The Special Olympics are very different days from Wednesday to Thursday. The buddy is very influential in how the day goes because the athletes need certain things from their buddies. My first day, I had an athlete named Shaylee. Shaylee was a happy-go-lucky 10 year old. With Shaylee, I had to be ready for anything and always had to have the energy to engage with her. My second day I was assigned to Ricardo. He was quiet and froze up at times, but was an excellent painter and softball player. Ricardo only needed me to stand with him and hold his hand. Both days I had to be a buddy to an athlete, but those athletes required me to be two very types of buddies.

      In picking up Shaylee from her Torrance Creek bus, I knew that it was going to be a good day. Her teacher handed me, and the other sophomores I was standing in line with, laminated cards. These laminated cards meant this school was organized and ready to go. Which was a relief compared to the school my buddy was from last year who had no idea what to do other than to hand their athletes out to Country Day buddies. I met Shaylee at the bus, and she stood out. She jumped off the last stair of the bus and pumped her fist. She was excited and nothing is better than a buddy who is excited to be there.

      Our group of sophomores and their group of athletes and teachers reconvened at their Torrance Creek School tent. There, the teacher the introduced me to Shaylee. Shaylee jumped up from her blanket to meet me and a fifth grader walked up with her. Avenue was the fifth grader that was paired with Shaylee. Avenue was only ten but a huge help to me that day because she knew Shaylee’s personality very well. Torrance Creek has a program where they send fifth graders who know the athletes to come with them and make them more comfortable in the new environment of Country Day.

But Shaylee wasn’t new to the Special Olympics, “I did throw the ball last year,” Shaylee says talking about the softball throw that takes place in the center of the field.

      I memorized Shaylee’s events and heats, necessary because she kept peeling off her sticker to show other people what events she was doing. Then we went to go paint, an activity Shaylee was very excited about. I could tell the amount of people at the painting station freaked Shaylee out a little bit because she reached for Avenue’s and my hand, and stayed between us as I led them to the table. Shaylee only had a little bit of time to paint because her first event was in group two.

“Softball throw, heats 404 to 412 to the center of the field!” Ryan Benson’s voice rang out from the loud speakers. Shaylee readily ditched her paintbrushes and half completed painting, she was ready to throw.

      I explained to Shaylee that we had to wait to throw until the group 410 was throwing. We wandered around the area near the tent asking everyone around us if they were 410. Shaylee grabbed hold of her heat number and started to tell anyone who would listen that she was in group 410. Once in the right spot, we have to wait a little while longer. Shaylee, Avenue, and I do some arm stretches, toe touches, and high knees so Shaylee can get warmed up.

      Right before Shaylee’s turn, a coach from her and Avenue’s school shows up to watch. Her name is Mrs. Wood. Shaylee’s getting handed softballs by junior girls that are working that station. Shaylee gets her three chances to throw and does great. All the people around her are cheering and she walks back to Avenue, me, and now Mrs. Wood with a big smile on her face.

While she was throwing, Mrs. Wood exclaims “Oh look at them go!” talking about a 100m dash that had begun during Shaylee’s event. She explains to me, while holding back tears that this day always makes her emotional, when Avenue chimes in to comfort her she says “Even the kids know.” Special Olympics is a special day for all, kids and teachers, at Torrance Creek School.

      Shaylee ended up winning a silver medal in softball throw, gold medal in a close race in the 25m dash, and a green ribbon Mr. Loiseau gave her because she liked the color. My day with Shaylee was hands on and required lots of energy, from doing some warm up stretches, practicing running in one lane, and going, going back, and going one last final time to the camera and interview station.

      While my Wednesday was rambunctious and full of movement with Shaylee, my Thursday with Ricardo had a very different tone. I became Ricardo’s buddy halfway through the day. When I met him, I also met his parents who came with him to watch him compete. Ricardo only had one event, the softball skills, and didn’t talk much. This was very different for me from Shaylee who told me all about her love of running, ranch dressing, and balloons. Ricardo, though quiet, loved to hold hands, so he let me lead him around all the different stations. We tried painting for a little while; Ricardo painted a yellow bus. We tried balloon animals, Ricardo got a red dog which he held onto for the rest of the day. Then nothing else seemed to interest him, so we walked back to the Ardrey Kell tent to show his parents what he had done.

      His heat was soon so we walked over the softball field hand in hand. Then we watched for a while. I pointed and talked through the different events that he would be doing. I knew that Ricardo knew these events because he had been practicing for them, but the teacher asked me to stay in this area and I didn’t know what else to do. So I talked about the different stations and Ricardo supposedly listened and watched.

      Ricardo finished and did great in all his events and was it was our heat’s turn for receiving medals. Ricardo’s parents, teachers, and even principal were all there to see Ricardo and two of his classmates win a medal or ribbon. Ricardo’s name was called, he won second place, but he froze. I tried to urge Ricardo forward but he wouldn’t budge. His parents tried more fervently than I did, saying “Don’t freeze now, Ricardo c’mon.” I knew that Ricardo would get his medal either way and if he didn’t want to get on the podium that was okay, but his parents and teachers continued to try and get him onto the podium. Our heat finished and other athletes jumped off the podium and Ricardo was still frozen in place. A second Later Ricardo decides he is ready, and he walks up and stands on the second tier of the podium by himself with his medal, waiting for the pictures.

      As I was leaving and saying goodbye to Ricardo, his mother comes to me thanking me saying “God bless you.” I was touched by her gratitude and it reminded me of the message that the Special Olympics is special for all people involved.

      This year is the 34th Special Olympics Country Day has hosted. There were 1,100 athletes and 500 Country Day student volunteers and many more from other schools and organizations like Torrance Creek and Bank of America. The Special Olympics is a time that touches everyone there no matter if your day is full of running around and talking about things you don’t normally talk about or if it’s holding hands with a new person and just watching other people. Both days, though wildly different, are equally gratifying.