Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Jessie's Blog: Annual Fall Sports Classic

The 10th Annual Fall Sports Classic was held in Hershey on Sunday, September 22nd, at Hershey High School, hosted by Area M SOPA.  I had the pleasure of participating as a power lifter.  I had a lot of fun!  The opening ceremonies were enjoyable, just long enough but not too long!  The cheerleaders were fun to watch and the speakers were informative.

I went to the weight room for my events, the bench press and dead lifts.  I was pleased as an athlete to see how smoothly things appeared to go.  If there were any problems, I didn't notice!  The rooms were filled with people who were engaged, focused, and thrilled to be there.  I enjoyed the cheering during the times I lifted, both during bench press and dead lifts, and I heard cheering for all of the athletes throughout the day.  There was an overall sense of encouraging each other, and personally, I was so uplifted that I lifted more than I every did before.  I bench pressed 85 lbs, and I dead lifted 195 lbs, and I really felt like all the practicing and hard work paid off!  I would like to thank my coach, John Monk, for teaching me how to lift, and how to prepare physically and mentally. 

The Olympic Village was lots of fun, and the volunteers were super nice and encouraging.  It was nice to "blow off steam" and play games and win prizes too.  It was a great environment for the athletes to spend time having fun with their family members and teammates.  The prizes were awesome, ranging from t-shirts to stickers and patches.  I think everybody appreciated the variety and plethora of prizes!

I had a great time, and I hope everyone else did too.  I want to give a big THANK YOU to Area M for hosting the 10th Annual Fall Sports Classic.  Also, please remember to thank your coaches, family members, and volunteers for all they do to assist and inspire us, whether we are practicing or competing.

Sincerely,
Jessie Salness

Lebanon County SOPA Athlete Representative

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Jessie's Blog: All in the Family

As Special Olympics athletes, our families can be our greatest source of support, encouragement, and comfort.  They can play many roles for us: chauffeur, coach, cheerleader, and as needed, drill sergeant!!!  They have helped us become the people we are today.  I want to send a big "thank you" to family and people who are like family to the athletes.  As the Lebanon County Athlete Representative, I want to acknowledge that we would not be as successful without the support of our families and caregivers.  I don't think we give enough kudos to them since it is easier to see what the volunteers and coaches are doing.  I want to recognize this often-overlooked part of our team!  We would not have such a great team of athletes if it wasn't for the families and caregivers being so engaged and putting their time and effort into the Special Olympics.

The Special Olympics is pushing us athletes to do things we've never done before, and it takes a lot of trust and courage for you, the family members, to encourage us to try things that we may have never thought were possible!  You want the best for us and want to protect us, but you are still cheering us to take on new physical and mental challenges as athletes. 

We are not guaranteed gold medals, but what we are guaranteed is the opportunity to train and compete to the best of our abilites!  Always remember our Special Olympics Oath:

"Let me win, but if I cannot win, Let me be brave in the attempt."

Thank you to our parents and loved ones for encouraging us to be brave in our attempts, and supporting our participation as Special Olympics athletes!

Sincerely,
Jessie Salness

Lebanon County Special Olympics Athlete Representative