The Special Olympics Oath is moving, and I am very proud to be involved with this organization!
I will be taking the Polar Plunge this Saturday at Aquatica to help raise money for these amazing athletes, and if you can help this great cause it would be wonderful.
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I am joining 1,100 other brave souls to take the 6th Annual Special Olympics Florida Polar Plunge Aquatica Orlando on February 7, 2015!
The Special Olympics Florida’s Polar Plunge at Aquatica, is statewide fundraiser during which individuals and teams, alongside Special Olympics athletes raise money for the privilege of Plunging into the chilled down wave pool.
Aquatica is usually warm and tropical, but once each year they chill down their wave pool so you can experience the “thrill of the chill” all while supporting a great cause.
When I was younger I had the amazing opportunity to volunteer with Special Olympics, and after attending the Opening for the Sumer Games I was hooked back in to doing whatever I could to help!
Only the wave pool is chilled down, the rest of the rides are heated, so if you want to come and cheer me on, become a virtual plunger, or if you want to form a team of your own you can find out more about it here.
You can also follow my adventure on Twitter with the hashtag #PlungeFL!
If you feel so inclined, I would totally appreciate any support you could offer! I have put a widget for donations on the site or you can visit my First Giving Page for the Special Olympics Florida Plunge!
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The Special Olympics Florida 2014 State Summer Games were held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports this weekend, and over two days more than 3,100 athletes, coaches, and family members came to the Special Olympics Florida State Summer Games, and the energy that ran through the Wide World of Sports Complex was electric with positivity.
At a private reception before the Opening Ceremonies, we were treated to a look at some of the new sports, initiatives, and partnerships coming to Special Olympics Florida this year as well as hearing from Athlete Ambassadors.
Starting this year there are some great new sports coming to Special Olympics Florida! Surfing Invitationals with Ron Jon in 17 counties, Unified Flag Football, Cheerleading, and 3 Stand-Up Paddling Invitationals are going to be held this year.
We also heard more about the expanded programs of Project Unity to create more unified sports, the Healthy Athlete Program which utilized volunteer Doctors and Medical Professionals, the Special Olympic Florida Youth Programs, and the expanded Athlete Leadership Program. It is great to learn about all the awesome things that Special Olympics does for the counties of Florida!
The WWE is a Founding Partner of the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games to be held in New Jersey from June 14-21, 2014, and we got to hear a little more about their support locally and spoke about the Unified Training Day that they held at the WWE Performance Center in town.
But, before the Opening Ceremonies began we were able to walk with the WWE & NXT Superstars and Divas that were in attendance and the 128 members of Team Florida who will be traveling to the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games as they staged to walk into Champions Stadium.
It was awesome to see everyone talking, taking pictures, and reflecting on what was about to happen.
Then it was time for us to make our way to Champions Stadium to get ready for the Opening Ceremonies to begin.
Walking into Champions Stadium from right outfield entrance was one of the most amazing feelings I have ever had. The stadium was full of athletes, coaches, volunteers, and their families all singing and dancing and getting excited about an awesome night.
The Opening Ceremonies started with the individual counties being welcomed, and then there was a presentation of colors and the raising of the Special Olympics Florida Flag.
Attorney General Pam Bondi then took to the stage to talk about her personal involvement with Special Olympics Florida, and then Publix donated $2.2 million dollars to Special Olympics Florida.
The highlight of the evening was the culmination of the Law Enforcement Torch Run, where over 300 law enforcement officers guided the torch into the stadium and then passed it off to Special Olympics Florida athletes to light the Flame of Hope to officially start the evening.
As the fireworks went in the air and the lights from the law enforcement vehicles were going off, I couldn’t help but shed a tear to celebrate these athletes, their coaches, their families, and most importantly their success.
It was an absolutely beautiful evening, that definitely ignited a spirit within me to do more!
We will be bringing you more Special Olympics Florida events and ways to get involved, and I hope that you will join in with us!
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The WWE Performance Center played host as WWE Superstar Xavier Woods, WWE Diva Eva Marie, and NXT Superstars got the opportunity to train with some Special Olympics athletes from Team Florida, and we were honored to be able to follow them on their exciting day!
WWE is a Founding Partner of the 2014 Speical Olympics USA Games to be held in New Jersey from June 14-21, 2014. The 2014 Special Olympics USA Games will have nearly 3,500 athletes competing in 16 Olympic-style team and individual sports with the support of coaches, volunteers, and anticipated 70,000 spectators! The The 2014 USA Games will celebrate the Special Olympics movement, promote the ideals of acceptance and inclusion through sport and showcase the abilities of athletes with intellectual disabilities.
128 athletes from Team Florida will be traveling to the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games to represent the Sunshine State, and will be competing in aquatics (swimming), basketball, bocce, bowling, cycling, golf, powerlifting, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.
The five Team Florida athletes were first greeted by WWE & NXT Superstars and Divas, and started their day with a behind-the-scenes look at the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center where the WWE & NXT athletes train.
Alongside WWE Performance Center trainers and WWE & NXT Superstars and Divas, the Team Florida members had a unified training session. They completed several circuits of workouts, and it was amazing to see their determination!
After their workout, they were treated for two matches from NXT Superstars!
Adam Rose and Corey Graves then took some questions from the Team Florida Athletes.
The day wouldn’t be complete without lots of well wishes for their upcoming competition.
The entire experience was an absolute joy! Watching these athletes working together was great, and I hope that you enjoy a look at what I experienced.
httpv://youtu.be/5zzmZhS0ec0
For more information about Special Olympics of Florida, please visit https://specialolympicsflorida.org. To keep up with the latest at the WWE Performance Center, make sure you check out their Facebook Page. Make sure you are following our adventures on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
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