SPECIAL OLYMPICS: LOCAL ATHLETES BRING HOME HAUL OF MEDALS FROM SUMMER EVENT (3 PHOTOS) (August 9, 2023)

Valley Sports Report
BLOOMSBURG - The Special Olympics Pennsylvania Bradford / Sullivan Counties competed recently at the summer event here, hosted by Bloomsburg High School.

Special Olympics creates divisions of competitors based upon age, gender, and past performance.

In aquatics, Elizabeth Porter competed against many athletes from counties in central and southeastern Pennsylvania. Porter won her individual division twice, bringing home the gold medal in the 400-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly races.

Porter took the silver in a close 100-yard backstroke, and swam as part of 4-x-25 yard freestyle relay from combined counties and the group won a gold medal for their division.

Outside, the athletics (track & field) started with the longest event of the day, the 5,000-meter run (5K). In this event Izaak Hobday, a two-time medal-winner at the Berlin World Games, won his division’s gold. Damian Smith persevered in his division as well to win his first gold medal of the day.

The 100-meter walk followed. Robert Cummings and Margaret Harkinson represented the local counties. Cummings brought home the bronze for his division and Harkinson claimed the gold in her division.

In the100-meter dash, Parker Moulton raced to win the gold medal.

In field events, Moulton, Randy Fortune and Anne Roof each a won gold medal in the shot put. Margaret Harkinson won silver in her division.

Special Olympics uses mini-javelin as a throwing event as well. Moulton won gold, and Cummings won silver, while Harkinson won a bronze medal, and Jeffrey Bailey won a fourth-place ribbon, each in different divisions of this event.

The afternoon began with the 200-meter dash. Smith won a gold medal, Bailey won a silver, and Anne Roof won a bronze medal, each in their respective divisions.

In the 400-meter walk, Cummings won bronze and Fortune grabbed a silver in different divisions. In various divisions of the 400-meter, Smith and Roof each won bronze medals, and Bailey took silver.

Soon after 400 walk, with temperatures climbing in the direct sun, Fortune returned to the track for the 800-meter walk. He pushed through the heat and fatigue to capture the goldin his division.

In the 1,500-meter run, Hobday ran a competitive race to win silver in his division and Damian Smith won gold in his division.

The day’s events ended with an exciting 4-x-100 meter relay. The local team fielded two relay squads.

Roof, Moulton, Smith,and Hobday captured the gold medal in their division, and Cummings, Fortune, Harkinson, and Bailey also won gold.

The Special Olympics athlete’s oath states: "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."

All athletes from Bradford/Sullivan Counties Special Olympics Pennsylvania displayed bravery as the competed in hot conditions against strong competition. And all athletes left Bloomsburg with at least one gold medal.

For further information about Special Olympics Pennsylvania, please see the Bradford / Sullivan Counties Facebook page or the Special Olympics Pennsylvania web site — specialolympicspa.org —to learn more or to contribute.

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IN PHOTO 1: From left to right: Izaak Hobday, Parker Moulton, Anne Roof, and Damian Smith. IN PHOTO 2: Elizabeth Porter. IN PHOTO 3: From left: Robert Cummings, Margaret Harkinson, Jeffrey Bailey, and Randy Fortune. … PHOTOS SUBMITTED.