How Are Central New York Special Olympians Impacting Lives One At A Time?

The Special Olympics gets underway today at SUNY Brockport and these athletes are more excited than ever!

The Oneida County Sherriff’s office is proud to be a part of the Special Olympics. The selfless men and women who works there are often so busy inspiring others that they tend to forget about themselves. Yesterday, however, it was a different story.

 Local police officers ran with special Olympians, one of whom carried the torch. Officials with the Special Olympics say it's the athletes who keep them all going when the running gets tough.

The Special Olympics begins later this afternoon at SUNY Brockport. I too am a proud supporter of this event.  A few years ago, I took a break from radio to serve those with developmental disabilities. I was a live-in group home counselor for a nonprofit organization in Dutchess County. I went into the job thinking that I would be educating them and teaching them life lessons. instead, it was the other way around. They taught me the importance of selflessness, humility, forgiveness, and laughter. The guys I worked with had the best sense of humor! They also were some of the most sensitive individuals I've ever met.

I enjoyed working with these special folks so much that I decided to go back to school and I majored in Special Education. I eventually changed my major to Business Management because I don't necessarily agree with a lot of the protocol that goes along with working in this field. For example: many of these individuals are so drugged up that they can hardly function.  Many in the adult population are  treated like newborns and coddled like babies. The red tape that accompanied my experience eventually deterred me from wanting to work in this rewarding field. That being said, I still love these special people, and they'll always have a piece of my heart.

Just Jen and I discussed these special folks today!