Special Olympics Aquatic Winners
TriniView.com Reporters
Event Date: May 06, 2007
Posted: May 14, 2007
Day two of Special Olympics Trinidad and Tobago was just as exciting as the first. Members of all the various teams were set to begin another day of challenges beginning at 9 a.m. Volunteers were already at work long before, organizing the areas for activity and ensuring that the athletes were comfortable.
On this day, the activities were: equestrian sports which took place at the Trinidad and Tobago Police Mounted Branch, Long Circular Road, St. James (See: Special Olympics T&T 2007 Equestrian); aquatics which took place at Flying Fish Pool in Federation Park; basketball which took place in the indoor gym, Jean Pierre Complex; football which took place in the Hasely Crawford Stadium; and bocce which took place at the Hasely Crawford Stadium warm-up field.
At the Flying Fish Pool in Federation Park, athletes were anxiously awaiting the swimming challenges. The various teams entered the stands in team uniforms and waited until it was announced for them to get ready.
Decked in their bathing suits, athletes entered the pool area in groups for the different levels of competition. The activities today did not comprise of just swimming but a whole range of aquatic sports. The different aquatic sports were engaged by athletes with different developmental and intellectual abilities. High performance athletes who had the ability to swim did so in the big pool. They swam regular races, and competed in freestyle, backstroke and other races.
Low functioning athletes competed in the small 15 meter pool doing exercises such as running in the pool, walking in the pool and swimming using floatation devices. Assisted swims were provided for athletes who could not swim independently and unassisted swims for athletes who could swim, but not in a deep pool, so they swam in the smaller pool.
Lifeguards and instructors were close by to ensure the safety of athletes and volunteers; officials helped with scoring, time-sheeting and taking athletes from the stands to the pool and back.
Four athletes (two males and two females) who participated in aquatics competition in Special Olympics Trinidad and Tobago would be going to International Special Olympic Games in Shanghai, China, joining the contingent of about eighty athletes.
Special Olympics T&T 2007 in pictures:
www.triniview.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=173025
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