The Altona Panthers Special Olympics club was well represented at the track and field meet hosted by Special Olympics Manitoba last weekend.
Family and friends joined six coaches and 11 athletes from the Panthers club to compete in Selkirk on Saturday.
Submitted Photo
Events included the 50, 100, and 200 metre runs as well as long jump, shot put, and mini javelin.
The Panthers’ weekly practice sessions paid off in a big way, as the team had a strong showing with lots of ribbons earned, noted coach Jason Hildebrand.
“Everyone came away with a ribbon, so that was awesome,” he said. “Everyone just did amazing. Everyone had a great time. Everyone did really good in their events.”
There were multiple divisions in each event, with ribbons for the top finishers in each category.
“All our athletes did well … some first places, some seconds, some thirds,” said Hildebrand.
“It was a long day. We left Altona at 5:45, 6 a.m. on the bus for a long bus ride,” he shared. “They all did great. They were out there, and lots of cheering and lots of supporting each other … it was awesome, and it was so much fun.”
An event like this is a special thing for these athletes.
“Most of them have done it before, but some of them were first-timers,” Hildebrand said. “Last year it was cancelled because of the heat, so that was disappointing.
“They practiced for a couple months, and they just did a lot of hard work leading up to it, and then they all just did great,” he added. “You’ve got to love all their attitudes and happiness.”
