Hooked on service

By Gina Farthing

Published: November 1, 2008

By Gina Farthing
The News Virginian
Every four years, athletes from all over the world gather to compete against each other, but mostly against themselves. Nations that send these athletes to the Olympic games rally behind each of their individual competitors and swell with pride with every win.
Imagine an Olympic competition where every competitor wins because they just tried.
No need to imagine. It already exists. It is the Special Olympics.
In February the Special Olympics World Winter Games comes to Boise, Idaho. Special athletes from all over the world will descend on the Northwestern state to compete in Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, floor hockey, snowboarding, snowshoe racing and speed skating, according to the Special Olympics Web site. It is estimated that about 3,000 athletes from 85 countries will attend.
Although no one from Area 5, which covers Augusta County, Waynesboro and Staunton will attend the world games, there is no lack of enthusiasm in supporting the athletes.
Anita Heatwole, a Waynesboro woman on a mission, saw an article in the Crocheting Today magazine, giving details on how to knit or crochet a muffler for this year’s world athletes.
“We would need 150-plus [scarves], most for local [athletes] and a few to send to the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games,” said Heatwole, in an e-mail to The News Virginian.
The avid needleworker began spreading the word.
April Layman, a friend and neighbor of Heatwole’s, stepped up to take the challenge.
Layman has been involved in Area 5’s Special Olympics for four years. Her daughter, Sara, 17, is a special athlete.
“I’ve seen a different side of life through Sara’s eyes,” Layman says. “It’s a slower pace in Special Olympics.”
With Special Olympics, Sara, who was mainstreamed into the public school system, blossomed. And she’s as active as any other teenager.
Sara, a Waynesboro High School student, is busy teaching herself sign language and has already learned one Christmas carol, says her mom. She’s also a student at Valley Vocational Technical Center learning how to rotate automobile tires and already passed her childcare course.
“She told me she was taking auto detailing,” Layman says. “I couldn’t believe it!”
Sara says that she likes her class pretty well and that people need to know how to take care of their cars.
“Sara tells me, ‘I’m exploring all my options to see what I want to be when I grow up,’ ” says Heatwole.
Sara’s explorations have included reading career fair paperwork supplied by Valley Vo-Tech including how to write a resume and interviewing tips. Places she’s considering for future employment include nTelos, Rockingham Memorial Hospital, a chiropractor’s office and Dupont Community Credit Union.
One career that interests her is firefighting. Her father, Kendall, was a fireman in the past and her brother, Chris, is a fireman now, she says.
“It gives you a good feeling to help people,” Sara says. “Firefighters are like heroes and they like saving people. I just think that it’s kind of cool to save people’s lives. I love helping people.”
But for now, Sara has joined her mother and neighbor and is knitting a scarf to donate to the cause.
“I think I will be making just one [scarf]. When people see the blue and white scarves, people will know that they are in the Special Olympics,” says Sara. “It is very special.”
Heatwole, who lives a couple of houses from the Laymans, agrees and hopes the scarves promote awareness of the program.
“If they were to be wearing a blue and white scarf, hopefully they [will] be identified as Special Olympic participants,” Heatwole says.
The Special Olympics brings out the best in the athletes Layman says. The athletes feel very special and don’t think that they are coming at things from a deficient position, she says.
“They got something [special] we didn’t. We come from a place of lack,” Layman says. Helping special athletes, “You get so much more than you give,” she says.
Area 5 athletes number approximately 155 and Heatwole and Layman would like to present all the local participants with their own world games scarf, in addition to sending a few to the world games in Idaho.
Some of Heatwole’s congregation at the Waynesboro Church of the Brethren have already begun turning in scarves to her and Layman’s great-aunt, who is 92, has created a couple also. But more help is needed to reach the 160-165 scarves needed.
A Christmas dinner and dance is planned for Area 5 special athletes for Dec. 12 at the Weyers Cave Community Center and the group asks for the scarves about one week in advance. Specifications for the scarves are Coats and Clark’s Red Heart Super Saver yarn in delft blue and soft white, which match the official colors of the world winter games. Any pattern and size scarf is acceptable.
The deadline for the national scarf project is Jan. 15.
Says Layman, “I know [the Special Olympians] will wear these scarves proudly, knowing someone in their community believed in them and wanted to bless them.”