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Special Olympics athletes take to the streets of San Francisco, London and Istanbul as torch runners for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Mike Bailey
Special Olympics Northern California
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Special Olympics Northern California athlete Mike Bailey carries the Olympic flame in San Francisco. |
Special Olympics Northern California (USA) athlete Mike Bailey was one of the runners in San Francisco—the only North American stop—for the Olympic Torch Run leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Bailey has been described as having two moods--happy and happier. He very seldom has a bad day; he loves life, people and the events in his life.
After his birth, doctors told Dave and Karen Bailey their son had Down syndrome. They were crushed, their hopes and dreams shattered.
But, fast forward … Dave and Karen joined the parents group, Parents of Down Syndrome; Bailey was enrolled in early intervention programs, and the years started to roll by. At 7, Bailey attended grammar school at Garden Gate Elementary and his teacher suggested that he get involved in Special Olympics. Dave and Karen took her advice, and according to them, “It was most likely one of, if not, the most important decisions we ever made for Mike.”
Dave and Karen said Special Olympics has provided Mike the opportunity for lifelong physical conditioning, socialization and many great friendships. Mike competes in bocce and powerlifting and loves every minute of it, including practice. Last August, Bailey received a letter notifying him that he had been selected as the San Jose Sports Authority 2007 Special Olympian of the Year and would be recognized at the Hall of Fame dinner along with the likes of Brian Boitano, Mark Spitz and several other notable San Jose area athletes.
If it weren't for Bailey's being born with Down syndrome, Dave and Karen, along with Bailey's sisters Melissa and Danielle and brother Chris, would have missed out on a life filled with challenge, accomplishment, excitement, fun, lifelong friendships and the opportunity to be part of a great organization like Special Olympics.
Back to the beginning … disappointment and shattered dreams have been replaced by the great guy Bailey has become.
Durducan Nevruz
Special Olympics Turkey
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Special Olympics Turkey athlete Durducan Nevruz carried the Olympic flame in Istanbul. Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Turkey |
Special Olympics Turkey athlete Durducan Nevruz, 16, had the honor of carrying the Olympic Torch through the streets of Istanbul on 3 April 2008. Joined by 80 other runners, Nevruz ran 2 km as part of the relay. “I will never forget this day, “said his mother, Sevim Nevruz, who was with her son during the run. “Like the Olympic flame, the memory of my son taking part in this historic world event will burn brightly forever,” she said.
The Olympic flame for the Beijing Games was lit in Olympia, Greece, on 24 March 2008. The flame then started to make its way to 21 cities around the world. On 8 August, the flame will be used to light the cauldron during the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. More than 20,000 torchbearers will participate in the relay, which lasts 130 days and covers approximately 137,000 km, making it the longest relay in the history of the modern Olympic movement.
Nevruz competed at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, China, winning two gold medals and one silver medal in swimming. He attends a special needs vocational school in the city of Bursa. He is part of a local community sports club and has been a Special Olympics athlete for the past three years.
Brian Thomson
Special Olympics Great Britain
When Special Olympics Great Britain athlete Brian Thomson, 17, was selected as one of the runners to carry the torch through London on 6 April for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, he was elated. “It is a 'once-in-a-lifetime' experience, and it will be something I will never forget. I am so proud to be taking part.”
Thomson, from Renfrew, Scotland, has competed in judo since 2005, training two days a week for three hours each session. He won a gold medal at the Special Olympics Games in Glasgow in 2005, and a bronze medal at the 2006 Special Olympics China National Games which also served as a pre-Games for the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai.
An accident at age 5 caused brain damage and left Thomson paralyzed. He slipped off the veranda of a friend's house and fell to the concrete pavement. Thomson was taken to Glasgow's Southern General, where doctors brought him back to life twice after his heart stopped beating. He was in a coma for five weeks. Doctors warned his mother Jeanette, 41, and father Andy, 38, that his condition would not improve.
Confined to a wheelchair, Thomson worked hard with physical therapists and speech therapists. In an attempt to improve his balance and coordination, he joined Special Olympics Great Britain and began taking judo lessons. “Doctors told me that he would not be able to walk or talk because of his brain damage. But he is my walking, talking miracle,” said Jeanette. “We have four kids, and we love them all the same and give them as much attention, but Brian brings us so much joy,” she added.
Thomson has been influenced enormously by Special Olympics. Since he joined the global movement, Brian's self-esteem and confidence have improved. “He is more fit and happy. Being part of his judo group has helped him to be more focused,” said Jeanette.
Thomson's parents nominated him to take part in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Torch Run as part of the Samsung True Life Hero competition, which sought to find some of Britain's most inspiring people. His story moved panelists, chaired by five-time Olympic gold medalist Sir Steve Redgrave, and he was chosen along with three others to become an Olympic torchbearer. |
