Special Olympics Missouri athletes train for virtual games

Special Olympics Missouri athletes train for virtual games

Special Olympics Missouri athletes will get to put their training to the test this weekend, only this time, they'll do it from home.

THE CORONAVIRUSPANDEMIC HAS IMPACTEDNEARLY EVERY ASPECT OFOUR LIVES -- ESPECIALLYIN THE WORLD OF SPORTS.BUT AS 41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER MCKENZIENELSON SHOWS US, SOMEATHLETES ARE ADAPTINGTO THEIRCIRCUMSTANCES, ANDFINDING NEW WAYS TOCOMPETE.IT'S BEEN A BUSY FEWWEEKS OF TRAINING FORALLEN TOBIN.ALLEN TOBIN - SPECIALOLYMPICS ATHLETE"Stay at home, facebook livetwice a day, Monday throughFriday and Saturday morning."FOR THE 24TH YEAR -ALLEN'S PREPARING TOCOMPETE IN THE SPECIALOLYMPICS SUMMERGAMES.TOBIN"The wall-sit and the plank."NOT ALLEN'S TYPICALEVENTS -BUT AS COROANVIRUSPUSHED THE SUMMERGAMES TO AN ONLINEFORMAT - THE EVENTS HADTO BE AT-HOME FRIENDLY.TIM SCHUSTER - AREADIRECTOR, SPECIAL OLYMPICS"Yeah, what we did is wecome up with a set fewevents, like a standing longjump, a wall sit, planking, justsome fun events that don'trequire a lot of equipment."THE WEEK MISSOURI'SSTAY AT HOME ORDER WASPUT IN PLACE - SPECIALOLYMPICS CANCELED ITSBASKETBALL ANDBOWLING TOURNAMENTS.BUT ORGANIZERS STILLWANTED TO KEEPATHLETES ACTIVE ANDCONNECTED.SCHUSTER"We got together as a staffand decided that we neededto come up with some way tokeep our athletes not justconnected with their ownteams but with their friendsand family members acrossthe state."TOBIN"It's not like being able to bearound my friends in person,but actually being able tocompete would be thehighlight."ALLEN'S LOGGING ON ANDTRAINING WITH FRIENDSAND COACHES.AND SATURDAY - ATHLETESLIKE ALLEN WILL PUT THEIRTRAINING TO THE TEST --AND SUBMIT THEIR BESTTIMES FOR EACH OF THEIREVENTS.TOBIN"I think my longest time is aminute and a half."A 90 SECOND PLANK MIGHTJUST TOP THELEADERBOARD.JUNE 6TH ON FACEBOOKLIVE - WE'LL FIND OUT FORSURE AS SPECIALOLYMPICS WILL ANNOUNCETHE WINNERS.BUT THE BEST PART -ALLEN SAYS IS SOMETHINGELSE -TOBIN"Being part of SpecialOlympics means that I don'thave to try to be anything elsethan myself.