Taupō's Special Olympians to compete in Hamilton

Taupō's Special Olympics team are prepared for the National Summer Games. Photo / Milly Fullick

A group of Taupō athletes is off to show the New Zealand Special Olympics National Summer Games what they’re made of.

Participants from Taupō will be among the more than 1,400 athletes who will descend on Hamilton’s sporting venues over five days from December 8.

The eight-strong Taupō team will take part in the swimming and ten-pin bowling events, which are among two of the ten sports on offer.

The Special Olympics Summer Games take place every four years, much like the Olympic Games.

The Hamilton Summer Games were scheduled to take place in 2021, but due to Covid-19 gathering restrictions, the event was delayed until this year.

Special Olympic athletes have intellectual disabilities, with many also having varying physical disabilities.

The organisation was founded in 1968 after Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a member of the prominent Kennedy family of politicians, was dissatisfied at the treatment and life prospects of her sister Rosemary, who had intellectual disabilities.

Each event will be contested by a team of four, who train in their sports every week.

Competing at the games provides something for the athletes to work towards in their training, said Special Olympics Taupō chairwoman Rose Batchelor.

“It’s all about the social and competitive stuff.”

Each athlete who completes a sporting event receives a ribbon for participation, alongside the typical gold, silver and bronze medals.

There will also be a different kind of award given out at the Hamilton games.

Cherie O’Carrol will receive a Life Membership Award, in recognition of more than 30 years of contributions in volunteering for the Special Olympics. She is the daughter of the late Auretta O’Carrol who was a founding member of special Olympics Taupō. Auretta passed away before receiving her own life members award.

The games’ website describes the award as “one of the highest honours that Special Olympics New Zealand can bestow”.

The award recognises an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to Special Olympics in New Zealand.

For O’Carrol, the most rewarding part of volunteering is facilitating access to sports for people with intellectual disabilities, giving them opportunities to compete and achieve their goals.

Volunteers like Rose and Cherie are a crucial part of making the Special Olympics possible, and the Taupō team is keen to hear from anyone who may be able to share their time and sports skills with athletes.

Organisers would like to offer athletes more sporting events to choose from, but there are not enough volunteers to do this.

The group is also on the lookout for rangatahi and adults with an intellectual disability who might like to have fun and increase their level of physical activity.

“We just need more people to add more sports.”

For now though, the eight athletes are “very excited” about going to the games and giving it their all, Rose said.

“We’re aiming for gold.”