MHS Students Participate in Special Olympics
The mile run is not a popular Special Olympics event for the students in Katie McLaughlin’s Life Skills Program at Messalonskee High School. In fact, McLaughlin can remember only one student in her program who has ever signed up for such a grueling test of endurance.
“We really enjoy the 50-yard dash,” McLaughlin said with a smile.
And that is fine with her. The point, she said, is simply to get her students to experience the Special Olympics, and that’s exactly what happened for all 19 in her program this week.
They traveled to Hallowell to compete in a regional meet that featured about 100 Special Olympians from a total of four high schools and four day programs, according to McLaughlin.
The day was much anticipated by her students.
“It is similar to our Unified sports where every year our students really, really look forward to doing it,” she said. “It’s really a fun day to be outside all day long. Everybody there is cheering and the whole environment is so cheery and enthusiastic.”
At the same time, however, McLaughlin said her students also tend to become quite anxious about participating in such a big and altogether different event.
“It is a challenge to have a day that is not your typical [day] – that doesn’t have a set schedule,” she said.
And yet, year after year, McLaughlin said, “The kids always rise to the occasion.”