Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship
ST. ALBANS — On Sept. 13, Greg Hudson competed in his tenth fall games with Special Olympics Vermont. Hudson, who has cerebral palsy and is legally blind in one eye, doesn’t let his disability keep him from playing softball, the sport he’s loved for 20 years.
“I like third base because that’s where most of the action is. My mom is always nervous when I’m playing over there,” said Hudson, who sports a Special Olympics tattoo on his calf. “I love being an athlete, being with my friends and making new friends.”
Hudson is one of the 200-plus athletes who competed in this year’s Fall Games at the Collins Perley Sports and Fitness Center. The games are one of the four major annual competitions held by Special Olympics Vermont. The chapter is part of a worldwide organization that has been providing opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities for almost 60 years.
“I have met some of the most incredible humans I’ve ever met in my life,” said Sarah McCaffrey, the organization’s CEO and president. “I will absolutely say I’m a better person today than when I started this job.”
Special Olympics Vermont was founded in 1971, just three years after the first-ever national Special Olympics Games at Soldier Field in Chicago.
The organization has just under 3,000 athletes who are anywhere from 8 years old to in their 60s.
“We run the span of an athlete’s life,” McCaffrey said.
The organization relies heavily on its volunteers to put on its annual events, including the popular Penguin Plunge fundraiser, which asks the 1,000-plus participants to take a chilly dip in Lake Champlain each February. The event raises roughly 45 percent of the organization’s operating budget annually, McCaffrey said.
On Feb. 6, 2027, the 33rd Penguin Plunge will take place at Lake Champlain. The money raised ensures athletes can participate in the Special Olympics games for free.
In its almost 60 years, Special Olympics Vermont has provided thousands of athletes with teammates, community and leadership skills through its 12 Olympics-style sports, including basketball, swimming, bocce and more.
There are games for every season, winter, spring, summer and fall. However, these are not the only events that take place through Special Olympics Vermont. The organization provides a wide variety of health programs, Unified Sports and community events for Special Olympics athletes year round.
Every four years, Special Olympics Vermont sends athletes to the national games, which were held in Minneapolis this year. Multiple Vermont athletes competed and medaled in swim and track and field events.
McCaffrey said athletes from opposite ends of the state were part of Team Vermont.
They were “genuinely excited to be together again,” she said. “It was a wonderful moment that showed that while competition is important, the friendships and bonds our athletes form are just as important.”
The organization also provides health care services for its athletes. Dental students and hygienists do evaluations, and optometrists fit them with glasses. More athletes received health screenings at this year’s fall games than last year’s, McCaffrey said.
The organization’s senior health manager also works with medical and nursing students at the University of Vermont, coaching them how to treat people with intellectual disabilities.
“Some of our athletes have told us stories about the disparity of health care because doctors aren’t trained to work with them,” she said. “We are training the next generation of doctors.”
At this month’s fall games, the athletes participated in a host of events including track and field, soccer and softball. Special Olympics Vermont employees and volunteers beamed as members of local law enforcement agencies presented the athletes with silver and gold medals to close out the day. Hudson’s softball team received a silver medal in the closing ceremony.
“There’s divisioning that allows for there to be success and medaling across so many different abilities,” said Tess Wilkinson, the organization’s communications and social media manager.
With this season’s games over, the organization is looking forward to its Unified Champion Sports soccer tournament on Oct. 6 at Norwich University. Then, for the final competition of the season, St. Michael’s College hosts the State Swim Meet on Dec. 6.
McCaffrey encouraged volunteers to get involved, including as coaches. “Once you come once, you’ll come back,” she said. “It’s an incredible organization.”