Athletes kick off Special Olympic Kentucky Summer Games

RICHMOND, Ky. (WTVQ)- Tonight was the kick off of this year’s Special Olympics Kentucky Summer Games at Eastern Kentucky University.

More than 1.500 athletes from across Kentucky kicked off the summer games here at EKU with an opening ceremony that culminated in the official lighting of the Olympic flame.

Athletes and families from around the commonwealth packed into EKU”s ravine Friday night to celebrate the official beginning of the 2017 summer games.

“It kicks it all off. It kicks the weekend off. It’s fun it’s exciting. It’s going to be colorful. The whole ravine is going to be full of people and all the athletes and the coaches,” said Trish Mazzoni, president of Special Olympics Kentucky.

More than 1,500 athletes will compete in a variety of events from track and field to swimming, many with goals of reaching the next level.

“Like competing and going for gold and try to make a quest for myself for next year’s nationals in 2018 in Seattle Washington,” said Ryan Barts, an athlete.

But it’s not all about the competition, many say the games are a great way to meet new friends.

“Because sometimes they feel like they are alone and through Special Olympics everybody brings everybody together and it makes them feel so welcome and I mean that’s just exactly what it’s done to my daughter and my son,” said Stacy Leslie, a parent of an athlete.

Organizers say this year’s games will be one of their biggest yet and say they hope it will continue to grow long into the future.

“I’m very excited about 15-hundred athletes. That’s as big of an event as we’ve had in a long time and just the outpouring of support we’ve gotten and the number of volunteers,” said Mazzoni.

The competition officially kicks off tomorrow at 9 am and goes all the way until closing ceremonies at 7:30 here tomorrow night.