by Jon Buzby - posted 6/12/2009
Summer Games open in grand style
DuPont sponsors 39th annual event
Jacob Zonick, of Newark, won a gold medal in the 50-meter walk at the Special Olympics Delaware Summer Games.
Glenn Jones, left, and Randy Fisher light the cauldron signaling the official opening of the 2009 Summer Games.
Jacob Zonick was all smiles as he came marching down the middle of the Olympic Village at the 2009 Special Olympics Delaware Summer Games shouting, “I won! I won!”
And indeed he did. Zonick, 13, a member of the Newark-based Brookside Bruins Special Olympics team, proudly showed off his gold medal that he won in the 50-meter walk race. He also won a silver medal in the softball throw.
Zonick was just one of over 750 athletes participating in the annual two-day event, sponsored by DuPont and held at the University of Delaware Athletic complex and nearby Handloff Park. Athletes competed in aquatics, bocce, powerlifting, softball, tennis and track and field.
“For most of our athletes, this is the pinnacle of their sports year,” said Gary Cimaglia, senior director of sports for Special Olympics Delaware and the games director. “They’ve trained hard for the past 10 weeks to get to this point, and so the excitement surrounding the event is contagious.”
Over 1,000 people volunteered at the event, serving in roles that included organizing medal ceremonies, escorting athletes around the competitions, providing fun and educational activities in the Olympic Village, and even preparing thousands of lunches and dinners.
In addition, over 200 volunteer coaches got to see their hard work pay off, whether it was watching a gold medal be presented to one of their athletes or just the satisfaction of knowing someone tried his or her best.
“It’s not just about the medals,” said Chip Thomas, who has volunteered as the track and field venue director for the past 19 years. “When you look around and see the coaches get just as excited watching an athlete do his best as when a gold medal is awarded, it’s a reminder of why we are all here.”
The Summer Games will continue on Saturday, with competition running all day beginning at 8 a.m. The public is invited and admission is free.
To view picture galleries of the Summer Games, click here, and check back as more photos will be added in the coming weeks.
For more information, including a schedule of events, click here.