Monday, June 27, 2011

Olympic Athlete in the Family!

My cousin Krista is competing the Special Olympics World Games in Greece!!! How amazing it that experience... competing in the Olympics...in the birth place of the Olympics. Check it all out here.

I have had the opportunity to be a part of the Special Olympics in our town; every year my students accompany our schools Special Olympic Team to the track and field games. This is probably the best experience of all my teaching, and my students all agree saying how it was the best day of all their schooling. The atmosphere at the games is one of community; everyone is cheering for everyone else no matter their finishing place. Every competitor is smiling with the success of competition and crossing the finishing line. It is a day that makes your heart swell with so much joy you think it may burst! I can only imagine how magnified the experience is on a global level.

Just before she left for the Olympics, Krista was inducted into Pennsylvania's Special Olympics Hall of Fame. For the induction she wrote and gave an impressive speech that she says "had then all in tears!"

Krista has been playing tennis for as long as I can remember, and we've played several times over the years when she came to visit... she soundly kicked my booty a majority of the time!

I am so proud of my cousin! GO Krista! Go Team USA!

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