Special Olympics Texas formally invited Mission CISD to participate in the first ever Unified Champions Schools track and field team event at the 2017 Summer Games to be held May 25-28 at The University of Texas at Arlington. The purpose of the Unified Champions Competition is to bring together youth with and without intellectual disabilities and create communities of acceptance and respect.
Special Olympics staff from Mission CISD accepted the invitation and collaborated to form what will be the only team from the Rio Grande Valley to participate in a Unified Champions Team Competition. This team consists of two Special Olympics athletes and two partners: Pedro Ruiz, Angel Ruiz, Bryan Arellano, and Ramiro Farias.
These four young men accepted the challenge and have been practicing together for the past few weeks under the direction of coaches Leonardo Esquivel and Ramiro Segovia. They have personally witnessed the athletes form a close bond as they encourage and motivate each other to put forth their best effort in preparation for the competition. They will compete in four events: 100-meter run, 200-meter run, mini javelin throw, and 4 x 100-meter relay.
Mission CISD Special Olympics staff thank everyone who played a role in enabling students to take advantage of this great opportunity.
“We are very proud to represent the district at the state level, and will put forth our best effort to ensure that our athletes have fun, feel accepted, and make memories that will last a lifetime,” said Coach Leonardo Esquivel. “In the famous words of the Special Olympics competition, let the games begin!”
--
Pictured from left, Adapted PE Coach Ramiro Segovia, Angel Ruiz, Bryan Arellano, Veterans Memoria High School Principal Fidel Garza, Ramiro Farias, Pedro Ruiz, and Adapted PE Coach Leonardo