Several hundred excited athletes gathered Friday and Saturday at Lipscomb for competition, dancing and fun during the 2016 Special Olympics State Summer Games.

There were six different categories of competition: aquatics, track and field, bocce, powerlifting, tennis and volleyball. The aquatics events were held at Ensworth School.

Over 2,500 athletes, coaches, volunteers and family members attended the competition.

The Special Olympics State Summer Games also were held at Lipscomb in 2015. In the past, Lipscomb has consistently hosted the state Special Olympics basketball tournament.

Williamson County Special Olympics bocce adult-leader Brenda Hauk said her team “did very good” and walked away with several medals.

“Our guys won first place, our gals won fourth, and everybody walked away with a medal. We played singles and doubles, and they did really good!”

Hauk said she is grateful for the experience Lipscomb provides by opening the doors for the state games to be held on campus.

“Lipscomb has been so nice to us, and it has just been wonderful,” Hauk said.

Although Williamson County Olympians did not stay on campus for the competition, Lipscomb opened up the dormitories for competitors who had to travel long distances to participate in the state games.

The Special Olympics program holds over 100 competitions annually for men and women with intellectual disabilities. Once every four years, the Special Olympians have the opportunity to compete at the U.S. Games and the World Games.

The Special Olympics program also offers the unique opportunity of unified sports, such as the unified volleyball competition held at the State Summer Games this year. Unified sports allow people with and without intellectual disabilities to team up.

Special Olympian Allison competed in the swimming competition, but she said her favorite part of attending the state games was the social aspect.

“I like friends, and I like to dance!” she said.

For some Special Olympians, this was their first time competing, but for others, it is something they look forward to every year.

“I’ve been here before, and I had a lot of fun,” Special Olympian Tiffany said.

After all of the events were finished, the games concluded with a Victory Celebration. The athletes dressed up in costumes varying from Dr. Seuss characters to Iron Man, and they celebrated by having a late-night dance party in Bison Square.

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