Greeley Special Olympic Teams Excel in Spring Competitions

First and second-place finishers in aquatics, track and soccer

GREELEY, Colo. — The City of Greeley Recreation Special Olympic teams brought home medals in three spring sports: aquatics, track, and soccer. All Special Olympics and AIR teams comprised of youth and adult participants had a splendid time competing and look forward to another great season of sports.

Aquatics

Greeley’s Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation (AIR) swim team took four youth and seven adults to the Northeast Regional Swimming competition on May 5 in Loveland. Greeley athletes participated in 31 races, and the team won first place in 19 races and second place in six races. Caleb Thompson-Jump qualified and went on to the state competition June 7-9 in Grand Junction, where he won a gold medal in all of his events: 15-meter kickboard, 15-meter assisted swim, and the 25-meter flotation (swimmer uses the assistance of a flotation belt). Thompson-Jump came into his first season on the swim team with little experience and some fears of the water.

Track

During the track season, Greeley Special Olympic teams had three youth and nine adult athletes participating in 35 races at regionals on May 11 in Littleton, winning first place in 11 races and second place in 13 races. Nine athletes — two youth and seven adults — qualified for the state track meet on June 8 and 9 in Grand Junction. Greeley’s Special Olympics team medaled in 20 events throughout the weekend.

Soccer

Greeley’s unified youth soccer team, the Storm Sharks, athletes ages 8 to 15, competed in the Front Range Soccer tournament on May 19. The team won second place in their division. One adult athlete, Patrick Lockard, won the blue ribbon in the Skills Challenge.

Fall Sports

Registration for fall sports is now open at MyGreeleyRec.com. Special Olympic opportunities include bowling, volleyball, and flag football. The AIR program is actively looking for coaches and volunteers to help with the next season. If interested, please reach out to Kassi Decuir, Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation (AIR) coordinator, at [email protected].

Greeley Recreation’s Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation (AIR) program provides activities and services to individuals with varying physical or intellectual abilities. Their professionals empower all individuals to participate in recreational programming and activities. AIR program staff is led by a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) to coordinate services.