Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Special Olympians are winners, even if they don't run too fast

Julia M. Dendinger News-Bulletin Staff Writer; jdendinger@news-bulletin.com

Belen The sun was high, and the colors were bright. There were orange Rio Rancho Rockets, purple Manzano Monarchs, gold Belen-Los Lunas Cobras and maroon Valencia Valiant Vikings. While not everyone was winner, everyone was a fan and supporter.

As each athlete crossed the finish line at the 2008 Special Olympics New Mexico Area 5 Summer Games, held at Belen High School this past weekend, all the teams and families let out a cheer. "They are all so supportive of each other," said Cobras coach Valerie Sarver. "They are the model of sportsmanship."

Amy Stewart, parent of a Special Olympian, agrees. Her son Billy has been participating in the Special Olympics for the last two years in the 50-meter run and the softball throw. "Everybody supports everybody," she said. "When you go to state, you meet so many people, and they are so great."

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Athlete Aaron Story says his two years with the program have been fun. "I just wanted to support the team," he said. "And have the experience of running against other people." Both Stewart and Storey are members of the local Cobras.

During a lunch break, Cobras coach Sarver talks about how she started coaching the team. "My aunt was a coordinator for Special Olympics New Mexico, and she was always saying to me, 'Come on, I need your help,' so I would end up selling shirts and things," she said. "I wanted to do something else to help, and it looked like a lot of fun."

Sarver now has five years of coaching Special Olympians under her belt, three with the Cobras, and says the experience has been great. "I don't know how else to say it, but they brighten up my day," she said. "They are happiest about the smallest thing, and they really focus on the good things in life."

Cobra Sam Santistevan will remind you that his first name is "Sam like samurai." Santistevan began participating in the Special Olympics in 1984 at age 8. "I do everything," he says. "But I'm taking a break from swimming." He shakes his head and points to his ears, indicating that they need a break from the water.

"You always learn more than you could ever teach them," says Sam's sister-in-law, Melissa Santistevan. "They don't let the little things get them down."

Since next year will be the fourth and final year for the area 5 games to be held in Valencia County, Sarver wanted to encourage anyone with a special needs athlete in their lives to come out and participate. "They change locations every four years," she said. "So one of the hardest things we have to do is make the public aware of the program. We want people to know that there is a place to go; a place where they can be on top."

After lunch, the afternoon finishes with the standing and running long jumps as well as the softball throws. Santistevan, who is the only running long jumper for the Cobras brings his own pen and paper so he can record his distances.

"I had a scratch on my first jump," he says, raking his fingers through the air. He turns to one of the volunteers measuring the jumps, asking where to pick up his first-place ribbon. The volunteer says the results haven't been tabulated yet.

"No, I'm serious," Santistevan says. "That's my ribbon."

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