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Special Olympics Gibraltar at World Winter Games in Idaho, USA.
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by Anne Mesilio
The recent winter snows have been plentiful almost worldwide and this is good news for our athletes participating in the Games. They are being held in Idaho, the 43rd state in the Pacific Northwest from the 7th to the 13th February.
Special Olympics is a global leader in enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. The 2009 Games will unite the world through sports, forming a new global vision of acceptance and mutual respect.
Nearly 2, 500 athletes from more than 100 countries will attend and athletes of all ability levels will compete in seven different Olympic type sports.
From Gibraltar, a Floor Hockey team consisting of; Nicholas Danino, Jeremy Prescott, Lee Guerreiro, Francis Mauro, Marvin Zammitt, Jamie Collis, Samuel Santos, John Joshua Buttiegieg, Jan Lopez, Carlos Yeo, Glen Wimbleton, Miguel Rubio, Alfred Celecia and Christian Lara will participate at the venue of Expo Idaho, Boise, the state capital known as the "city of trees". A first for Gibraltar athletes will see two intrepid ladies, Sallyanne Mauro and Virginia Wink compete in the snowshoeing event at Ponderosa State Park, McCall. Paola Poggio is their coach in this new venture and good luck to all in what is considered a low impact, eco friendly sport.
As always with World Games a Host Town programme is in place giving the athletes a chance to acclimatise and help people of Idaho to learn more about people with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics Gibraltar wishes to thank all generous sponsors. Special Olympics relies heavily on sponsorship and fundraising to make these trips happen for the athletes and help celebrate their abilities and accomplishments in sports.
Please join with me in wishing each and every one a safe and happy trip.
Godspeed.
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