Hamilton, here we come... The National Summer Games' opening ceremony will take place at Claudelands on December 8. Photo / Special Olympics by Waikato News

St Paul's hosts Special Olympics contestants

Special Olympics athletes from throughout New Zealand headed to Hamilton this week for the Freemasons New Zealand Special Olympics National Summer Games, which opened on Thursday, December 8 and ran for five days.

More than 1000 Special Olympics athletes competed in 10 sporting disciplines at the Games, which will be New Zealand’s largest multi-sport event of the year.  St Paul's Collegiate School hosted them across many boarding houses during this time.  

The athletes competed across eight different Hamilton venues and brought a massive injection of visitors and fun to Hamilton.

Special Olympics New Zealand chief executive Carolyn Young says the National Summer Games, which is the pinnacle sporting event for people with intellectual disabilities, brings thousands of visitors into Hamilton, including athletes, coaches, volunteers and supporters. The National Summer Games has evolved to become one of the biggest sporting competitions in the country since the first Games were held in 1985.

“The National Games are our flagship four-yearly event, and while it was disappointing for our athletes, coaches and volunteers that we had to postpone the event last year because of the pandemic, the additional year has given everyone the opportunity to catch up on training [and] undertake more fundraising and planning, so we expect the Games to be spectacular,” says Young.

Hamilton/Kirikiriroa Mayor Paula Southgate will warmly welcome the arrival of Special Olympic athletes to Hamilton.

“The athletes have put in a lot of hard work to be here to compete. They are excited and so am I. I look forward to watching different events across the city and cheering them on!

“We have a beautiful city with great places to see and great places to eat, so I hope our visitors have time to enjoy their time here.”

Young says Hamilton should feel very proud of the way it is supporting the games.

“We need over 600 volunteers to run the sports and other logistics, as well as the Healthy Athletes screening programmes. Most of these volunteers are coming from Hamilton, so a very big thank you to those who are giving their time to make sure our athletes can compete and have a wonderful time at the Games,” she says.

A large number of those volunteers will be provided by Freemasons New Zealand, which is the naming rights sponsor for the event, but which will also provide vital volunteer support and strong fundraising expertise.

“For many of the athletes, the National Summer Games is one of the highlights of their life, so we want to make sure they are well looked-after and have a great experience,” Young says.

Over 150 volunteers, most from a health professional background, will deliver health screenings and an education programme - the Healthy Athlete Programme - to all 1000 athletes, which will include dental, podiatry, hearing, vision and general health promotion.

The Special Olympics celebrates the courage of our athletes and the challenges they overcome every day. The athletes find success, fun, confidence and fulfilment on the playing field that they remember for the rest of their lives. They also inspire people in their communities to build an Aotearoa that puts inclusivity at its heart and welcomes everyone’s contribution.

Special Olympics New Zealand empowers people with an intellectual disabilities to reveal their inner champion. To find out more, visit https://specialolympics.org.nz.