News: Thorp Adult Special Olympics (Jan 2015)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Boettcher, Voelker, Petis, Seibel

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., WI) 2/11/2015

Thorp Adult Special Olympics (24/25 January 2015)

By Loralee Petersen

The Thorp Adult Special Olympics team started out the 2015 season by participating in the Winter Games at Nine Mile Forest in Wausau on Saturday, January 24 and Sunday, January 25. Andi Boettcher of Cadott took second place in 500 meter cross country skiing. Carolyn Voelker of Thorp took first place in both one-kilometer cross country skiing and three-kilometer cross country skiing.

Eva Petis of Cadott earned third place in both the 50-meter snowshoe race and the 100-meter snowshoe race. Kristen Seibel, also of Cadott, took fourth place in the 50-meter snowshoe race and fifth in the 100-meter snowshoe race.

According to the Wisconsin Special Olympics website (http://www.specialolympicswisconsin.org/) Winter Games has taken place in Wausau since 1989. That’s 26 years. Winter Games brings 220 athletes, 86 coaches and 100 volunteers to Granite Peak at Rib Mountain State Park and Nine Mile Forest to compete in a host of winter sports including alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing.

Now, eight athletes from the Cadott, Boyd, Stanley, Thorp and Withee areas are getting ready to show off their basketball skills. On February 15, the team coaches and their family members will travel to UW-Stout in Menomonie to compete in the Region 3 Basketball Skills Competition.

Basketball has been part of Special Olympics since 1968, when it was included in the Special Olympics World Games. The basketball skills competition is divided into two levels. Those who are competing in level 1 will compete in target pass, 10-meter dribble and spot shot. Level 2 competitors will be judged on perimeter shooting, dribbling and catch and pass skills.

The Athletes and their coaches meet weekly to practice these skills and the athletes practice on their own as well. Their ultimate goal is to reach the State Indoor Sports Tournament to be held at UW-Oshkosh in April. The tournament will include competition for gymnastics, basketball skills and team basketball. This event will host approximately 600 athletes, 250 coaches and 250 volunteers. In addition to sports competition, the State Indoor Sports Tournament also provides free medical exams to athletes through Healthy Athletes, and athletes have access to an eye exam, a dental screening and hearing exam. The Healthy Athletes program, introduced in 2001 strives to improve, through better health and fitness, each athlete’s ability to train and compete in Special Olympics.