News Article: "Tammy Wins 3 Events"

"Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." - Special Olympics Athlete Oath 

No two people are born the same. You can look the same, but your DNA will be read differently. One of the many differences in the world is disability. People with disabilities have been looked down upon in society. Society has labeled them unable to participate in normal day-to-day activities, but that’s not true. They are still human; allow these individuals to learn and they too can do great things. One way society has decided to include people with disabilities has been through the Special Olympics. The Special Olympics is a great program because not only does it give special athletes the opportunity to show off their athletic skills, but offers more opportunity to be engaged with their community and encouragement to be better. A person with disability is presumed to be locked down to a wheelchair while the rest of society is being taught that fitness and health is an important aspect of life: “Individuals with disabilities were tragically misunderstood. Children, and adults were trapped in a cycle of neglect and suffering; their families burdened by societal shame ”(“1968 Games”). “In the 1960s, children and adults with intellectual disabilities living in the shadows of society were hidden away in homes or institutions” (1968 Games). The Special Olympics allows individuals with disabilities to be more than their disability. 

The Olympics are called “special” because in 1960 when they were first introduced into society words like "retard," "stupid" and "slow" were acceptable terminology used to describe individuals with intellectual disabilities. Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of the Special Olympics, was able to pick out a word that was positive and that brought an upbeat tone: “The adjective 'special' is a way to define the unique gifts of adults and children with intellectual disabilities. Starting with the very first Special Olympics International Games in 1968, she wanted to dwell on our athletes' abilities, not disabilities" (“Frequently Asked Questions").

Tamara "Tammy" Marcinuk defines just that. Marcinuk is a Fitchburg, MA native and a three time team U.S. ski Special Olympian. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Mercinck. She was also deaf: "Tammy was stricken with nerve deafness at birth." She was the youngest member to be part  of the U.S. team. She mastered her sport at the age of eighteen, going on to win “two gold medals at the Olympic ski games for the deaf in Berchtesgaden, West Germany while competing with 15 other countries. She won the giant slalom and slalom events." 

As the Special Olympics website states, “The goal was to put a bright - and very public - spotlight on ability, not disability...No one imagined that this segment of society could acquire athletic and socialization skills or possibly benefit from the therapeutic value of sports and exercise. Few people conceived of the notion that sports could further their mental and adaptive development in the world” (“1968 Games”). The “experiment” of the Special Olympics proved to be a resounding success and encouraged the Kennedy Foundation to advocate for a year-round sports program. The Foundation supplied essential funding in the amount of a $10,000 grant to the Chicago Park District to begin a Special Recreation Program (as it was then called) into ten city parks"(“1968 Games”). The Special Olympics started with about 1000 athletes. Today the number has grown with about 15 million athletes competing  nationwide.

The Special Olympics have paved way for individuals to be active by including unified programs such as track and field program at most high schools: "Unified Sports is an inclusive sports program that unites Special Olympics athletes (individuals with intellectual disabilities) and partners (individuals without intellectual disabilities) as teammates for training and competition" (​“Coaching Unified Sports”). This program takes place during the spring season of track and field. In the winter and fall individuals with disabilities are allowed to participate in physical education with individuals without disabilities or with others with disabilities: "The primary goal of Unified Sports is to equalize the ability level of ​Special Olympics athletes​ with their partners and to promote inclusion through team practice and competition. Participants improve their physical fitness, sharpen their skills and learn acceptance and inclusion while participating in Unified Sports" (“Unified Sports"). In order to participate in unified sports “you must be at least 8 years old and identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions: intellectual disabilities, cognitive delays as measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay that require or have required specially designed instruction” (“Frequently Asked Questions"). 

Just like other U.S. Olympians, they too have coaches and put in many hours of training. During 1966 Tammy was a nineteen-year old junior at Holy Family High School in Fitchburg; not only was she a student but she was  also training for the Olympics, including participating on a cross country team in her city, swimming, dancing, rowing, and water skiing: "If you are passionate about something. Pursue it no matter what anyone else thinks. That's how dreams are achieved" (Agyei).

The Special Olympics continues to be a great method for inclusion of disability into society, as it gives an opportunity for individuals with disabilities to participate at an elite level just as those who are not disabled. It allows these individuals to feel included in society after years and years of being hidden in the shadows of their households by their parents because they were undergoing societal shame and being locked to a wheelchair because of their disability. The Special Olympics allows all people to be able to show off their special abilities. It showcases the idea that sports are not just for people without disabilities. Anybody is able to participate and be successful at something. A person’s disability doesn’t affect their abilities. It allows people to not feel like they should not be a part of society, but they should be celebrated like everyone else. The Special Olympics are a gentle reminder that people with disabilities are just like everyone else. Athletes like Tammy Marcinuk continue to prove that we are not limited by what society says we are. As Neville Goddard says, “If you believe you are limited, your thoughts flow from that belief." 

I think it is also important to note that people shouldn’t celebrate others because of their athletic ability and their disability. Many people praise special Olympic athletes for being good at something while having a disability while other athletes are praised solely for their athletic ability. This should be the same for everyone. People with disabilities should be congratulated for their athletic performance not doing the sport while also having a disability. These athletes should be labeled as remarkable for their ability in the Olympics not for competing with a disability. In other words, people should look past the disability and look at the person and what they are accomplishing, rather than amazing at the fact that they have a disability and were still able to accomplish so much. This would help to further make people with disabilities more comfortable and feel more accepted and normal. After all, people with disabilities are just like everybody else.

“Coaching Unified Sports.” NFHS LEARN, https://nfhslearn.com/courses/36000/coaching-unified-sports.

“Fitchburg Sentinel Newspaper Archives, Feb 5, 1968.” NewspaperARCHIVE.com, 5 Feb. 1968, ​https://newspaperarchive.com/fitchburg-sentinel-feb-05-1968-p-1/​.

“Frequently Asked Questions.” Special Olympics, 7 Aug. 2018. https://www.specialolympics.org/about/faq.

Goddard, Neville. “Feel It Real Quotes Neville Goddard.” Neville Goddard Quotes, 18 Feb. 2016, http://nevillegoddardquotes.com/feel-it-real-quotes-neville-goddard-3/.

“Unified Sports.” Special Olympics Massachusetts https://www.specialolympicsma.org/what-we-do/real-sports-experience/unified-sports/.