Friendships, Teamwork, and Encouragement

Written by: Kaitlyne Piper | Photo submitted by:

Seventeen-year-old Yazmine Craig is a student at Palm Avenue School who loves to play soccer and basketball. The love of training with her teammates and the thrill of competition has kept her going through the COVID-19 pandemic.

When it comes to the impact of the Special Olympics in Yazmine’s life, the biggest thing is that it has helped Yazmine set goals for herself. It helps her achieve the goals she set, work with teammates, and make friends.

Nicole Craig, Yazmine’s mother said the best part about being a part of Special Olympics is “the friendships, the teamwork, and the encouragement you receive from everyone who is involved in Special Olympics.”

The Special Olympics has taken precautions towards their events. “We are doing everything possible,” it says on their webpage. While events are being postponed, they are still promoting health and safety. The organization has also created a pledge called, “Healthcare Inclusion for All”.

The pledge is for anyone who wants to come together to ensure that no one is forgotten during this time. The pledge reads:

“I pledge to look for the lonely, the isolated, the left out, the challenged and the bullied. I pledge to overcome the fear of difference and replace it with the power of inclusion.”

Yazmine’s favorite memory is her own type of pledge, getting to say the athlete oath before each competition: “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

The oath comes from Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver who recited the oath before the Opening Ceremony at Chicago’s Soldier Field before their competition. Now all over the world athletes state the oath before their own competitions.

As for Yazmine, she has some cool facts about herself. She loves music, singing, dancing, fashion and of course being an athlete. Soccer and basketball are the two main sports she has begun to love.

The Special Olympics has encouraged millions of people to think about others and their health. With the pandemic, this thought process has only increased which has helped people like Yazmine be able to live their life to the fullest, especially as an athlete.

Like their logo shows, it is people together in a unifying circle symbolizing the world coming together for the greater good. The figures have their arms at different positions to show the past, present and future of what the Special Olympics has done for the world.