Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — A team of Special Olympic athletes is traveling to Princeton, New Jersey, to compete among 3,500 competitors in the 2014 Special Olympic Summer Games.
Team Utah, made up of 36 athletes, will compete for the gold in sporting events from aquatics to bocce ball over the next week. The games only occur every four years, and various cities throughout the country.
"Special Olympics changes lives," said TJ Nelligan, Chairman & CEO of the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games in a press release. "Special Olympics changes the lives of those who participate, of those who are affiliated via coaching or volunteering and of those whose perceptions are altered after witnessing the remarkable talents of individuals with intellectual disabilities."
Among those athletes is Jill Julius, a 30-year-old, 5-foot shooting guard for Team Lehi.
Julius, who has Down syndrome, originally began competing with the Special Olympics as a swimmer, but she joined the basketball team a year ago when her family moved to Lehi, and she has been playing with passion and creating friendships since then.
“They’re the best players. All of them are like, good, too,” she said of her teammates. “I have (the) two best coaches. One of them (Kathy Yerkes) is my best friend.”
Coach Rocky White, whose son Travis White also plays on the team, said coaching is a “privilege” for him and he’s grateful to be able to participate with his son.
“These kids are just amazing. They play a basketball game for fun and for the competition,” he said. “The winning part is important to them, but it’s not the most important part to them. They just really enjoy the competition part and the fun.”
And the compassion on the court is a touching example of their love for the game and competition.
Every day (basketball is) my favorite at school and my whole life and it makes me feel happy.
–Jill Julius, athlete
“They will get a foul called on them and they will just say, ‘sorry! sorry!’ (to the player),” he said. “It’s just a privilege to be associated with them. They’re just great kids. There’s never a dull moment. They never cease to surprise me.”
Michelle Dastrup, Julius’ mother, said the team is good and hopes people will recognize the athletes for their hard work.
“I just wish our community could announce it and make a fuss over them they have all worked so very hard to get where they are at,” she told KSL.com in an email.
Along with Utah Special Olympics representatives, team members and coaches, Dastrup will join her daughter in New Jersey to watch from the sidelines.
“We’re super excited to go and root for them," Dastrup said. "They want to bring the gold home for Utah."
Julius is just excited to get to play the sport she loves.
“Every day (basketball is) my favorite at school and my whole life and it makes me feel happy,” she said.
People at home can follow along the progress of Team Utah by following the hashtag #goteamutah on social media.
