More than 700 athletes stood on the floor of Montana State University’s Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on Wednesday and took a solemn oath. “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
From the back of the auditorium, a dozen law enforcement officers entered and circled an empty cauldron soon to be lit by a flame that had been carried 2,000 miles across Montana. The lighting of the cauldron marked the opening of the 2023 Special Olympics State Summer Games.
kAmpE9=6E6D 7C@> 2== @G6C |@?E2?2 4@>A6E6 :? E96 82>6D 6249 J62C[ 2?5 E96 C@@> H2D 7:==65 H:E9 9F8D[ 9:89\7:G6D 2?5 7:DE 3F>AD 2D A2CE:4:A2?ED 46=63C2E65 D66:?8 6249 @E96C 282:? 27E6C 7@FC J62CD 2A2CE]k^Am
kAm%96 DE2E6 4@>A6E:E:@? :D 9@DE65 3J 2 5:776C6?E 4:EJ 6G6CJ E9C66 J62CD] p=E9@F89 :E’D E96 6?5 @7 q@K6>2?’D E9C66\J62C CF?[ E9:D :D E96 7:CDE E:>6 E96 4:EJ 92D 366? 23=6 E@ 9@=5 E96 82>6D D:?46 E96 r~'xs\`h A2?56>:4] %96 82>6D 72== F?56C E96 AFCG:6H @7 $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D x?E6C?2E:@?2=[ H9:49 42?46=65 E96 a_a_ E9C@F89 a_aa D62D@?D @FE @7 2? 23F?52?46 @7 42FE:@? 7@C E96 2E9=6E6D’ 962=E9]k^Am
kAm%96 =2DE DE2E6 82>6D H6C6 96=5 :? a_`h :? vC62E u2==D] %96 E96>6 @7 E9:D J62C’D 82>6D :D “%@86E96C 2E {2DE]”k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 A2?56>:4[ D2:5 $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D @7 |@?E2?2 DA@<6DH@>2? zC:DE: ~DE6C=F?5[ E96 @C82?:K2E:@? 8@E 4C62E:G6] %96J 925 “4@>A6E6 7C@> J@FC 324<J2C5” 6G6?ED H96C6 2E9=6E6D H@F=5 D6?5 :? E96:C E:>6D 7@C “4@>A6E:E:@?]” ~DE6C=F?5 D2:5 :E ;FDE H2D?’E E96 D2>6]k^Am
kAm“%96 3:886DE E9:?8 :D ;FDE E96 4@>:?8 E@86E96C @7 E96 2E9=6E6D[” ~DE6C=F?5 D2:5] “$A64:2= ~=J>A:4D :D 23@FE :?4=FD:@? 2?5 96=A:?8 :?5:G:5F2=D 86E E@ <?@H @E96CD E9C@F89 E96 A@H6C @7 DA@CE]”k^Am
kAm%96 DE2E6 82>6D 2C6 2 4F=>:?2E:@? @7 2C62 82>6D 96=5 2C@F?5 |@?E2?2] p== 2E9=6E6D H9@ A2CE:4:A2E6 :? 2C62 82>6D 2C6 H6=4@>6 E@ 4@>A6E6 :? E96 DE2E6 82>6D] %96:C C2?<:?8D :? E96:C DA@CED 56E6C>:?6 H92E 5:G:D:@? E96J 4@>A6E6 :?]k^Am
kAm$F>>6C 82>6D :?4=F56 3@446[ EC24< 2?5 7:6=5[ 8@=7[ 8J>?2DE:4D[ D@446C[ DH:>>:?8 2?5 4J4=:?8] !2CE:4:A2?ED >FDE 36 2E =62DE 6:89E J62CD @=5 E@ 4@>A6E6[ 3FE E96C6 :D ?@ FAA6C 286 =:>:E] ~DE6C=F?5 D2:5 E96 @=56DE 2E9=6E6 6G6C E@ 4@>A6E6 H2D fg]k^Am
kAm~7 E96 82>6D’ f__ 2E9=6E6D[ 23@FE `g_ 2C6 $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D &?:7:65 $A@CED A2CE:4:A2?ED[ ~DE6C=F?5 D2:5] %96 AC@8C2> E62>D FA $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D 2E9=6E6D H:E9 :?5:G:5F2=D H:E9@FE :?E6==64EF2= 5:D23:=:E:6D @? DA@CED E62>D 7@C EC2:?:?8 2?5 4@>A6E:E:@?] pE9=6E6D 2?5 A2CE?6CD 2C6 >2E4965 :? 286 2?5 23:=:EJ 2?5 4@>A6E6 2=@?8D:56 @?6 2?@E96C 2E E96 82>6D]k^Am
kAm“x’> 8:55J[ x’> D@ 6I4:E65 E@ D66 E9@D6 2E9=6E6D E@86E96C[” ~DE6C=F?5 D2:5] “s6DA:E6 :E 36:?8 2 4@>A6E:E:@?[ E96C6’D D@>6 566A 7C:6?5D9:AD E96C6 E92E 42?’E 96=A 3FE >2<6 J@F D>:=6]”k^Am
kAmq@K6>2? *6E:D 2E9=6E6 p=2? u2CC6==[ `e[ 8@6D E@ q@K6>2? w:89] w6 A2CE:4:A2E6D :? 32D<6E32==[ 3@H=:?8[ D@446C 2?5 DH:>>:?8] q6:?8 A2CE @7 $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D =6ED 9:> D66 9:D 7C:6?5D 2?5 D@>6E:>6D 4@>A6E6 282:?DE E96>]k^Am
kAm“x H2?E65 E@ 7:E :? H:E9 DA@CED 2?5 E9@F89E $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D H@F=5 36 >J <6J[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmu2CC6==’D 72G@C:E6 DA@CE :D 32D<6E32==[ 2?5 96 =:<6D E@ 36 @? @776?D6 2?5 D9@@E =2JFAD]k^Am
kAm!2JE@? uF=E@?[ 2 ;F?:@C 2E v2==2E:? w:89[ 92D 366? 5@:?8 $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D 7@C D6G6? J62CD] w6 4@>A6E6D :? DH:>>:?8[ 8@=7[ 3@H=:?8[ D@446C[ 32D<6E32== 2?5 D<::?8]k^Am
kAmuF=E@? =@G6D 32D<6E32==]k^Am
kAm“x H2?E E@ DFAA@CE >J E62>D[” 96 D2:5] “!=2J:?8 32D<6E32== :D >J 72G@C:E6 3642FD6 x =:<6 E@ 36 2 A@:?E 8F2C5]”k^Am
kAm$6?:@C r92C=:6 (2=8C6? 92D 366? H:E9 $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D 7@C E9C66 J62CD] w6’D 2 F?:7:65 A2CE?6C H:E9 2E9=6E6 y2>:6 %2J=@C]k^Am
kAm“xE =@@<65 =:<6 2 8C62E 6?G:C@?>6?E[” 96 D2:5] “tG6CJ3@5J H2D DFA6C 92AAJ H96?6G6C x’5 H2=< A2DE E96 DA64:2= 65 C@@>[ 2?5 ;FDE 86EE:?8 E96 492?46 E@ 8@ 2?5 96=A @FE H:E9 D@>6E9:?8 E92E’D DFA6C >62?:?87F= ;FDE D66>65 =:<6 2 8C62E :562]”k^Am
kAm(2=8C6? 6?;@JD 96=A:?8 @FE H:E9 D<::?8 3642FD6 :E 492==6?86D 3@E9 E96 A2CE:4:A2?E 2?5 E96 A2CE?6C] w6 5@6D?’E 5@ 2?J DA@CED @? 9:D @H?[ D2J:?8 E92E $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D :D 9:D >2:? AC:@C:EJ]k^Am
kAm(2=8C6? <66AD 4@>:?8 324< 7@C E96 6?6C8J 2?5 E96 42>2C256C:6]k^Am
kAm“*@F 86E >@C6 @FE @7 :E E92? J@F AFE :?] xE’D 2 8C62E 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 x ;FDE =@G6 :E[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmu@C q@K6>2? *6E:D 9625 4@249 y@6J w2?4@4<[ $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D 492?865 9:D =:76]k^Am
kAm(96? w2?4@4< H2D :? 9:89 D49@@=[ 96 D2:5 96 H2D?’E >2<:?8 E96 36DE 564:D:@?D] w6 6?565 FA @H:?8 D@>6 4@>>F?:EJ D6CG:46[ 2?5 2 7C:6?5’D >@> DF886DE65 $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D] w2?4@4< H2D?’E :?E@ :E 2E 7:CDE]k^Am
kAm“%96 D62D@? x DE2CE65 H:E9 H2D D<::?8[” 96 D2:5[ “2?5 E96J D2:5 x’5 86E E@ H@C< H:E9 E96 2E9=6E6D :? E96 >@C?:?8 2?5 E96? D<: 7@C 7C66 @? >J @H? @C H:E9 7C:6?5D :? E96 27E6C?@@?] $@[ x <:?5 @7 E9@F89E[ ‘~9 J629[ E9:D :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 8C62E] %9:D :D 8@:?8 E@ H@C< @FE ;FDE 7:?6]’”k^Am
kAmw2?4@4< >2J 92G6 DE2CE65 H:E9 E92E 2EE:EF56[ 3FE 3J E96 6?5 @7 E96 D62D@?[ 96 564:565 E@ BF:E 9:D @E96C DA@CED 2?5 36 2 J62C\C@F?5 F?:7:65 A2CE?6C]k^Am
kAm%96 6IA6C:6?46 =65 E@ w2?4@4< 36:?8 2 DA64:2= 65F42E:@? E62496C[ H9:49 96 5:5 7@C `d J62CD]k^Am
kAmw2?4@4< D2:5 36:?8 A2CE @7 $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D >256 9:> 2 <:?56C 2?5 >@C6 E9@F89E7F= A6CD@?]k^Am
kAm“|J 72G@C:E6 E9:?8 :D ;FDE :E 3C:?8D @FE E96 36DE :? 6G6CJ@?6[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmu@C E96 pDD6CD@?D[ $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D CF?D :? E96 3=@@5]k^Am
kAmp *6E:D 9625 4@249[ (2=<6C pDD6CD@? :D 2=D@ 2 72E96C E@ 2E9=6E6 w6?CJ pDD6CD@?[ 2?5 9:D EH@ @E96C D@?D 2C6 F?:7:65 A2CE?6CD] w6?CJ[ `c[ DE2CE65 :? $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D H96? 96 H2D 6:89E J62CD @=5 2?5 5@6D E96 D@446C 2?5 EC24< 6G6?ED 2E E96 DF>>6C 82>6D]k^Am
kAm“x =@G6 E9:D A@AF=2E:@?[ H2E49:?8 E96> 8C@H 2?5 56G6=@A 2?5 96=A:?8 E96> C6249 E96:C 7F== A@E6?E:2=[” (2=<6C D2:5]k^Am
kAm(2=<6C’D H:76[ q6EDJ pDD6CD@?[ D2:5 D96 H2E4965 w6?CJ 4@>A6E6 2?5 6IA6C:6?46D E96 D2>6 C2?86 @7 6>@E:@?D 2D 2?J A2C6?E H@F=5i 6I4:E6>6?E[ ?6CG@FD?6DD 2?5 AC:56]k^Am
kAm“(2E49:?8 w6?CJ :D ;FDE D66:?8 9:> 5@:?8 D@>6E9:?8 96 =@G6D 2?5 766=:?8 7F==J :?4=F565 :? E92E 6IA6C:6?46[” D96 D2:5] “xE’D 2 5C62> 4@>6 ECF6 7@C 9:>[ x E9:?<[ E@ 36 23=6 E@ 4@>A6E6 2?5 4CFD9 :E[ 9@?6DE=J]]]:E’D E96 ;@J @7 H2E49:?8 9:> 5@ D@>6E9:?8 96 =@G6D]”k^Am
Let the news come to you
Get our free email newsletters — latest headlines and e-edition notifications.