Special Olympics help athletes with disabilities grow
Lake Zurich High School has been hosting the Area 13 Special Olympics for many years, and it is part of a larger state-wide commitment to helping athletes with disabilities feel confident and capable.
One of the biggest jobs in organizing this event is the coordination between coaches, schools, and venues. Area 13 comprises both Lake and McHenry counties.
Caitlin Shepard understands those difficulties firsthand. She is the Area Manager, a job which involves organizing the sprawling scope of the event to make sure everything runs smoothly. It involves a lot of talking to people, and she liked the social aspect of it, she said.
“[I love] watching the athletes grow,” Shepard said.
Lindsey Karp, Special Education Teacher at Spencer Loomis Elementary School, is is part of the Lake Zurich Special Olympics Committee. Her job, she said, is to make sure everything looks good, including getting tables and chairs, setting up, and working with the venues.
“We do all the setup and takedown,” Karp said.
As the Special Education teacher, she said it was a natural role for her to slip into and she appreciates all the work Special Olympics did to give athletes with disabilities more opportunities like the event on May 7.
Both said they love watching the athlete’s horizons broaden.
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