Bowling event empowers disabled athletes

The only thing louder than bowling balls thundering down the allies this weekend at Classic Lanes Bowling was the laughter, cheers and screams coming from the athletes who threw them. \nSaturday afternoon kicked off the 24th annual Special Olympic Bowling Tournament for athletes with mental disabilities and, like every other Special Olympic event, began with the Special Olympics Oath. \n"Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt," the athletes repeated. \nAthletes from Bartholomew, Brown, Jackson, Monroe and Lawrence counties participated in the event, said Annie Eakin, Special Olympics Area 10 director.\n"I think bowling is probably a sport that can be pretty universal. A lot of people can do it -- I think that's why they come," Eakin said. "It's an easy event to compete in with any ability."\nThe event had about 130 volunteers to help the tournament run smoothly, and all volunteers were from IU, said Volunteer Coordinator and junior Jaime Glenn.\n"I think (the event) means a lot," Glenn said. "These people take time out of their day to make sure these athletes have fun and without them these events wouldn't happen."\nAccording to the Indiana Special Olympics Web site, in late July of 1968, 1,000 athletes with mental disabilities from the United States, Canada and France took part in the first Special Olympics International Games. Out of those 1,000 athletes, 24 were Hoosiers. At the conclusion of those games, Special Olympics activist Eunice Kennedy Shriver challenged each state to return home and institute similar events. In June of 1969, Indiana fulfilled that challenge with 1,000 Hoosiers with mental disabilities participating in the first Special Olympics Indiana Summer Games. \nOriginally the events included some track and field events as well as select swimming events. Now, the events span from softball, golf and flag football. \n"I think bowling is something people across the board can do, not everyone has to have a really high level of ability or skill to do this, there are certainly bowlers here who do have that, but I think it's open to all different members of the community that want to participate at a good level," said Jason Eakin, competition director for Area 10. \nThe volunteers at the event were at each lane helping keep score with the athletes and to encourage everyone who participated. Sophomore Matt Swarm volunteered this weekend not only because it's a great cause, but because his mom is a special education teacher, so it's "in my blood," he said.\n"Special Olympics is something I've kind of always helped out with back home, from Indianapolis," Swarm said. "It's just one of these things I think students should take advantage of, to come out, help the community and give back a little bit."\nSpecial Olympic Athlete Gina Barger summed up the overall theme of the day's events by simply saying, "I'm having fun."\n-- Contact senior writer Mike Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.