By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

The ARC of the Central Plains has the rare honor to send two athletes and a coach Sunday to Seattle for the Special Olympics USA Games.

Kacey Dannels and Joseph Reed, both of Hays, will compete in track and field events and Noalee McDonald-Augustine will be the track and field coach for the Kansas team.

Forty-two athletes were selected from Kansas to participate in the Seattle games July 1 to 6. The athletes must complete a lengthy application to be considered to compete. Both Hays athletes also raised money toward their trip costs.

The national summer games are only conducted every four years. The athletes will stay in an “Olympic Village,” watch other athletes compete, watch firework and do limited sightseeing.

Brent Kaiser, ARC programs and activities director, said it was unusual for a community to have two athletes as well as a coach selected for a games.

“These two have been a huge part of our program and all of the different activities that we do,” Kaiser said. “They show up to practice all of the time and, for the most part, on time. They do a good job of being leaders on our team, so it is really cool to be able to see them be able to move on and compete at the next level.”

Dannels, 25, has participated in athletics through the ARC for five years. She will compete next week in the javelin, 100 meters, shot put and 4X100 meter relay.

Reed, 20, has participated in ARC athletics for two years. He is a distance runner and will compete in the 10,000 meters, 5,000 meters, 3,000 meters and 4X100 relay.

Dannels said she enjoyed participating in Special Olympics because she has the opportunity to spend time with her friends and see people with disabilities do what other people get to do.

Reed said, “I like to hang out with friends and help other people too.”

McDonald-Augustine said both Reed and Dannels have been dedicated to track and other sports through ARC.

Dannels also participates in bowling, volleyball, basketball and softball. Reed plays volleyball, basketball, softball and soccer.

Both athletes also participate in the ARC’s 5K club, which is coached by McDonald-Augustine. Dannels was one of the athletes who requested the club be formed.

A group of about 12 athletes plus volunteers run or walk three times a week, training year round. They participated in the Susan G. Komen, Dash for Disabilities, Turkey Trot, Wild West, Eisenhower Prairie Fire and Bill Snyder runs, among others.

“It is not like any other sport where they have a season,” McDonald-Augustine said. “They practice once a week, and then they’re done. They are really committed.”

McDonald-Augustine said she tries to start participants at whatever level they are at, even it is walking, and encourages them to build on their times and distances. Reed has been working in the 5K Club toward participating in a half marathon.

“You can certainly see a difference,” she said. “When we have new members who join the 5K Club or people who are thinking about it, they’ll say, ‘I can’t run that far’ or ‘I can’t walk that far,’ ‘How long is a 5K?’ I will say 3.1 miles. ‘Oh there is no way I can do that.’ We will say, you don’t have to do that today. All you have to do is the workout we give you today. We will build from there. When they compete and actually finish their first 5K, they say, ‘Yeah! I didn’t think I could do it. I finished!'”

Reed and Dannels also each have practice at least one time per week for the sports they are involved in when they are in season.

The sports and 5K Club help promote physical fitness among the athletes, but McDonald-Augustine said Special Olympics is important for the athletes in other ways as well.

“It gives them the opportunity to one—compete against other individuals of similar ability levels,” she said. “It allows them to have social interaction with not just individuals within their own community, but athletes from around the state. They learn competition. They learn hard work, the value of practice. And it is just a good time. They love meeting up with friends from various towns and being able to catch up with them and see what’s happening.”

Both Reed and Dannels also have jobs. Dannels works at McDonald’s and is cross-trained at a variety of work stations. Reed has a small lawn mower business.

McDonald-Augustine has been a Special Olympics coach for 27 years. She coaches every sport the ARC offers and is an ARC board member. This will be her first time coaching at nationals.

McDonald-Augustine, educational consultant for the Smoky Hill Education Service Center, first became involved in coaching Special Olympics when she was attending college at Fort Hays State University. A couple of students in her residence hall who were already volunteers asked her if she would scrimmage with the ARC’s basketball team.

She strongly encouraged others to volunteer to coach Special Olympics. She said you don’t have to play or know how to coach a sport to be a volunteer.

“We’ll train you,” she said. “It is really about being there and being a friend and getting to know the athletes. It is well worth the experience and your time for sure.”

For more information on volunteering for ARC of the Central Plains, click here.