Special Olympics West Hawaii

Live daringly, boldly, fearlessly. Taste the relish to be found in competition in having put forth the best within you.
— Henry J. Kaiser

Laura Shimabuku, West Hawaii Today freelance photographer and owner of Akamai Photographic in Kailua-Kona, took the following fabulous photos, featuring Special Olympics participants competing in the Big Island Games Day Saturday, July 22, 2008. Laura gave her permission, allowing SOWH to use her images and captions on this blog. May her work, featured below, bring a smile to the athletes and coaches, as well as their friends and families.

Ray Donager takes a shot during the bocce competition at the Big Island Games Day for Special Olympics.

Murray Williams lines up his bocce ball shot at the Big Island Games Day for Special Olympics.

Kelly Yonemura lines up his shot competing in bocce ball competition at the Big Island Games Day for Special Olympics.

Kelly Yonemura celebrates a good bocce ball shot.

Robbie Sonoria, of the Special Olympics West Hawaii Soccer Team, drives the ball downfield.

Robbie Sonoria, #13, of the Special Olympics West Hawaii Soccer Team scores a goal.

Teammates from Kelly Yonemura and Ray Donager take a break from the action at the Big Island Games Day for Special Olympics.

Ray Donager takes his shot at the bocce ball competition while his teammates look on.

Adrian Cleintaur celebrates and reenacts his great bocce ball throw at the Big Island Games Day Special Olympics.

The Special Olympics West Hawaii Soccer Team patiently and excitedly waits to receive awards. Front row includes: Alvin Carvalho and Jason Nagatori. The back row includes: Robbie Sonoria, Shannon Salas and Gregory Routery.

GET EXCITED. That’s right, sports fans, enthusiasts and budding athletes. Basketball and bowling seasons for Special Olympics West Hawaii is approaching. These sports begin September 28 and last until the first weekend of December, when SOWH will compete at the Holiday Classic at Hickam Air Force Base on Oahu.

Athletes interested in competing and showing off their mad skills should sign up with SOWH Area Director Dave Ross, who can be reached at 808-345-1344 or sowhdave@yahoo.com.

Volunteers are needed to serve as unified partners for bowling. SOWH is also seeking people willing to take coaches training for these sports.

The Big Island Games Day for bocce and soccer will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at Old Kona Airport’s soccer field. Special Olympics West Hawaii athletes and their unified partners will be competing against other island teams for a spot at the Aukake State Games, which will be held on Aug. 16 and 17 on Oahu.

Volunteers for the Big Island Games Day are needed. They will assist with athlete staging, scorekeeping, awards, medical and lunch. To help, contact Debbie Extor, SOWH volunteer coordinator, at 808-322-9567 or sowhdebbie@yahoo.com.

Attendance of families, friends and community members is always welcomed. So come and cheer on the SOWH teams.

Here are some suggested cheers from Carolyn Lucas, SOWH online communications director and former rah-rah-sis-boom-bah squad member.

FOR THE SOCCER TEAM:
We’re fired up, we’re sizzlin’
We’re turning up the heat.
When it comes to soccer,
Our team can’t be beat!

FOR THE BOCCE TEAM:
Come on, get up and scream,
We’re going crazy for the bocce team!

For more information about the Big Island Games Day or upcoming competitions, contact Lona Warner, SOWH head of delegation, 808-327-0491, 808-989-2080 or biglona@hotmail.com.

Bocce (pronounced BAH-chee) is a lawn bowling game that really gets the Special Olympics West Hawaii team rolling. This low-impact sport is easy to learn and, of course, delightful to play.

Longtime volunteer Nikki Cleintuar attended a recent SOWH bocce practice and took the images below. The team is preparing for the 2008 Aukake Classic, which take place August 16 and 17 in Oahu’s Waiau District Park.

Head Coach Lona Warner measures the distance between the pallina and the player’s balls to determine the winner of the round.

SOWH athlete and bocce player Amy Aguiar (right) hangs out with her unified partner K.C. Strand (right).

A veteran athlete of many SOWH sports, Duke Kaawa is ready to try bocce along with his new unified partner Doreen Parker. Duke and Doreen are also Hula Halau Makanani dancers.

For several years, Kelly Yonemura has been an inspiring unified bowling partner for SOWH, regularly averaging more than 200 points per game. In his rookie season on the bocce court, he is still firing up his teammates with his great competitive spirit and enthusiasm.

Les Lund is a unified partner, coaching assistant and dedicated volunteer. He looks very serious as he follows through on his toss. But winning thegame is only secondary to this man-of-many-hats who spends countless hours helping athletes become winners in life.

Ray Kealoha Donager has been involved with Special Olympics for more than 20 years. In 2007, he traveled to China to compete as a powerlifter in the Special Olympics World Games. He returned with no less than four gold medals. Ray is trying bocce for the first time. He is fitting practice into an already busy schedule which includes a full-time job, dancing hula and gardening on the weekends.

SOWH athlete and bocce player Michael Tom Makanui (right) waits his turn as his unified partner and dad Bob Makanui (left) takes his best shot.

Soccer, also known as football, is considered the world’s most popular and fastest growing sport. It can be played by just about anybody. It has proven to be a fun and rewarding activity for Special Olympics West Hawaii athletes because it involves the participation of everyone constantly.

Longtime volunteer Nikki Cleintuar visited a SOWH soccer practice Thursday. She captured the following great photos of the players and Coach Steve Strand. Enjoy!

Coach Steve Strand strikes a pose.

Coach Steve Strand (left) works on the dribble technique with soccer player Shannon Salas (right).

Soccer player Greg Routery practices his kicks.