High-fiving. Stephanie and Samantha Castleberry get into the spirit. Photo, story by Amanda Schutz, UNL. For details on remaining events this week, check the schedule.
S.C. Sister Act Impresses in Nebraska
Stephanie and Samantha Castleberry haven't been low on high-fives at the USA National Games.
The 19-year-old twins from Fountain, S.C., are in Nebraska to play volleyball.
Their coach, Brian Maddux, describes them as close-knit, loving and friendly. He started coaching them in roller skating five years ago. Playing off the Special Olympics’ motto, Maddux describes the twins’ attitude: “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me pop it over the net.”
The girls are part of a unified team, which includes athletes with and without disabilities. Maddux says that, during one game this week, one of the unified players had the opportunity to hit the ball over the net but instead set it up for Samantha. After Samantha smacked the ball over the net, he says, the smile on her face was priceless.
Samantha and Stephanie’s parents are deaf, and both girls are fluent in sign language. Maddux says the twins’ ability to understand the complex nature of sign language is nothing less than amazing.
Taking part in the Nebraska Games allows the twins to interact in a different competitive setting. In the words of Coach Maddux, “Most of us live in this little box of our experience, and to be exposed to something outside of that — I believe we call that growth.”
The Closing Ceremony is coming up as the week winds to a close. To see Sunday's star-studded Opening Ceremony, watch the video. For the schedule of events still to come, check the National Games schedule.