Gifted tickets fuel Special Olympics inspiration

Words: ACFC Media

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Picture: Phototek

A group of Special Olympics athletes from Kapiti left Saturday’s FIFA World Cup Intercontinental Playoff suitably inspired thanks to a gutsy All Whites performance and a donation of tickets by Auckland City FC and Stirling Sports Lynn Mall.

New Zealand held a heavily-fancied Peru side to goalless draw to keep their chances of World Cup qualifying very much alive heading into the return leg in Lima on Thursday (NZT) and taking in every moment were a group of athletes and volunteers from Special Olympic Kapiti.

Having purchased too many tickets to the match, club staff reached out to Wellington-based former Navy Blues and All Whites player Ben Sigmund who put the club in touch with his local chapter of Special Olympics via a family connection.

In total a dozen athletes, aided by four volunteers, got a rare opportunity to witness a major sporting event, something that has given them extra motivation ahead of their own four-yearly event – the Special Olympics National Summer Games held later this month in the capital.

“For our athletes it was absolutely inspiring to see able-bodied athletes of that calibre and at the ground rather than on TV – it was something really wonderful,” said Special Olympics Kapiti’s Chairperson Gavin Thorley.

“A lot of our athletes don’t live with their parents but in facilities that look after people with intellectual disabilities. The norm for them is to be taken to training or to the local shops for instance but most of the time they are in programmes that are being run for them and so to go to an event like this is really unique.”

Thorley, a former Olympic runner, said the athletes embraced the occasion and did their bit as part of a record football crowd willing the All Whites to Russia.

“I know the crew were absolutely wrapped. It amazed some of the volunteers how into the game the athletes got. We haven’t taken them into that sort of environment apart from their own events with other Special Olympians so it was really interesting.

“They were absolutely vociferous in their support. You’d expect that with Special Olympic athletes of course but we’d just never seen them in that environment before.

“Our club was so grateful for those tickets. Even the train ride on the way in gave the athletes an opportunity to talk to other passengers about the sports they compete in.

“It was a wonderful gesture on the part of Auckland City FC and Stirling Sports.”

The athletes from Special Olympics Kapiti will compete at the National Summer Games from November 27 to December 1 against teams from across New Zealand in a range of sports including football, basketball, swimming, ten pin bowling, golf, athletics and snow sports. 

Also at the Games will be the Special Olympics Auckland football team who last week were hosted by Auckland City FC at Kiwitea Street as they received a donation of playing kit and equipment from Friends of Football and Kappa during the halftime break of the ISPS Handa Premiership match against Canterbury United.

 

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