Manawatū Special Olympian Ryan Smith ready to run his fastest at National Summer Games

Manawatū Special Olympian Ryan Smith (left) with the Flame of Hope at Abu Dhabi in 2019. Photo / Supplied

Ryan Smith became a Special Olympics athlete almost 20 years ago when he was in high school.

Over the years, the Manawatū man has participated in two World Games. At Athens in 2011, he brought home gold for the 4x100 relay. Then in Abu Dhabi in 2019 he ran the Flame of Hope for the final leg of the torch run.

Smith will compete in athletics in the New Zealand Special Olympics National Summer Games in Hamilton this week. He has participated in the last three National Summer Games.

Last year the National Summer Games were postponed due to Covid-19.

This forced clubs all over the country to think outside the box to try and fit in training and competitions without risking anyone’s health.

“Manawatū has really pulled through and pulled out all the stops to help the athletes wherever possible,” Smith says.

While many athletes were disappointed to wait another year to compete, Smith says it was an opportunity to improve his skills. He would run wherever he could, even through town, which was often like a ghost town.

He is nervous about the Games, but also excited. “It can be quite easy to become anxious or nervous when training for a big event, so getting support from others really helps.”

Through Special Olympics, Smith has gained the confidence to be a role model and leader to fellow athletes. His goal is to become a qualified athletics official. To gain experience, he has helped coach young athletes for Special Olympics while also volunteering at mainstream athletics and for Palmerston North parkrun .

Manawatū Special Olympics coordinator Helen Johnson says athletes were often depressed during the Covid lockdown because training sessions are their social worlds, not only a place to play sports.

“Training every week allows athletes to build relationships and develop companionships, which they rely on,” she says.

The Special Olympics was created to recognise athletes with an intellectual disability, who are often overlooked. It’s not about the fastest, it’s about personal best, which results in athletes building their self-esteem and doing their best, Johnson says.

“We want to break away from the stigma of keeping people with disabilities together. Their health, social networks, competitiveness are being built, so they can do mainstream competition.”