GMSO Athletes to Compete in New HavenSummer Games

Fresh off their athletic victories from the Special Olympics CT-Eastern Regional Games twenty two athletes from the Greater Middletown Special Olympics are set to compete at  the Special Olympics Connecticut State Summer Games beginning on Friday June 8-10, 2012 hosted by Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven & the Hamden Hall School in Hamden.  Nineteen Athletes from the GMSO will be competing in Track & Field events & three in Cycling events.  The Head Track & Field Coach is Heather Ann Lodini of Cromwell & the Head Cycling Coach is Jim Swol of Cromwell. 

According to the Special Olympics CT website 2,361 athletes & partners, 600 coaches and 2900 volunteers will be on hand this weekend.  SCSU will be the venues for track & field, aquatics, cycling, gymnastics and the housing of the athletes.  The Hamden Hall School will be the site for the traditional & unified sports of soccer & tennis.  Opening Ceremonies will be held on Friday, June 8, 2012 beginning at 7:15 p.m. at SCSU's  Jess Dow Field which will include the "Parade of Athletes", the ceremonial lighting of the Olympic Flame Of Hope & entertainment. 

To see the complete schedule for this weekend's Special Olympics CT State Summer Games please go to http://www.soct.org/worxcms_published/competition_page826.shtml

The following are the Greater Middletown Special Olympics Athletes who will be competing at the Special Olympics CT State Summer Games:  

Track & Field:  Melissa Carta, Kevin Henneberry, Scott Knee, Ralph Lill, Kevin Moy, Andy Ryan, & Anthony Tirozzi all from Cromwell; Chris Naples & Richard Steele both from Durham; David Crovo & Indiana McCormick from Middlefield; James Brown, Ed Hill, Tiffany Jones, Anna Kozinski, Scott Maloney, Tim Mohr, Katherine Thayer & Scott Thayer all from Middletown.  Cycling:  Joe Barniski  & Ken Campanelli of Middletown & Eric Lonning of Chester.

To view more images of the extraordinary athletes from the Greater Middletown Special Olympics please visit my photography blog at http://franklphotographyblog.blogspot.com/ & scroll all the way down to view the latest images from the SOCT-ER Games on Saturday, May 12, 2012

The Greater Middletown Special Olympics serves athletes with intellectual disabilities ages 8 & above in a variety of well coached Olympic type sports who reside in Cromwell, Durham, East Haddam, East Hampton, Haddam, Middlefield, Middletown & Portland.  Since 1969, Special Olympics Connecticut has provided year-round sports training and athletic competition for children & adults with intellectual disabilities.  According to the Special Olympics Connecticut website, "The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. For more information, please call SOCT at 1-800-443-6105 or visit www.soct.org.