In the first of a two-part series, The Clarkston News celebrates the accomplishments of area athletes at the Special Olympics 2005 State Summer Games held June 2-4.
This week the spotlight belongs to three Clarkston athletes who trained and competed with the Holly Broncos: John Devitt, James Diegel and Brian Wilson.
‘They enjoy competing. They love it. They do their best and that is what we stress most of all,? said Priscilla Lynn, coach of the Broncos.
The Broncos started 10 years ago under John Whiteman, who set up the program to bridge the gap between athletes who were no longer in high school and the Special Olympics. The team features 13 athletes today.
The three athletes hailing from Clarkston did well to represent their team and their city, all returning home with medals.
‘They come back with a sense of achievement. They feel like they are doing something special and like they are special ? which they are,? said Lynn.
Brian Wilson, 31, is the youngest member of the Broncos and has been with the team for almost three years. He took silver medals in the running long jump with 3.06 meters and shot put with a throw of 5.11 meters. He finished fourth place in the 100 meter dash with a time of 00:17.41.
‘Brian is a very lovable young man. He really concentrates (during his events) because he wants to do well,? said Lynn.
Lynn feels competing in the State Summer Games and being part of the team helped Wilson communicate with others better.
‘When he first began training with us, he wouldn’t even ask a question,? said Lynn
James Diegel also excelled at the State Summer Games. He finished second in the shot put with a throw of 7.07 meters, finished second in the standing long jump with .99 meters and finished in sixth in the 100 meter dash with a time of 00:19.72.
‘James is the most outgoing of the trio and he tries very hard on the field and at practice,? said Lynn.
Diegel, is a spokesperson for the mentally handicapped, and is a founding member of the Broncos. Lynn is constantly impressed by his optimism on and off the field.
The training process for the State Summer Games runs for eight weeks prior to the event.
‘They are enthusiastic to start training. You can see the improvement as the weeks go by,? said Lynn.
Another individual who helped found the Broncos program is John Devitt, who grabbed two gold medals and a silver at the State Summer Games. Devitt won the running long jump with a leap of 3.13 meters, finished first in the shotput with a toss of 7.55 meters, and took second with a time of 00:17.53 in the 100 meter dash.
He is also a natural horticulturalist, whose knowledge of plant life is vast.
‘He gets a little frustrated sometimes and says he’s not coming back. This year he got all those medals, so he was like ‘I’m coming back,?? said Lynn. ‘When he does anything, he wants to do it right.?
Aside from winning acclaim for themselves and their team, Lynn feels the trio of Clarkston athletes help the overall team chemistry on the Broncos. Including Lynn, the Broncos have six coaches to help the athletes train and compete.
The Special Olympics 2005 State Summer Games featured nearly 3,000 athletes and 1,500 volunteers. They were held at Central Michigan University.
Pick up next week’s edition of The Clarkston News for more coverage of athletes from the Clarkston area and their successes at the State Summer Games.