Special Olympics day returns to Middletown with joyous tears and cheers
Spirit and Sportsmanship ■ ALL CHILDREN with special needs deserve a special day and over the years Middletown Schools have made an annual sports event designed just for these students one of the district’s trademark specialties.
The “Middie Olympics”—on the track and football field of Middletown High School—also marked the first time in two years the event was conducted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of special needs Middletown students—from all 10 of the city 12
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schools—were joined by their families and friends in the sports-themed celebration that saw them participating in modified track and athletic events. On this day, everyone was a champion and joyous smiles reflected the sunny day happiness of the kids. “The Middie Olympics are such a wonderful tradition for our schools and after a two-year hiatus, today was the perfect day to gather and compete together,” said Elizabeth Beadle, spokeswoman for the 6,300-student school system.
“All you see on the field are smiles, dancing, hugs and high fives. It’s a good day to be a Middie,” said Beadle. Students exited school buses and entered the sports stadium through a corridor of high school cheerleaders, shaking pom-poms and shouting encouragement. A skydiver brought a giant American flag down from above while the national anthem played. Soon after each of the participating schools’ athletes marched together behind their teams’ handcrafted banners as the traditional world
Photographs by Nick Graham
