Swimming & Diving Hosts Special Olympics Clinic

April 20, 2010

The University of Kansas Women’s Swimming and Diving team hosted a Special Olympics swimming and diving clinic this Saturday at Robinson Natatorium.

This marks the second time the team has held such a clinic, and this year’s clinic was an even bigger success than last year’s. Nearly 30 Special Olympians from all over Douglas County showed up ready to get some helpful swimming and diving tips.

The Special Olympians ranged in ability from beginners to advanced, but all were eager to interact with the team. The Special Olympians rotated through six different stations working on each swimming stroke as well as diving off the one meter, and in some cases, the three meter diving boards.

Not only was this an exceptional experience for the Special Olympians, but also for the women on the swimming and diving team. It gave the team the opportunity to use their extensive knowledge of their sport for a great cause.

“After doing this clinic last year, I knew today was going to be an awesome day”, explained Junior Alyssa Potter, “but I forgot how much fun this is!”

The obvious excitement and overall love for the sport of swimming that both the Special Olympians and KU swimmers and divers exuded was impossible to miss during this exceptional event.

“Just seeing the smiles on their faces showed how much they really enjoyed it and that made me feel really good” said senior Carrah Haley.

The clinic provided an opportunity for the athletes to appreciate each other and share stories. Most of the Special Olympians are dual or tri-sport athletes, so they had no problem relating to the amount of hard work and time the KU swimmers and divers put into their sport.

The clinic concluded with a group photo and many hugs all around. The team is currently working on finding a Special Olympics’ swim or track meet that they can attend to support their new friends.

The Swimming and Diving team will be back in action on Saturday, May 7th for their spring meet.