The Special Olympics Schedule is available here.

Iowa State and the city of Ames have teamed up again to host the more than 2,800 Special Olympics Iowa athletes who are set to compete at the annual State Summer Games, which last for three days and begin Thursday.

“These are our finest athletes. I mean, they competed, and they won to get here,” said Summer Games Chairwoman Lana Voga. “The level of competition is amazing, and they have worked very hard and are very proud of their accomplishments.”

The athletes are participating in various sports and activities, ranging from track and field to 7-on-7 soccer, and even a roller-skating competition.

More important to the athletes than the competition is the consistency of having the games on a yearly basis. This summer’s games will be the 39th time the event has occurred.

“It’s something that they look forward to year after year after year,” said Vice President of Games and Competition Pam Wagner. “It just means a great deal to their lives, and it’s really important to them.”

There is only a staff of 12 for the Special Olympics, and Wagner and Voga said in order to put on an event of such great magnitude and continue providing the longevity of the State Summer Games, volunteers are a necessary component.

“Our volunteers are everything in this process,” Voga said. “Without the volunteers, we honestly couldn’t host an event like this. The volunteers in the Ames community are just absolutely phenomenal.”

The Ames and Story County area came through once again, and for the more than 2,000 volunteers donating their time and effort to help with the games, finding motivation to help isn’t hard at all.

“[The volunteers] do it because they love it. They always say that they get so much more out of it themselves than really what they give,” Wagner said. “It is so wonderful to know that you are bringing so much joy into a person’s life. Many of our athletes live in a group home, they don’t get to go out much. So we just add so much to their lives.”

The games offer the athletes not only an opportunity to be athletic, but also a chance for them to develop and exercise their social skills.

During the games, there will be opening and closing ceremonies, the athletes will live in an Olympic village with the other athletes, and they are given the opportunity to attend a dance.

Wagner said these are offered as part of an effort to keep the games as close to the traditional Olympic games as possible, and the Olympic committee even gave the Special Olympics the right to use the “Olympic” term.

The opening ceremony, held in Hilton Coliseum, is one of the events the athletes look forward to the most. During the ceremony, the athletes will parade into Hilton, and Special Olympics athlete Eric Jarvis will have to honor of lighting the torch.

“I don’t think our athletes receive any bigger thrill than when they walk into Hilton Coliseum,” Wagner said.

This year, several dignitaries will be a part of the ceremony, including ISU men’s basketball coach Greg McDermott, ISU President Gregory Geoffroy, Vice President for Student Affairs Tom Hill, and many more.

Voga said the athletes identify with Iowa State because of special events, such as the opening ceremonies, that include such recognizable ISU figures. Voga also credited the athletic department for its support in helping with the ceremonies.

“Jamie Pollard and the whole athletic department have been there,” Voga said.

“They are just phenomenal, and they are really supportive, and it means a lot. I think the athletes really just feel like Iowa State belongs to them for three days that they are here.”