2014 Special Olympics USA Games Opening Ceremonies

Last night we had the HONOR of being invited to the 2014 Special Olympics USA games OPENING CEREMONIES to sit in one of the corporate suites with other members of the Young Athlete family.  Words can not express how excited we were to have the opportunity to be a part of such a big event.  It was put together to truly represent the spirit of the Special Olympics and to honor the athletes participating as champions.  

For this we decided that we were only going to bring Colin because we knew that it was going to be a very busy venue so Kailey spent the afternoon with Aunt Kimmy and Matt and had a lot of her own fun.  It turns out that it was a good decision because the show ended up being longer than we were expecting and I'm not sure that Kailey would have lasted as well as Colin did.  Considering all that went into the afternoon and evening, Colin was REALLY good and really enjoyed himself. 

 



 

 

This has now come up in conversation quite a few times lately with all of the great events we have participated in because of Colin, but if we were to look back just over 5 years ago, I don't think we ever in a million years expected THIS.  For us, being involved in the Special Olympics of NJ has been something pretty amazing and it's been so much fun watching Colin grow through the years as he participates in various events.  He has been building so many skills and accomplishing some great things.  Not only that, because of the SONJ and his involvement, he is really turning into quite the "politician".   He doesn't even need to be prompted to shake hands and "introduce himself" anymore and he knows where the cameras are at all times.  

 

While we were waiting to head into the building, we were able to watch as teams from states all over the country arrived and fans cheered them on as they made their way into the arena.  These athletes are so proud of what they do and why they are here.  I found myself getting choked up every time I watched another team walk by and as strangers stopped to shake hands and give high-fives. 

The arena was set up in a way to accommodate the 4,000+ athletes, coaches and families with a center stage where many people gave inspirational speeches and performances. 

 Oh, and the arena is the home of my favorite hockey team, the NJ Devils, so that was pretty neat too!

To start the night off, a Billy Joel band played a variety of his songs which Colin REALLY enjoyed.  He put on quite a show for all of the people around us as they enjoyed watching him play the various instruments the band played.  He only got nervous just as they were about to start and it got dark in there, but once he heard the music he was ready to go. 

Two special Olympic athletes presented all of the delegations from states around the country and it was really neat to watch them parade in to the arena.  Team NJ welcomed all of the athletes at their entrances and there was lots of cheering for all athletes.

 

While it took almost an hour for all of the athletes to parade in, Colin managed to cheer the entire time.  When team NJ entered the arena, the crowd erupted and it was quite awesome!

There were many highlights from the evening including performances, speeches from various celebrities, parents, unified athletes, and special Olympians themselves, the flag raising, and the lighting of the cauldron. 

 

It was a fabulous way to spend the night celebrating our own Special Olympian and made me feel hopeful, excited, and inspired for what Colin's future has in store for him.  Great things come when you BELIEVE... 

 

 

 

Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg



Today we had an amazing opportunity to participate in an event where we were witnessing the Law Enforcement Torch Run's final leg for the 2014 Special Olympics USA games.  The torch made it's way through Time's Square where we were with other Young Athlete families and cheered them on to make a stop in front of Toys R Us,   one of the corporate sponsors for the Young Athlete Festival.  The Law Enforcement Torch Run is an amazing organization as they have raised millions of dollars for the Special Olympics each year.   

 

 

Chris and I were honored to have our family participate in such a unique, once in a lifetime experience with supporters of the games and with other Special Olympic athletes as well.  We are so proud of Colin for who he is and for the doors that it has opened for him.  There was nothing better than watching him shake the hands of the runners as they left for their next leg of the run. 

 

 

 

 

We were also given the opportunity to be interviewed by Fox Five News (live!) because of Colin's involvement in the Young Athlete Program.  It was such a great experience for all involved!

New York News (Video 1)

New York News (Video 2)

We are so grateful to Andrea Moore and Marc Edenzon from the Special Olympics of NJ who invited us to be part of such a truly inspirational day! #genuinejerseypride

2014 Special Olympics NJ Summer Games: Part II (Young Athlete Program)

For Chris and I, THIS photo summarized how we felt about the entire weekend of Special Olympics Summer Games events.  THIS photo represented how proud we felt of BOTH of our children, because of the love and support that they have for each other.  Colin did such a great job and Kailey was his biggest fan.  

 

 



The day began in the Young Athlete Program tent where numerous volunteers were there to assist the athletes in participating in a variety of events.  Last year, Colin didn't quite make it the entire hour the event went on for but we were really happy to see that he was interested and motivated to participate in many different activities lasting for almost the entire hour (that's pretty impressive for him!). What was really quite awesome was not only seeing how many volunteers were there but how INTERESTED and INVOLVED they all were in helping the athletes.  

 

 

The volunteers ranged in age but we found a large majority of them to be high school aged and they were really great with the kids!

 

 

What's really great about the Special Olympics is that they promote unified events meaning that there are lots of activities for people of all abilities to participate together.  It has been great because throughout the past year, Kailey has really been involved with Colin so they have been able to do it together. 

 

 

We were really lucky because one of my really good friends' sister was one of the volunteers at the soccer station so she was able to play with Colin AND be his "buddy" for the future stars race.  It was funny because when it was time for us to leave our athletes with their buddies, he took her hand, gave us a wave and basically said "see you later!".  It doesn't hurt that she was a cute young girl too!

 

 

 

All in all, Colin was willing to try just about anything, even if he didn't last too long at a station.  

 

 

 

 

One of THE CUTEST stations was the "weight lifting station".  Colin and Kailey were hysterical watching them lift the barbells over their heads! 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kids had a really great time in the program and we were so grateful to all of the coaches and volunteers who made it such a fun time for the kids.  

 

 

 

 

When the program was over, it was time to get ready for the Future Stars race on the track.  We knew Colin was ready and looking forward to participating in that event and we had spent time showing him videos from last year so he knew what he would be doing.  We even "practiced" around the house.  

 

 

On our way over to the track, we took some time to cheer on some other competitors, get a "pre-race snack" in, and meet up family and friends. 



 

 

 

When it was almost time for the race, Colin went with his buddy Destinee and the rest of us went to get ourselves ready to cheer on our "future star".  We were ALL excited and Kailey couldn't wait to cheer on her big brother.  

 

 

 

Then it was "on your mark, get set, GO!!!!!"

 

 

In watching all of the athletes in their respective "heats", a lot of them had these big smiles on their faces but OUR guy had one serious, determined look about him during his race. 



 

What was even more great (which you can see at the end of the video), Colin swerves to go to one specific police officer at the end who has given Colin his medal in prior years.  The man is a really great guy and has a son that participates in the race as well.  We were so happy he was the one who "did the honors". 

 



 

Colin's smiles came out at the end because he was SO PROUD of himself for earning his medal.  WE were so proud of how great he did too!

 

 

 

 However, NO ONE was more proud than Kailey.  When we were on the track after the races were over, Kailey ran over to Colin and they gave each other a big hug.  Colin said to Kailey "we won Kailey!" and Kailey responded with "No, Colin, YOU won!". 

 

 

Another really special moment was when we had gone over to the police officer to thank him again this year for giving Colin his medal and we were saying how great of a cheerleader Kailey was for her brother.  The policeman had a nice little talk with Kailey and then presented her with her own medal.  Her smile couldn't have gotten any bigger.  

 

 

 

It's funny because for an event that lasted all of about 10 seconds from "start to finish", it has truly made a lasting memory that will stand out as one of the BEST days ever.  

 

 

 

 

We are grateful to so many people for their love and support of Colin (and Kailey too!) and who were able to come and cheer on Colin for his race.  

 

 

 Gammy,

 

 Nana and Granddad,

 

 

 

 

Aunt Kimmy and Matt,

 

 

 

 Uncle Brian and Aunt Maureen,

 

and Aunt Beth and Uncle Jason,

 

 

 

 

In addition, there were so many other people who cheered Colin on that day as fans both in person and from afar!  However, we would be remiss if we didn't send out a special thank you to the director of the Young Athlete Program, Andrea Moore, for all of her hard work throughout the year.  She has truly made the Young Athletes an integral part of the Special Olympics!

 

 

 

We are also extremely grateful to Coach Greg (whom we have nicknamed "the child whisperer") because of his patience and hard work with the Young Athletes all year.  He truly has a gift in what he is doing and we are so happy Colin has been able to work with him for as long as he has!  

 

 

 

We also can't forget Coach Nikki who ALWAYS has a smile on her face and has been a really great addition to the Young Athlete program this year!  She has done such a great job in all that she has done with the kids and we are grateful to all of her help!

 

 

 

Finally, we are so thankful to Colin's buddy Destinee who gave her time and can be seen in the background of a lot of the pictures/video cheering on Colin.  Thank YOU for all that you did this weekend for the athletes of the Special Olympics! 

I think Chris and I will be riding on the "high" of this one for awhile as we were honored that our family was a part of a truly inspirational weekend.  Thank you to the Special Olympics of NJ for putting on another amazing event!  

  "Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."