Special Olympics World Games Recap From Long Beach

If you haven’t been to the Special Olympics, you missed out! It’s been an exhilarating display of athletic competition from remarkable athletes from all over the world. Over 6,500 athletes from 165 countries showcased their talents in a variety of sports like badminton, baseball, basketball, track, soccer, volleyball and many more.

What stood out to me aside from the emotion from every athlete competing is the tremendous support from the fans in attendance. Kudos certainly go out to the 30,000 volunteers, law enforcement and medical staff donating their time to assist fans and participants.

It was a beautiful scene to see the multitude of cultures reunited throughout our city of Los Angeles. Not since the Olympics in 1984 has LA hosted an event of this magnitude. As the competition came to a close this weekend (August 1) an everlasting impression will forever stay in my heart. The overwhelming support from people making their way out to the venues in the scorching heat to cheer on the athletes at the Special Olympics says a lot about our community.

It’s been a pleasure for some of our writers at LA Sports Hub to have the honor of covering the World Games. Through the images we have provided to the excellent coverage from ESPN, this incredible celebration has been an inspiring journey. Each competitor had a unique story of heart break and perseverance. Thousands of miles they flew to be on this stage, countless hours of training and sacrifice to prepare them for this event and a heart of a champion to never give up hope.

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Through six days of competition, the World Games began with an exciting opening ceremony at the LA Memorial Coliseum. A memorable scene as all the competitors walked through the ceremony accompanied by celebrities and pro athletes.

The triathlon was probably the most exciting event for me since it was the first event in my hometown of Long Beach. From start to finish the competitors began with a difficult 750 meter open swim followed by a 12 mile bike ride and culminating with a 3.1 mile run towards the finish line.

A physically demanding sport however you slice it. To watch the joy in their faces while crossing the finish line was a touching moment. The sense of accomplishment after the difficult competition while enduring the blazing heat. I felt a sense of pride as USA’s Noah Dellas took the gold in the competition. Once again, the overpowering support from the spectators for each and every contestant was simply special to be around.

Other events that I got the chance to cover during the Special Olympics were open swimming, beach volleyball and sailing. My biggest takeaways from those events were the sportsmanship amongst the competitors. The encouragement by each athlete towards the other was something we don’t see in sports any more. Despite being rivals (temporarily), they picked each other up if they saw a fellow competitor struggling. They greeted each other at the finish line, congratulating one another. Emotional hugs and tears of joy in this melting pot of cultures that share the most universal symbol of happiness – a smile.

The last event I got the chance to cover was a sport that tested the athletes’ endurance and mental strength. A grueling 13.1-mile half marathon through the streets of Long Beach in which 28 athletes were joined by other runners as they ran to the sound of roaring cheers from the crowd. Each runner had the look of determination to complete the run completely ignoring Mother Nature’s heat. At each corner of the course, fans encouraged the runners. Whether the long distance runner was passing the halfway point or towards the back of the pack, the crowd lifted every last competitor.

Every last runner who crossed the finish line was welcomed with loud cheers and countless high-fives from volunteers, media, fans and fellow runners. A great accomplishment for all athletes as their emotions overcame them as they completed the run. Tears and screams from the victors upon completing the run, the warm embraces they shared with each other and the family members accompanying their runners with proud tears at the finish line just filled your own heart with emotion.

A truly awe-inspiring event our crew here at LA Sports Hub has enjoyed. It’s a shame it has to end. The majority of the games were held at UCLA, USC and Long Beach. Log on to www.la2015.org for the recap and details of all the competitions. The Special Olympics shared countless moments on their social media from the 27 venues holding events.

Thank you to the Special Olympics committee for holding this magnificent event in our beautiful city of Los Angeles. We were truly humbled to be part of the largest sports and humanitarian event in 2015.