Last week, our children competed for the first time ever in Guatemala’s Special Olympics. This was a very special event for our children and to some was seen as a treat, a foreign excursion. Because many of our children who competed in the Special Olympics are intellectually challenged and physically impaired, the prospect of them living a normal life is unlikely. However, our goal is make life for all our children as loving and normal as possible, so we knew we needed to participate in this event. Our athletes spent months in preparation, training in events such as, running and swimming.
When the day finally arrived, and if you were an early risers, you were lucky enough to witness the athletes pure excitement while they anxiously awaited to leave for Chiqimula City (the location of the Special Olympics).
Our athletes were challenged to be great and were not held back by any limitations. Not only did we take home medals in swimming and running, but every child showed determination and courage. There was a total of 150 athletes, with our very own Village of Transformation bringing 16 athletes to the competitions and ranking sixth overall!
Our very own athlete Julio tells us about his experience with pure excitement and joy! He told us,“This activity was great” and “I was happy because I won.” Another one of our athletes, Lorenzo told us during the games, “I like to run and I fell, but I won. I like to play foot ball and I won a medal. I like swimming but I need to train so after I can participate in swimming. I will keep my medal.” Seeing Julio, Lorenzo and the other children dedicate themselves to overcoming their own challenges brought tears to our eyes.
Later that night as we all reflected on the bus ride home, this famous quote came to mind, “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” We have been inspired and motivated by these children this past week and will hold these memories close to our hearts forever.
Meet the author of this blog, Lauren Morris – Marketing Assistant at Hope of Life.