Quitman Pilots host Special Olympics track & field meet
Athletes from Wood County and beyond participated in Friday’s Special Olympics in Quitman, sponsored by the Quitman Pilot Club. Athletes opened the day with the oath, "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." Every competitor shown here embodied those words.
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Quitman Pilots host Special Olympics track & field meet
Top-left: athletes from the Wood County Warriors march in the opening ceremonies. Left: Warrior runners race in the 50m dash. Above: a runner from the Upshur County Crew races. Top-right: a Crew athlete heaves in the softball throw. Right: a Warrior hurls in the tennis ball throw.
“Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” The Athletes Oath was written and read at the inaugural Special Olympics international games in Chicago in 1968 by founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. These words are still recited today before every Special Olympics event.
The Pilot Club of Quitman hosted a Special Olympics track and field meet March 22 at the Quitman Independent School District track field. This event was dedicated to the memory of Pat Neighbors, a former coach/teacher at Quitman ISD and member of the Pilot Club.
During the opening ceremony, Quitman Mayor David Dobbs welcomed the athletes to Quitman and Mayor Pro-Tem Randy Dunn lead the assembled group in the Athletes Oath. Officers from the Wood County Sheriff Department and Quitman Police Department were also present throughout the event.
One hundred sixty athletes along with their coaches and assistants representing the Como-Pickton ISD, Mabank ISD, Upshur County Special Education campus, and Wood County Special Education Campus participated in the state-sanctioned event. Approximately 350 medals were awarded to the athletes.
Special Olympics is a nonpartisan organization that strongly supports practices that guarantee the rights, full participation, and integration of people with intellectual disabilities.
The Pilot Club of Quitman extends a thank you to the Quitman Anchor Club and the community volunteers who either cooked and prepared lunch or helped conduct the various competitions.
