Local News
The annual Special Olympics competition in Iowa creates a sense of community
By 
Publisher
Cedar Rapids, Iowa – The 51st East Central Area Special Olympics Iowa track and field tournament took place on Saturday.
At Coe College’s Clark Field, some 260 participants competed in a variety of track and field sports, such as shot put, long jump, and sprinting.
The blue metal winners from Saturday’s tournament will advance to the state competition in May. That is scheduled to happen in Ames.
The largest state-wide Special Olympics Iowa games that the organization stages is the summer state competition.
After the competition on Saturday, a large number of the athletes felt a sense of community and pride.
“Special Olympics is an inclusive community It provides a space for people that maybe have been excluded, maybe haven’t had the same opportunities ad their peers. This is their space, their time, their show basically,” said Sydney Sloan, director of competitions for the Eastern part of Iowa with Special Olympics Iowa.
Thousands of athletes from all over Iowa will compete in the summer games, which are scheduled for May 16 through May 18.
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