Ken Tazaki was 25 yards from the finish line of the 100 meter dash when he fell. He went down hard, stunned and struggled to his feet. Then, he ran. And as he ran, the crowd, the volunteers, even his
Ken Tazaki was 25 yards from the finish line of the 100 meter dash when he fell. He went down hard, stunned and struggled to his feet.
Then, he ran. And as he ran, the crowd, the volunteers, even his competition, cheered him on. When the Special Olympian finished, he was smiling. A big smile. It stayed there as he was greeted with hugs and high fives from a crowd of volunteers in Vidinha Stadium. It stayed there when he walked toward the awards presentation. It stayed there, pretty much throughout the Special Olympics Kauai Track and Field Meet Troy Barboza Torch Run on Saturday.
“Get up and finish,” said volunteer Andy Punjab. “No matter how many times they fall, they get up and go again.”
That they did.
Nearly 90 participants competed in running and walking events, long jumps, softball throws, shot put and relays. Didn’t seem to matter whether they finished first or last. The one constant was their delight in competing. They were rewarded with ribbons, congratulations and applause.
“It’s so rewarding for them,” said volunteer Letty Okino. “It touches all of our hearts to do this.”
In a time of tight budgets, in a time of economic uncertainty, in a time of frequent division, the Special Olympics united athletes, volunteers, coaches, spectators and families.
“It’s a good feeling for all of us,” Okino said.
It was a good day from the start.
Kauai Police Department officers, along with city, state and federal agencies participated in the 2014 First Hawaiian Troy Barboza Torch Run benefiting Special Olympics Kauai. Sgt. Rod Green led the “Guardians of the Flame” around Vidinha Stadium to the finish line.
Then, as Kevin Murphy of First Hawaiian Bank, said: “Let the games begin.”
And they did.
But they were more than games. They were contests of will. They were battles of sheer determination. They were filled with many moments of inspiration.
Kaui Kitashima with the Grand Hyatt and a volunteer said employees gave their time to the Special Olympics and brought their families along, too.
“We believe in it that much,” he said.
This was his third year volunteering for the annual gathering of sportsmanship and camaraderie.
“After watching how they interact, it’s really refreshing in the world we live in to hear everybody cheer each other on,” he said. “To see the effort they put in, they give 100 percent to everything.”
Including guys like Archie Lanning, who finished second in his 100-meter race.
“We were close, man, we were close,” he said with a laugh as he spoke to Kylie Moniz, who took first.
Charles Collado watched his 15-year-old son Makai compete fiercely in runs and jumps and spoke with pride of his enthusiastic efforts.
“He’s a striver. He loves life. He likes to stay strong and get involved with his friends,” he said. “He likes to make his big brother proud.”
About then, Makai walked past and someone said, “good job out there.”
“Thank you,” he replied and put out his hand.
His dad nodded.
“He’s very determined. Everything he does, he’s very determined.”
Two Waimea football players, Kala Dusenberry-Lee and Kaeo Palama, escorted athletes from the finish line area to the awards tent.
“It’s good for the heart,” Dusenberry-Lee said when asked why he came out to volunteer.
“We’re very blessed,” he added. “Just helping them out is good.”
Palama said despite the challenges the Special Olympics faced, they competed with joy.
“We can learn from them,” he said.
Yes, we certainly can.
