Ken has been participating in Special Olympics for several years in both Marion and Hendricks county. He has competed in Basketball, Softball, Track & Field, Bocce and Bowling.
Ken was nominated as the Athlete of the Month because of his great attitude. An example of this was at a basketball game where there was going to be too many players so Kenny couldn't dress for the game and several people noticed how well he handled it. He didn't complain, he kept his great smile and his "Spirit" attitude. As it ended up another player didn't show up so Kenny got to dress for the game after all but it was so nice to see an athlete setting such a good example of sportsmanship.
Ken is retired from Sycamore Services. He likes to watch movies - especially comedies and doesn't care so much for scary ones!
Ken will be competing in Bocce at the state games in June and we are all really looking forward to spending the weekend with him. He has been a great addition to our Bocce team this year and has made it even more fun.
We interviewed Kenny and this is what he had to say:
Q: How long have you been in Special Olympics?
A: Quite a few years
Q: What is your favorite sport?
A: Basketball
Q: What is your favorite type of music?
A: Disney channel and Country
Q: What other things besides Special Olympics do you like to do?
A: Watch movies and go out to eat
Q: When is your birthday?
A: July 1st
Q: What is your favorite restaurant?
A: La Hacienda
Meet our Athlete of the Month for April!
BROOKE
This is Brooke's first year to compete in Special Olympics and she has made a great impression and impact in a short amount of time. So far Brooke has participated in Bowling, Basketball and Track & Field.
Brooke was nominated as our Athlete of the Month for so many reasons. Just a few of the words that were used to describe her and why she is being nominated are tenacity, dedication, attitude, fearless, focused, determined, caring and has a great smile!
Brooke has proven her fearlessness on the basketball court with her aggressiveness and not backing down when playing against mostly men which could be intimidating. She is a team player and displays great sportsmanship on and off the court. '
We have all been so impressed by her willingness to push herself in track & field by running longer distances and trying the running long jump. You can see her focus when she's running as she stays perfectly in her lane and is not distracted by the other runners. Brooke is setting a great example for other athletes.
We are really looking forward to seeing Brooke compete in the State Games in Terre Haute this summer and in future events. What a great addition she has been to our Spirit team!!
We interviewed Brooke and this is what she had to say:
Q: How long have you been in Special Olympics?
A: This is the first year
Q: What is your favorite sport?
A: Basketball
Q: What is your favorite type of music?
A: Country
Q: What other things besides Special Olympics do you like to do?
A: Go out to eat, watch movies and read
Q: When is your birthday?
A: Feb 10
Q: What is your favorite restaurant?
A: So Italian!
Meet our Athlete of the Month for March!
LORRIE
Lorrie participates in Basketball, Bocce, Bowling, Dance and Track & Field. She has earned numerous medals over the years such as the bronze medal that she and her longtime friend and Bocce partner Connie won at the 2014 State Games in Terre Haute last summer.
Most recently Lorrie was part of the Spirit 1 basketball team that won the championship at the Take it to the Hoops tournament at Taylor University. The team also won sectionals at Pike and advanced to State where they placed 3rd and received bronze medals.
Lorrie is a Brownsburg High School graduate and likes to attend the Friday night football games with her friend Connie. She also enjoys shopping and spending time with her family. She is always on the go with her sister Jen and mom Cookie.
Lorrie was nominated as the athlete of the month because of her dedication to the basketball team. Whether in the game or on the sideline, Lorrie shows her "Spirit" enthusiasm by encouraging and supporting her teammates. She is always positive and upbeat, never misses a practice, always tries hard and never gives up. Lorrie is helpful to her teammates and coaches in every sport that she participates in and is a true Spirit team player.
We interviewed Lorrie and this is what she had to say:
Q: How long have you been in Special Olympics?
A: 32 years
Q: What is your favorite sport?
A: Bowling
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Pizza
Q: What other things besides Special Olympics do you like to do?
A: Go shopping
Q: When is your birthday?
A: Jan 14
Q: What is your favorite restaurant?
A: Red Robin
Meet our Athlete of the Month for February!
BRIAN
This is Brian's first year to participate in Special Olympics. Brian joined our Spirit 1 basketball team and has made quite an impact to the program. Brian has some tremendous basketball skills and is fun and impressive to watch on the court. He recently lead the team to not only our first victory at the Take it to the Hoops tournament at Taylor University, but to winning the overall grand championship in our division!!! What a great experience for everyone there to be a part of.
We are hoping that he will continue to be a part of our Spirit group and try out some new sports with us. His natural athletic ability will help him to be successful in any sport he wants to try. In addition to his involvement in Special Olympics, Brian works at Goodwill and likes to play video games.
Brian was nominated as the athlete of the month because of his leadership and sportsmanship on the basketball court. This was evident in one of the games at Taylor when Brian had an open chance for an easy layup but he chose to pass to a teammate instead. That teammate went on to score the basket and enjoyed the limelight for that moment. Although Brian scores the majority of the points in each game, he always looks for the open man and plays as a team and not an individual. What a great example of a true Spirit athlete!!
We interviewed Brian and this is what he had to say:
Q: How long have you been in Special Olympics?
A: This is his first year
Q: What is your favorite sport?
A: Basketball
Q: What is your favorite type of music?
A: Rap
Q: What other things besides Special Olympics do you like to do?
A: Play video games
Q: When is your birthday?
A: Nov 21
Q: What is your favorite restaurant?
A: Famous Daves
Meet our Athlete of the Month for January!
JEFF
Jeff participates in Basketball, Bowling, Track and Field, Equestrian and Golf. Jeff has earned many awards from competing in Special Olympics such as the medals that he's wearing pictured left which are from Track and Field from running and the softball throw (he's also really good at the standing long jump!).
In addition to his involvement in Special Olympics, Jeff loves playing games with his niece and nephews - especially playing ball. He works at Sycamore Services and attends Bible study on Thursday nights along with his friends. Some people know Jeff as Mr. Smiley because of his constant grin - if you know Jeff then you know that contagious smile. Sometimes at basketball he's also known as "Big Foot" and can sure bring down those rebounds!
Jeff was nominated as the athlete of the month because of the great attitude he had (and always has) at the Strikes bowling event. After ending up without a teammate to bowl with, he happily continued on by himself without a complaint. Eventually he was able to bowl with another group and made some new friends who were happy to have him on their team. Jeff is truly such a sweet person and makes Special Olympics that much more special!!
We interviewed Jeff and this is what he had to say:
Q: How long have you been in Special Olympics?
A: 8 yrs
Q: What is your favorite sport?
A: Bowling
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Pizza
Q: What other things besides Special Olympics do you like to do?
A: Play Wii and do stuff with friends
Q: When is your birthday?
A: July 12
Q: What is your favorite restaurant?
A: McDonalds