LHS students attend Special Olympics
Winter Games
Four Loris High School students competed in their divisions in the Alpine ski competition during the 2010 Special Olympics Southeastern Regional Winter Games. Jennifer Simmons won a gold medal and Aaron Livingston won a silver medal. Naquisha Williams and Charlinea Swain won fourth place ribbons in their divisions. Teachers Karen Hilbourn and Marie Hemphill, along with certified Special Olympics volunteers Davis Livingston and Sarah Wells, accompanied the students.
By Greta Burroughs
Four Loris High School students competed in their divisions in the Alpine ski competition during the 2010 Special Olympics Southeastern Regional Winter Games. The games were sponsored by the French-Swiss Ski College at Alpine Ski Mountain in Boone, N.C. The college hosted over 250 athletes from six southeastern states.
Jennifer Simmons won a gold medal and Aaron Livingston won a silver medal. Naquisha Williams and Charlinea Swain won fourth place ribbons in their divisions. Teachers Karen Hilbourn and Marie Hemphill, along with certified Special Olympics volunteers Davis Livingston and Sarah Wells, accompanied the students. Lucy Swaffield, S.C. Special Olympics District Two Program Director, was also in attendance.
Karen Hilbourn explained this was the fourth year she and her students have attended the ski competition. “It was for the six states in the Southeastern region. They had divisions for students ranging from those who were first learning to ski up to students who can ski quite well and will compete in the nationals.”
Hilbourn said no one, either staff or students, knew how to ski when they first started attending the competition four years ago. “We went to a training session in December before the competition took place in February. They taught the staff and the students separately. The lessons started with walking on one ski then with both skis on. We learned how to get up when we fell down and how to move and brake on a flat surface. After that, we progressed to the bunny hill and then on from there.”
As a result of the successful ski program, they want to start doing dry land practice locally to prepare more students for future competitions.
“I talked with the president while we were in Boone and he is going to help us with some equipment so we can start a community group here in Loris where we can teach the dry land skiing. The students will learn how to walk with the skis and the stiff boots, up and down steps and how to carry the equipment. Then when we get up to the mountains, the students will be ready to learn how to ski on the snow. Our future hope is to organize this, make the program a little bigger and get more students involved because a lot of the students that have been involved in this for the past four years are going to graduate out.”
Hilbourn is very proud of her students and the success they have had in the ski competition.
“It’s really good for them, they have come a long way. We have one child who cried the whole time the first year we went up there and this time he got a silver medal. You can see the progression in ability while they are learning to ski. For these kids, it’s a lifetime opportunity.”
Most of Hilbourn’s students at LHS are involved with Special Olympics in one form or another. In addition to the winter ski competition, the children compete in soccer during the fall, basketball in January and track and field in May. “We had a grant in soccer last year that bought uniforms and equipment. We competed against Socastee High School last year. We missed the soccer season this year but hope to pick it back up next year,” said Hilbourn.
Six students traveled to the Citadel this past weekend for the state competition in basketball following their successful regional competition at St. James High School a few months ago.
“We also have one student who is taken by his dad to compete in the aquatics division every summer and is doing quite well. The swimming competition is held during the same months that some of the other students participate in field and track.
Unfortunately we can’t do the golf this year, the transportation to and from Myrtle Beach is too expensive.
“There is a lot going on during the school year and many of the activities take place outside the school and are more parent oriented. They have to transport the children to programs held at the Miracle League and other places. Parents work and it is difficult for them to take their children to all the programs but it is a lifetime opportunity for these kids and we encourage the parents to do as much as they can.”
|
