the athletes, individually or

as teams, arrived in Fairfield. The Olympic Torch made its way across the

state for the 13th time beginning Wednesday, June 2, starting from three

different points in the state.

One of the ideas behind the torch is to bring the flame through as many towns

and cities in the state before it reaches the opening ceremonies. The flame

had three starting points this year, allowing the Olympic torch to be seen in

100 of Connecticut's towns.

On Friday, June 4, the three individual flames caught up with each other in

Fairfield, melding into one single flame and arriving at The Ballpark at

Harbor Yard that evening to officially mark the opening of the Games.

Police officers carried the flame along its routes, one of which ran down

Route 7. A second torch route came right through Newtown, carried by, among

others, Newtown Police Lieutenant David Lydem, Captain Michael Kehoe and

Officer Patricia Tesla. Estimates say nearly 3,500 law enforcement officers

ran one or more segments of the route this year, either as a carrier or

"protector of the flame."

Special Olympics athletes were invited to run one-mile segments of the torch

routes, accompanying the police officers who were carrying the flame. It is a

special honor to be asked to run with the flame, and the athletes take it very

seriously.

Among the athletes who were invited to run a leg of the Torch Run this year

were Candy Hogenaut and Chad Tihor. Candy and Chad ran one mile along the

Route 7 corridor near the "four corners" intersection with Route 25, joining a

group of five state officers who welcomed the athletes for the early morning

run.

Both athletes were members of the Greater Danbury Area contingency, the second

largest representational area at the Games. Over 200 athletes from Danbury,

Bethel, Monroe, New Fairfield, New Milford and Newtown competed under the

Greater Danbury banner. The Greater Hartford Area group was the largest

representative team this year, with over 400 athletes.

Among the athletes from Newtown this year were Robin DePerrio and Meg Riley.

Both girls participated in the gymnastics competition for "Team Newtown" under

the guidance of their coach, Jane Vouros, who also is a resident of Newtown.

Team Newtown won gold and bronze medals for their efforts.

Newtown athletes were also among the members of the two traditional/5-A-Side

Greater Danbury Area soccer teams this year. Soccer competition began Saturday

morning, with the Greater Danbury Leapin' Lizards and Greater Danbury

Sidekicks playing two games that day. By Saturday afternoon, the Lizards were

working with a 2-0 record, and the Sidekicks were sporting a 1-1 record.

kOn Sunday, the two teams again played. A morning game pitted the Sidekicks

against the Seaside/Saybrook Dropkicks, with the Sidekicks gaining another win

for its record.

A game at high noon actually had the two Danbury teams facing off against each

other for the medal round. At the end of play, the Leapin' Lizards emerged the

gold medal team, with their Greater Danbury Area Sidekicks counterparts going

home with the gold.

The next major event for Special Olympics on the international level is the

10th Special Olympics World Summer Games, which begin this weekend and will

continue through July 4 in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary (Triangle),

North Carolina.

Locally, Special Olympics athletes may have won their medals or ribbons

earlier this month at the Summer Games, but their competitive spirit is not

diminished. Teams are already forming for the annual softball tournament,

which is held each year during August in Vernon.

Practices begin on June 29 in Bethel for the Greater Danbury Area softball

teams, and will begin in July at Richter Park in Danbury for individual

athletes who wish to compete on the golf course later in the fall.