The competitive spirit is often in view at athletic events. However, at the Special Olympics, sportsmanship also prevails.

An athlete falls during a race. A fellow athlete, who was winning the race, stops. He turns around and helps the fallen runner, and they both cross the finish line together.

Such is the nature of these games, which Ames has held every summer for the past 20 years.

Over 2,500 athletes and 1,200 volunteers will converge on Ames May 22—24 to make what promises to be a successful competition, said Pam Wagner, Vice President of Games and Competition.

The 2003 Special Olympics will be held at Lied Recreation Center and other venues in Ames. The opening ceremony of the games will take place at Hilton Coliseum, 7:30 p.m. Thursday. They include the lighting of the Olympic flame, which has been passed through the state since May 19.

In some ways, the games are not as unusual as the name may suggest. Athletes will compete in many of the familiar events of the Olympics — track and field, cycling, swimming and tennis.

In addition, said Jan Williams, volunteer coordinator of this year’s games, the competition is fierce.

“The competitors fight for every second to get here,” she said.

To compete in the Iowa Special Olympics, athletes must win first place at a preliminary area contest, held at one of 11 areas in Iowa, according to the Special Olympics Web site, www.soiowa.org.

Some of the athletes who won gold at last year’s Special Olympics in Ames will represent Team USA at the world games, held in Dublin, Ireland in late June. The Special Olympics World Games are held every 4 years.

In spite of the heated struggles on the field, coordinators said there are a lot of rewards for volunteers and athletes, many of whom are drawn from the ISU student body. The Ames community has a reputation for a strong volunteer structure, Williams said.

“The success of these games is only as good as the volunteers we have,” she said.

For more information on the games, visit www.soiowa.org or call (515)267-0131.