Colleen Peterlich demonstrates how her son looked after winning a gold medal last year at the Special Olympics Area 9 Spring Games.

She raised her arms overhead shaking them in triumph and gave a, “Woohoo!”

Peterlich’s son, Jimmy, is a 9-year-old outgoing boy.

He has Down syndrome but with none of the health issues that are associated with it.

Last year was Jimmy’s first year competing, and he will be participating in the softball throw and 50-meter dash in the 8 to 11 age group during the Spring Games in O’Brien Stadium. The games start at 9 a.m. today with the opening ceremony.

The Special Olympics are celebrating their 40th anniversary.

“(Jimmy) loves it,” said Peterlich, the events coordinator under President Perry.

Last year, Jimmy’s kindergarten class took a field trip to watch him compete.

Peterlich said the class had signs and T-shirts made in honor of Jimmy.

She said when he saw them he just waved.

“He thinks he’s pretty special,” she said.

Jimmy also has two older brothers and an older sister, and they’re all involved with sports. The boys do football, basketball and baseball, while her daughter is involved with cheerleading and track.

“He’s always been at some sort of game or meet since he was itty bitty,” she said.

She said that’s all he knows.

The games today though will put Jimmy in the spotlight, and his brothers and sister on the sideline cheering.

Kimberly Abell, Area 9 director for Special Olympics, Inc., said about 475 athletes will be competing in the track and field competitions, with 1,000 volunteers assisting the games.

The Special Olympics are a non-profit organization and have no charge for participants.

“We’re pretty unique in that aspect,” Abell said.

Participants have to be eight years old to compete but there is no age limit for when participants have to stop.

The games include running, long jump, shot put, high jump, softball and tennis ball throws, and wheel chair events too.

Abell said the Special Olympics are sometimes the only competition the participants can do, but the games also give athletes a chance to showcase their talent.

She said some train all year long for the events.

“In the end, it’s about doing their best and achieving the best they can,” Abell said.

Abell said what some may not realize is that the Special Olympics games are an actual competition. She said they coincide closely with Illinois High School Association- and collegiate-level competitions.

She said the games not only give athletes the opportunity to train and be involved with a sports competition but it also gives them a sense of accomplishment.

Megan Lynch, a special education major, coached in her hometown for six years and has seen that sense of accomplishment among her student.

This is Lynch’s second year helping at Eastern’s games as a volunteer.

Lynch became involved after her brother who has Asperger’s syndrome started competing.

She said the children she helps with are so happy at the end of the finish line.

Lynch said to know she taught them a skill is satisfying and then to see them succeed when maybe they were told they couldn’t is even more rewarding.

The Special Olympics’ games gives people something to look forward to and get excited about.

“It means the world to them,” Lynch said.

Peterlich said the Special Olympics also provide awareness of those with disabilities.

She said at an event there was a man in his late twenties who had cerebral palsy and walked with crutch braces.

Peterlich said Jimmy immediately walked up to him and asked, “What’s the matter?”

The man explained how he was born with cerebral palsy and his legs don’t work the same as Jimmy’s so he needs the braces to walk.

Then, Peterlich said, Jimmy was like, “Oh, OK,” and that was enough information for him.

“As a parent, I would much rather have someone say “What’s wrong?” instead of stare,” she said.

Then, she said, they can understand.

“I think a lot of times people wouldn’t make fun of others with disabilities if they knew what the matter was,” she said.

Emily Zulz can be reached at 581-7942 or at eazulz@eiu.edu.

The Shelbyville Rams’ 4×100-meter relay team poses for the crowd on the metal podium after winning its event in the 2006 Special Olympics. Today marks the start of the 2008 Spring Games for east-central Illinois, which start at 8 a.m. at O’Brien Stadium.

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