The 2018 Special Olympics USA Games were held in Seattle, WA in July. Over 4,000 athletes and coaches gathered for the event, and among them were three OLS Bellevue College students: Miguel McCoy, William Miller, and Garrett Utz. All three of them earned medals, McCoy taking home gold in Golf and Miller and Utz earning bronze as part of the Team Washington soccer team.
One of the best parts of the Games for these athletes was meeting and interacting with other athletes. “My favorite moment during the Games was when I met the goal keeper from South Carolina’s team who was adopted just like me from Seoul, South Korea,” says Miller. When asked what his favorite part of the Games was, McCoy said, “…[J]ust being with all the people and having fun. Some people I could relate to and others made me laugh. A lot of them were really helpful.”
Miller and Utz are both part of the Issaquah Spirit, the soccer team selected to compete for Washington State at the games. “[A]s a team [we] played really well, and I couldn’t be any happier with the group I have the privilege to call…my teammates. We gave it our all, and we will be ready for the USA Games in Orlando, FL…[W]e know what it takes to get there, and we will bring a gold back home with us,” said Utz reflecting on his team’s performance.
Each of the athletes were able to gain new experiences through the games that had a lasting and meaningful impact on them. For McCoy his experience, “…meant a lot. Stepping outside my comfort zone, doing all sorts of crazy things. It was awesome. I feel like I gave it my all and got better each time. I am proud of my gold medal.” Utz came away from the Games with another opportunity: he is now a soccer referee for the Games and will be traveling in March to referee for the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019. His teammate Miller’s biggest takeaway from the Games was, “…commitment. I was part of a team, and I had to go to practice in order to get to the USA games.”
Congratulations to all three of you!
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Last Updated July 23, 2019