Cicero, NY - Kathy Galosich stood at the finish line cheering on her 6-year-old daughter, Ryleigh, who was using her walker in a race today at the Special Olympics. Ryleigh, a kindergartner at Roxboro Road Elementary School in Mattydale, has a rare brain disorder. She started using braces and a walker about 2 ½ years ago, but she can’t...
Nearly 600 athletes from Baldwinsville, East Syracuse Minoa, Fayetteville-Manlius, Jamesville-Dewitt, Liverpool, North Syracuse and West Genesee school districts, plus OCM BOCES and Oswego County BOCES participated in the Special Olympics today. A parade kicked off the event. In this photo is the West Genesee team marching on the track at the start of the competition.
Cicero, NY - Kathy Galosich stood at the finish line cheering on her 6-year-old daughter, Ryleigh, who was using her walker in a
race today at the Special Olympics.
Ryleigh, a kindergartner at Roxboro Road Elementary School in Mattydale, has a rare brain disorder. She started using braces and a walker about 2 ½ years ago, but she can’t walk on her own.
View full sizeEmily Lazore, 7, of North Syracuse, competes in the softball toss at the Special Olympics today at the Michael J. Bragman Athletic Complex outside Cicero-North Syracuse High School. To the left is Alex Scipione from C-NS and a volunteer. To the right is Georgeanne Hauf, a teacher's assistant.
This afternoon, she crossed the finish line to the cheers of family and friends.
“She’s trying so hard,” said her mother, Kathy Galosich, after giving Ryleigh a hug and posing for a photo with her.
“It’s so exciting to watch her and to see her ... in her walker and walking with her peers, and cheering everybody on and supporting each other,” said Galosich, of Clay. “She is so proud of herself. She’s just grinning from ear-to-ear.”
Nearly 600 students from eight school districts, Onondaga County BOCES and Oswego County BOCES participated in the Special Olympics at the Michael J. Bragman Athletic Complex at Cicero-North Syracuse High School in Cicero.
Students and teachers from Baldwinsville, East Syracuse Minoa, Fayetteville-Manlius, Jamesville-DeWitt, Liverpool, North Syracuse, Solvay and West Genesee school districts, and the BOCES programs, marched around the field in an array of colorful T-shirts to open the Olympics.
Hundreds of spectators clapped, hollered and cheered for the children as the Olympic anthem and songs — Y.M.C.A., Are You Ready For This and Cotton Eyed Joe, — played over the loud speaker during the “Parade of Athletes.” The cheers continued as the races and competitions began.
Shrek, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Mr. Peanut and the Syracuse Chiefs mascot, Scooch, greeted the children with high-fives and posed for photos.
View full sizeJackie Lofaro, of Baldwinsville, has a ribbon placed on her shirt after running the 50 yard dash at the Special Olympics today.
“What an overwhelming experience this day is,” said Valerie DiFlorio, director of special education for the North Syracuse Central School District. “It’s important because the students truly work hard all year long on their strength, on their endurance, on their coordination.”
Liverpool Elementary first-grader John Atkinson held his teaching assistant’s hand at the start of a 100-meter race.
Atkinson, who is autistic, got about half way through the race before he became upset and slowed down.
His father, Richard, came out of the crowd and held one of John’s arms, while teaching assistant Nancy Bush held onto his other arm.
“You can do this,” Richard Atkinson told his 7-year-old son on the C-NS high school track. “Let’s go.”
View full sizeRichard Watkins 17, of Baldwinsville, participates in the broad jump at the Special Olympics today.
John Atkinson then ran as fast as he could. He was the last to cross the finish line, but that didn’t matter.
“For kids like ours, even the littlest steps are giant,” said Richard Atkinson, of Salina.
Amy Weber, of Syracuse, said her 6-year-old daughter, Lillianna, only started walking on her own a year ago.
Today, Lillianna, a first-grader in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program at OCM-BOCES (through Solvay Elementary), hugged everyone around her after she received a blue ribbon for walking independently on the track.
Lillianna Weber has Down Syndrome and is hard of hearing, her mother said.
“It’s wonderful to see all the support,” Amy Weber said.
Catie O’Toole can be reached at cotoole@syracuse.com or 470-2134.