Special Olympians head to Summer Games

With smiles on their faces, athletes, coaches and volunteers with the Great Northern Area Special Olympics gathered in the Havre High School parking lot Tuesday, before departing for the Summer Games in Missoula.

Moments before they left, everyone greeted one another with high-fives and hugs, as they began packing luggage into the lower compartments of the Blue Pony Express.

Mandy Hansen, a first-grade teacher at Highland Park Early Primary School who does public relations for the Hill County Special Olympics, said 16 athletes are making the trip, accompanied by an equal number of coaches, parents and chaperones.

Every three years the games are moved to a different city in Montana, and this year is their second in Missoula.

Events this year will demonstrate their athleticism in areas such as golfing, shot put, softball throws and standing long jumps among others.

Hansen said she has been involved with the group for nine years.

She was introduced to the program when Shaley Lewis, then a special education teacher at Havre High School was out on maternity leave. Lewis asked Hansen to fill in for her.

"'I was like 'can I dooo that?'" she said.

Lewis said she could and Hansen obliged.

Hansen said that when Lewis came back from maternity leave she was worried Lewis's return meant she would have to end her association with the group.

But it was just the beginning.

"Once you've done it, you're hooked," Hansen said of volunteering with the special olympics.

She said that it is impossible to describe the experience of being a part of the Special Olympics until you have done it.

"I have no children or anything in the Special Olympics or anything, but Special Olympics is like family. These guys are my family."