SOMO News

It is hard to imagine how something so small could have such a large impact on my life. When I first started to attend the Monday night Young Athlete Program sessions with Special Olympics Missouri, I did not expect much in return. Once you reach a point in your life, you think that people need to be learning from you. At times, although many of us do not like to admit it, we think that we have life figured out. From these Young Athletes, I have gained new perspectives, I have learned many lessons in life, and I have noticed a shift from within myself.

When I first started volunteering on Monday nights, I labeled it as another activity to fit into my busy schedule and into my hectic life. I am not sure why I took this leap and volunteered, but I am grateful that I did. After a few months passed, I gradually started to see a change in myself. I started to count down the minutes to Young Athletes Program. I started to see the athletes improve, and I started to build relationships with the Young Athletes. Young Athletes Program took on a deeper meaning than the typical thought that “it will look good on a college application”.

It is difficult to describe the change in myself I saw after I started volunteering. As a teenager I have this natural tendency to be focused on myself. I constantly thought about my trials, my victories, and my losses. After I started volunteering, there was a shift. I started to help others when they faced a trial, celebrate when they have won, and empathize when they lost. I started to develop this genuine care for others that at a time was so small.

Once I started looking beyond myself, I started to learn the value of accepting others. In the beginning I was not sure how to interact with these athletes. Early on most of what I saw was their disabilities. After hours of volunteering, I see these athletes in a new light. After spending time with these athletes, I saw them as regular kids. All of us have differences, and some of our differences are more visible than others’ differences. Being involved in Special Olympics Missouri has taught me how to be accepting of others differences because in the end the differences do not matter. We are all human. That is enough to treat each other equally and as you would want to be treated.

The Young Athletes that I have interacted with are truly miracles. With every athlete you can learn something about life or even about yourself if you keep a sensitive, open mind. Every day we are bombarded many different voices telling you how to be happy. These athletes have shown me how to do this. One athlete in particular has pointed me towards happiness. This Young Athlete I worked with this year has really changed my life. This beautiful girl has Down syndrome. Ever since I first met her, I felt drawn to her. I started building a relationship with her. I started noticing her improvements, I had an easier time understanding her, and I noticed how she interacted with the world around her. One of the things that stood out to me is that she is constantly smiling through all of the different ups and downs she is facing internally and externally. Even if she is having a rough day, she is smiling ear to ear. She is laughing, cheering all of her friends on, and giving high fives and hugs. She has given me a new perspective on life.

Spending time with this Young Athlete always gives me energy. Her smiles and giggles are contagious. My mind cannot fully comprehend how she manages to smile even through everything she faces moment to moment. This Young Athlete has given me the courage to overcome my trials. She has shown me the ripple effect of happiness. She helps others smile and laugh, and the people who are smiling and laughing make others smile and laugh. Imagine how different our world would be if we made one other person smile every day. This Young Athlete does not compare herself to others, she does not judge others by external appearance, and she lives a life of simplicity and joy that all of us could learn from.

With the help of Special Olympics Missouri, I have seen a shift within myself. Every day I try to live like this young athlete. Trying to keep a selfless mind has helped me to grow a passion for helping others. The Young Athletes Program has taught me life lessons that even the greatest philosophers could not provide. This program has not only brought me a new passion of working with these young athletes, this program has taught me the importance of serving others, and it has taught me valuable lessons about myself, life, and happiness.

Sydney Smith is a sophomore at Whitfield School in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Smith volunteers with the Young Athletes Program as an extracurricular activity.