SPECIAL OLYMPICS HITS CAPE THIS WEEKEND

Area track and field athletes will attempt Olympian feats Saturday when they meet at Central High School for the Southeast Area Missouri Special Olympics.

Some 400 mentally disabled athletes are expected to compete at the track meet, which begins at 10:30 a.m. A torch lighting ceremony and other festivities begin at 10 a.m.

Area director Penny Williams said participation in the local event has increased over previous years, but "it's only a fraction of the people that are really eligible to do it."

In all, about 1,200 athletes participate annually in an assortment of local Special Olympics athletic programs.

"Special Olympics is more than a track meet. It's truly a year-round sports training program, but it gets the most recognition around this time of year," Williams said.

In addition to the track and field events, area athletes may participate in softball, bowling and volleyball competitions. Some athletes -- like Cape Girardean Ryan Ewing -- are trained to promote Special Olympics programs at the local and state level to businesses and organizations.

Ewing is scheduled to read the Olympic oath at Saturday's event and will serve as master of ceremonies at the state games in Fort Leonard Wood in mid-May.

About 250 local athletes will be eligible to advance to state-level competition. The top state winners will be invited to participate in the 2003 international games, which will be held in Ireland.

Special Olympics began in 1968 with the first International Special Olympics Games at Soldier Field in Chicago. Since 1968, millions of children and adults with mental retardation have participated in local, state and international contests.

To be eligible to participate in Special Olympics, athletes must be at least 8 years old and identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions: mental retardation, cognitive delays as measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay that require or have required specially-designed instruction.