OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — From basketball to swimming, athletes from across the state came together on Saturday for the Wisconsin Special Olympics.
- At the Spring Special Olympics, parents and athletes explain what the games mean to them
- The event featured a variety of competitions, including basketball and swimming
- About 1,500 family and community members came together at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh to cheer on the athletes
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
For parents like Roberta Costion, the spring Special Olympics is a celebration of inclusion.
"All different walks, all different disabilities, and they all come together. I think that's like another ode to the Special Olympic families" Roberta Costion said.
Roberta and her son Jack traveled from Lake Geneva to take part in this year’s Spring Games. Jack and his team took to the court to compete in team basketball.
"I'm very good at shooting, and then I did a good job dribbling the ball," Jack Costion said.
For parents like Katie Jesberger, it isn't about winning, it's about making sure her daughter feels like she belongs.
"It makes me feel like my daughter's being included in everything, and it makes me look forward to the future," Jesberger said.
She says her daughter Marissa couldn’t wait to get out there and compete in the spring games.
"She was very excited. I don't think she slept for about a week before coming," Jesberger said.
The Special Olympics says this year’s games drew around 900 athletes and around 1,500 supporters in attendance.
The event also offered five health screenings for athletes, including dental, hearing, mental health care, performance fitness, and FUNfitness.
Isaiah Kasay has been on the River Valley basketball team since he was nine years old. On Saturday he turned 20.
"It’s definitely fun. You get to meet new people, meet new faces, and they’re just so friendly. They’ve always got your back," Isaiah Kasay said.
For his mom, Amanda, she says these moments aren’t just shaping her son as an athlete, they’re shaping him for life.
"You're learning daily life skills through these sports, and it's something that transfers into every aspect of life," Amanda Kasay said.
The Special Olympics wraps up on Sunday at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, but parents say the excitement it brings to their athletes lasts all year long.
