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STUDENTS GET INSPIRATION AT SPECIAL OLYMPICS ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2-4-08
 On January 28 and 29, a number of VCU SportsCenter students had the opportunity to volunteer with the Special Olympics of Virginia in the 2008 SOVA Alpine Championships. The event was held at the beautiful Wintergreen Resort in the mountains of Western Virginia. The state of the art facility accommodated about 90 competitors and about 200 coaches and spectators. The event was a great opportunity for the competitors to qualify for Special Olympics World Winter Games, held in Boise, Idaho in 2009.
As day one began with the time trials, a number of different jobs were given to the SportsCenter volunteers. These jobs consisted of a number of different positions that were all equally important in the safety of the athletes and the overall efficiency of the event. SportsCenter students Alan Wheeling, Ashley Friend, Keith Brown, Gina Adler, Jade Sims, and former SportsCenter standout John Vellines played a major role in the first event of the day as Race Officials. They were responsible for monitoring the races as Timers and Starters. LaTriece Haskins and Carlton Harris played a role as helpers to the athletes, coaches, and spectators of the event. Jen Seidel and Billy Jones had one of the single most important duties of the day. Their role as Time Recorders required them to be very accurate and precise. A simple mistake at that position could be catastrophic for an athlete trying to qualify for the World Games. Rob Riley was a Course Messenger between the starting and finishing officials as he skied most of the day ensuring that there was constant communication from the start to the finish.
Day two was even more exciting with the actual competition, which began promptly at 9:00 am. The athletes competed in four different events and our volunteers were scattered among each category. Jade Sims was the Assistant Starter for the Novice Competition, while Jen helped out as a Timekeeper for the Intermediate group along with John. Gina, Ashley, Keith and Alan were Race Officials for the Glide, Super Glide, and 10m Walk competitions. Fortunately for the Advanced group, they had the most skilled skier, Rob Riley, to depend on. Competition ended with an awards ceremony that included Mrs. Virginia presenting awards to the Special Olympic Athletes.
 The entire experience for the SportsCenter students was unlike any other volunteer project they’d completed. Several of the Special Olympic athletes overcame extreme obstacles to compete and perform at their highest level. One memorable moment occurred when an athlete fell during a race, he then proceed to roll himself to the finish line to make sure he finished the race. The crowd gathered and cheered; not one voice was quiet as the exhausted athlete succeeded and crossed the line. All of the SportsCenter students were impressed and touched from the effort and dedication of the Special Olympic athletes. It is an event that they highly recommend to anyone who wants to be inspired by true dedication and determination in sports.
By: Gina Adler, Keith Brown, Ashley Friend, Carlton Harris, LaTriece Haskins, Rob Riley, Jade Sims, & Alan Wheeling
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