Wave 1 starting their 30 minute cycle leg of the race.

On Sunday, May 19, Special Olympics New Jersey hosted the 2^nd annual Unified Indoor Triathlon at Robert Wood Johnson Center for Health & Wellness in Hamilton. The event included a 10 minute swim, a 30 minute bike ride, and ended with a 20 minute run. There were a total of twenty-seven participants, eighteen Special Olympics New Jersey athletes and nine Robert Wood Johnson Health and Wellness Center members.

The top competitors for each were as following:  For swimming athlete Chris McMullen swam 650 yards and partner Molly Manzack swam 650 yards as well. Athlete Daisy Desimone cycled an average of 102 Watts. And Partner Jackie Franz had an average of 147 Watts. For the running event, athlete Bobby Fredericks ran a total of 2.03 miles and partner Amanda Borgstrom ran 2.22 miles.

Special Olympics New Jersey Athlete Ann Marie Lammerding was very pleased with her success in each event and over all enjoyed training with her friends. “I did really well!” she said, “I had a good time with the other competitors.” Ann Marie swam 400 yards for swimming, ran a 1.03 mile, and cycled an avg. of 28 watts.

All of the Triathletes and Volunteers together that made the event a success.

The athletes trained for several months leading up to the event and had their own individual training plans to follow. For  many of the competitors, this was their second time participating in this event. Some of the athletes that participated in the indoor triathlon will now begin training to complete outdoor Sprint Triathlons this fall.

Athletes who are interested in learning more about training opportunities over the summer should contact Ryan Ceresani at RKC@sonj.org or 609.896.8000 ext. 276.

Check out all the photos from the Unified Indoor triathlon on our Flickr site here!

Watch for Colin, Jillian, Dylan & Isabella in the May 2013 P&G brandSAVER which hits newspapers across the country on May 12, 2013!

It’s time again to kick off this year’s P&G brandSAVER® and Thank you, Mom program.

What’s really exciting and different this year is that the May 2013 P&G brandSAVER® coupon book features four of Special Olympics New Jersey’s very own Young Athletes. Their images will be seen in newspapers across the entire country when it comes out on Mother’s Day!

Colin Tobin, 4, and his mom Kelli appear on the cover, playing soccer. Inside the pages, Jillian Byrne, 4, is shown holding a basketball; Dylan Parisi, 5, and his mom Maria are playing basketball; and Isabella Caesar, 3, and her mom Kristi are playing soccer.

Colin, Jillian, Dylan and Isabella were all chosen last fall to participate in a 2-day photo shoot held at the Special Olympics New Jersey Sports Complex. They were given the star treatment by the P&G team and everyone had a blast!

Don’t miss out on seeing these Special Olympics New Jersey athletes: watch for your P&G brandSAVER® coupon books in your local newspaper on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12.

Also exciting is that this promotion is a fundraiser based on coupon redemption: Special Olympics will receive 2 cents for every coupon used and you must present the coupon upon checkout. There is no limit to the donation from P&G, so the more coupons redeemed, the higher the gift.

And don’t forget the savings for you – the P&G brandSAVER® coupon book includes over $48 in savings. The coupons expire June 30, 2013, so don’t wait too long to start clipping and saving! To find a local newspaper carrying the P&G brandSAVER® coupon book, please CLICK HERE.

Congratulations to our Young Athletes!

Designed for all ages and fitness levels, Boot Camp has athletes, parents, siblings and friends working together on cardio conditioning, strength, endurance, balance and flexibility. Whether doing the “dead bug” for core strengthening or relays for cardiac endurance, the goal of the program is to have fun while enjoying the camaraderie of working out together.

Matthew Santos was one of the first recruits to Boot Camp several years ago, and that was the start of his amazing 60-pound weight loss.

Once the weather improves, come out and join the Boot Campers on the TD Bank Field! Get fit and have fun – become a new recruit. Enroll today by calling 609.896.8000 or e-mail fitness@sonj.org.

Over the past two months that I’ve been here, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting several of our coaches at competitions and events. My experience with Special Olympics began as a coach in Virginia, so I’m thankful and excited that I get to work with people that share my passion!

Coaches learned shot put at the Athletic Field Events Clinic last weekend.

The Special Olympics New Jersey coaching education system is beginning a new chapter of expansion. As our coaches put in the time and energy to help athletes reach their maximum potential, SONJ understands the need to bolster coaching resources and abilities.

With the growth of new sports this year such as baseball and the indoor triathlon, as well as the exciting opportunity to compete as the “Home Team” at the 2014 Games next year, it’s important that we maintain high-quality coaching and improve our offerings in coach training.

We want our coaches to keep learning their sport and gathering new information in coaching. Just last weekend, about 25 coaches came together for an Athletics Field Events Clinic to learn more about the mini javelin, shot put, long jump and high jump.

We plan to offer more sport-specific training clinics in the coming months, which will educate coaches in techniques and strategies. We will also provide additional learning opportunities for coaches who are already certified. Our expectation for these clinics is that, no matter how much coaching experience one has, each attendee will be able to take away at least one concept to use in training and competitions.

Parents, thank you for your commitment to making sport a priority for your children. We will continue to make your children our focus as we plan and prepare coach trainings.

To our coaches, I sincerely hope that you take advantage of this unique opportunity that New Jersey provides its coaches to learn from the best. Thank you for all you do for SONJ athletes!

Coaches learning to throw the mini javelin at the Athletic Field Events Clinic last weekend.

To our parents, athletes and supporters, I welcome your feedback.

Casey Henderson
Coach Services Manager
csh@sonj.org

Kate, in pink, pushes through Tour de Jersey.

As I write this, another lucky group of energetic souls are spinning their way to glory and joy at Tour de Jersey, a 3-Hour Spin Challenge to benefit Special Olympics New Jersey! At just the thought of it, I feel inspired to write about my experience at Can Do Fitness yesterday, March 9, 2013.

In September 2012, I ran the Philadelphia Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon. Music made the painful experience bearable. My hips started aching terribly at mile three and the pain persisted through the finish line. Only the bands playing their drums and guitars kept me going. Without music, without a companion, without words of encouragement, it was a long and lonely run.

Six months later, I found myself in a room pulsing with life and positive energy. No, I couldn’t see the beautiful sparkling water of a real river beside me or feel the sun burning my skin, but there were plenty of beautiful scenes from nature being displayed on the huge screens at the front of the room. Better than that, there was a group of people in solidarity who cheered for me and for whom I cheered for three hours straight.

Slide after slide of inspirational quotes (one of my top ten favorite things in the world, if an inspirational quote can be called a thing) kept me newly inspired every couple of minutes. As far as pain – aside from the expected burn in my quads on the mountain section, and the expected gasping for air during the circuits of the last hour – there was only a numb rear end with which to contend. Truly, there was NO pain and so much GAIN.

Nothing I have ever experienced in the realm of exercise and competition can compare to the skilled, compassionate and inspirational coaching of three remarkable women: Germaine, Nancy, and Beverly.

My last coach, before I encountered the amazing coaches at Can Do, was mother, Dr. Barbara Heavers. She was my high school track coach. I hadn’t experienced the loving yet tough discipline of a coach in all the years that have passed since then. In training for this spin ride over the past two months, I finally have. Yesterday was a culmination of the best coaching.

Kate (center) rides behind Special Olympics New Jersey athlete Shaun (front right), who kept her inspired.

One slide said, “Be inspired. Be inspiring.” I decided right then and there that I wanted to be an inspiration during the ride! After all, I was riding behind Special Olympics New Jersey athlete Shaun. It felt easy to make the decision, because in front of me were three strong and beautiful women riding their hearts out while at the same time giving their everything to coaching us.

At first, when the ride began, I was reading the quotes and consciously thinking about them. Later, as I began to fatigue and my thoughts slowed, the words felt as though they were merging directly with my mind. I was thinking less and being more.

At one point far into the ride, “Don’t you worry, Child,” was on the screen and I felt an overwhelming urge to cry. My throat started tightening up and I could feel my airways beginning to constrict. I felt such relief at knowing I was safe and free of worry. It was an emotionally moving experience to be riding with all my body and mind and feeling such a distinct lack of worry.

Our three teachers, Beverly, Nancy, and Germaine, shared the stage. They rode in front of us and served as both visual and auditory sources of inspiration. They never encroached upon one another or tried to outshine one another. They displayed teamwork and mutual love and respect.

Germaine told us to go beyond our “self-perceived limitations.” I took this to heart. She told us that what our minds believe our bodies will do. She encouraged us to breathe out any negative energy and breathe in positivity into the space that remained.

Beverly took us up Mount Can Do. She told us to “be at ease” as we pushed up the steep ascent for an hour. She kept us calm as we performed a true physical feat of strength and endurance.

Nancy gave us a visualization that hit close to home for me, having come to New Jersey at 18 years old to attend Princeton University. We rode (in our mind’s eye) from Can Do Fitness in Forrestal Village, down Route 1 to Washington Road, over the bridge across Carnegie Lake, into the heart of town on Nassau Street, around a make-believe roundabout at the Garden Theater, and back.

We rode that circuit five times. I was glad I had not known such a challenge was ahead during the first two hours of the ride, because it was hard. But with three circuits down – three imaginary (yet incredibly taxing) trips into town – I felt completely elated. “I am doing this!” I thought, my legs a blur on the bike. The music was pulsing and my heart was beating out of my chest.

Wendy beside me was giving it all she had – I could see her out of the corner of my eye. Shaun in front of me had an amazing burst of speed in the final circuit that he maintained through the finish line. I could feel Lisa’s intensity behind me. She never let up, and at one point she told me, “I’m right behind you, Kate.”

Since I was riding in front and could see the pack of the room behind me the entire time, every time I caught a glimpse of Kathy in the reflection I was reminded to stay smooth. She rode so smoothly and so steadily for three straight hours that it was simply a beautiful sight to behold. I felt so proud to be there, so lucky to be riding with such a remarkable group of men and women.

I don’t know how many of the other spinners were brand new to the experience, or how many came in that morning with a shadow of a sliver of fear that they weren’t strong enough or brave enough to endure such a test of physical and mental strength, but I know that for me it truly was a test. And I made it. We all did.

I am grateful for all the hard work, love, and support from the teachers at Can Do Fitness – Michael, Sue, Beverly, Germaine, Ladan and Nancy – and to Jeanene from Special Olympics New Jersey for making the whole thing happen. I am also grateful to the lovely Fran Mandel for signing me up as a member of Can Do Fitness in the first place. I signed up the month after my beloved father Richard Heavers passed away in November 2011. I remember telling Fran it was a strange coincidence that the price of my father’s pine box coffin was the price of a year’s membership at Can Do.

This summer, my family and I will go to Ireland (the Homeland, as he called it) in honor of my father. It just so happens that one of the women spinning yesterday was June, from County Galway, where we will be headed. I have found that the connections we make are boundless and endless, and that this new experience of spin continues to just that. We make connections and forge ahead. We ride on together into the future and we transform ourselves and our world.

It is 11:38 a.m. on Sunday, March 10^th. I know Katie, the Special Olympics athlete I trained with, is having a great ride at this moment. I’m breathing with her. And I know she is smiling!