Bocce ball unites special olympians and student athletes
Two years ago, Amal Eabalre was told by her doctor she would be unable to play in the Special Olympics Summer Games.
Today, Eabalre proved her doctor wrong by participating in not just one, but four games.
Eabalre is one of many of Special Olympians who played bocce ball at Central Michigan University's Field Hockey Field. The university will host Special Olympics until Sunday.
Olympians were partnered with volunteers from their school through Unified Sports, an initiative where Special Olympians and student athletes play on teams together. Though the 17-year-old Saudi Arabia native lost in her first round by three points, she said being able to finally play was enough of a reward.
"I started playing bocce ball when I was in ninth grade. My doctor didn't approve of me playing sports in tenth grade so I started to play again when I could, which is now," Eabalre said. "My favorite part about the Special Olympics is being able to play in bocce ball, gymnastics, hockey and basketball."
Unified Sports pairs athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to promote social inclusion through competition. Janelle Green, a 17-year-old from Lansing, has been a Unified Sports participant for four years.
"My first year I played Bocce Ball with an Olympian named Casey and we sucked," she said. "We lost, but that didn't matter to Casey. He was so happy and proud he got to play. That's what makes me come back every year."
A crowd of family and friends cheered on Special Olympians as the bocce ball game came to an end. CMU alumni Todd and Karen Schulz cheered for their son Josh, 13, as he played in his second Summer Games.
"Josh looked very forward to coming back and playing this year. Juan, his partner, and him have been practicing," Todd said. "Play Unify made a large effort to link kids with disabilities with athletes and it creates a very positive experience. Josh really enjoys it."
Special Olympics continues throughout the weekend with a variety of events and games. For a full schedule, go to the Special Olympics website.
Keep up with coverage of the Special Olympics Summer Games on cm-life.com.
