Special Olympics West Hawaii

Special Olympics West Hawaii thanks St. Michael’s Council 13227 of the Knights of Columbus for its generous donation of $100.

“Both this council and the worldwide Knights of Columbus are strong supporters of Special Olympics,” said Steve Lopez, SOWH soccer and softball coach. “They donate money and time to Special Olympics as one of the preferred organizations to support.”

By making gifts like this one to SOWH, St. Michael’s Council 13227 of the Knights of Columbus is part of a movement that has transformed nearly 3 million lives around the world. Such donations make it possible for SOWH to bring hope, joy and opportunity to people who are unfortunately sometimes overlooked by society and vastly underestimated by their peers.

Donations allow SOWH to train skilled and compassionate coaches, rent practice and event space, and buy equipment for athletes. Every dollar given helps SOWH bring a dream to life.

Special Olympics West Hawaii is participating in the Summer Games, held May 29 through May 31, at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Roughly 1,100 athletes and coaches statewide will compete in Track & Field (Athletics), Swimming (Aquatics), Powerlifting, and Softball (includes Unified Softball, Coach Pitch, T-Ball, and Individual Skills). The Summer Games marks the end of the Spring season. Over 2,500 volunteers help at this Olympic-style contest.

The Summer Games schedule is as follows:

Friday, May 29
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.: softball for all divisions
9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: softball individual skills
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: lunch
4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.: dinner
7 p.m.: opening ceremonies

Saturday, May 30
6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.: breakfast
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: lunch
4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.: dinner
9 a.m. to noon: track for ages 8-21, field for ages 22 and older, and level III track & field
12:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.: track for ages 22 and up
12:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.: field for ages 8-21
2:45 p.m. to 4 p.m.: relays for all ages
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Healthy Athlete, Olympic Town and powerlifting
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: swimming
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.: victory dance

Sunday, May 31
6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.: breakfast
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: lunch
8 a.m. to noon: Healthy Athlete
8:30 a.m. to noon: Olympic Town
8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: powerlifting
7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.: swimming
8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.: track and field
1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.: closing ceremonies

To learn more about the Summer Games, visit the Special Olympics Hawaii Web site at www.specialolympicshawaii.org.

Special Olympics West Hawaii powerlifters Adrian Cleintuar, Ray Donager, Patrick Dungate and Isaiah Wong flew to Maui on Saturday, May 2, for the regional meet that qualifies them for competition at State Summer Games. They were accompanied by coaches Denise Lindsey and Steven Strand, as well as family.

The day-long event was held at Baldwin High School in Wailuku, following the Maui leg of the Troy Barboza Law Enforcement Torch Run. Police officers participating in the 3-mile run graciously stayed on afterwards to serve as loaders and spotters for the meet. Loaders and spotters are the hard working, indispensable crew who the load weights onto the bars. They are close at hand throughout each lift, watching closely to catch a bar if necessary to ensure the safety of the athletes.

Special Olympics Hawaii Vice President of Sports Dan Epstein was announcer and scorekeeper. SOHI Director of Powerlifting Winston Ho served as head official.

More than 20 lifters representing Hawaii Island, Maui and Molokai vied for honors in the squat, bench press, deadlift and combo events at the competition.

Even for the uninitiated, powerlifting is one of the most satisfying sports to watch. The pace is fast and with each lift there is potential for a moment of intense drama.

The athletes have been training for months. They know what they can do in practice, but until they are tested in competition it is impossible for them to know how they will stack up.

In fact, the excitement doesn’t let up until the very end of the meet. Because of complex scoring factors, it is not uncommon for an athlete to find out who is actually in his division until he finds himself next to that competitor on the awards stand.

Because West Hawaii’s Isaiah Wong and Patrick Dungate, both age 17, were experiencing their very first powerlifting competition, the anticipation was especially high for the West Hawaii team. Special Olympics rules stipulate that an athlete must be age 16 or older to train and compete in powerlifting.

Wong and Dungate proved to themselves and everyone present that they had the hearts, souls, muscles and dedication to be top notch powerlifters.

Veteran lifters Ray Donager, 42, and Adrian Cleintuar, 25, also displayed their “Westside Pride” with outstanding performances.

A big mahalo goes out to Head Coach Denise Lindsey and Assistant Coach Steven Strand. For without their wealth of knowledge, skill, patience and tireless commitment to our athletes, the SOWH powerlifting program would not exist.

Please enjoy the following photos taken during the competition. To see the entire album created by Denise Lindsey, SOWH coach, and Nikki Cleintuar, SOWH volunteer, click here.

From left to right: Patrick Dungate, Ray (Kealoha) Donager, Isaiah Wong & Adrian Cleintuar.

Ray Donager deadlifts 275 pounds.

Patrick Dungate deadlifts 210 pounds in his first powerlifting competition.

Isaiah Wong deadlifts 405 pounds.

Adrian Cleintuar does the deadlift, a weight training exercise where one lifts a loaded barbell off the ground from a stabilized bent position.

SOWH’s powerlifting team displaying their “Westside Pride.”

After practice, the SOWH powerlifting team celebrated Ray Donager’s birthday.

Panda Express is donating 20 percent of all items bought Thursday, May 7, to Special Olympics Hawaii when customers use a special flyer with their purchase from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Special Olympics Hawaii will give the proceeds from this fundraiser to the various areas — including Special Olympics West Hawaii — it serves.

“Panda Express is now a great supporter of ours; having donated close to 4,000 meals to us in the last year and a half,” said Dan Epstein, Special Olympics Hawaii vice president of sports. “They will also be donating 1,500 more meals at the upcoming Summer Games. We really want to support them like they have been supporting us.”

Panda Express is located in the Kona Commons shopping center in Kailua-Kona.

If you would like a coupon or need more information, contact Dan Epstein at 808-943-8808 ext. 26 or sports@specialolympicshawaii.org.

West Hawaii Today reporter and SOWH blog editor Carolyn Lucas wrote an article about Kalamaku, a ministry of Mokuaikaua Church enabling people with disabilities to experience the joy and passion of outrigger canoe paddling. The article, featuring SOWH athletes, was published Monday, May 4, and can be view on the newspaper’s Web site. Here’s an excerpt:

It is in the outrigger canoe that Shannon Salas feels the most proud.

He feels like a champion when gliding to shore with his teammates, slicing the ocean in unison and seeing his sister cheer for him at end of Kailua Pier. There, in the canoe, he is able to soar above and defy expectations.

Things that separate him from others seem to disappear. Instead there’s an ocean of possibilities and a desire to do his best.

West Hawaii Today freelance photographer Brad Ballesteros took the following fantastic photos of Kalamaku, of which you can spot some familar faces. He gave his permission, allowing SOWH to use his images and captions on this blog. He hopes you enjoy his work.

Kahu Brian Boshard shakes the hand of Murray Williams, a Kalamaku and SOWH participant, before racing in the Kai Opua Businessmen’s Canoe Regatta Sunday, May 3.

During the 10th annual Kai Opua Businessmen’s Canoe Regatta, two Kalamaku teams competed against each other in the adaptive paddling division. It was their first competitive activity of the year.

To get involved or learn more about Kalamaku, contact Kahu Brian Boshard at 937-3208, Mesepa Tanoai at 936-6695 or Roger and Karen Kloepping at 327-9673.

Special Olympics West Hawaii is participating in the 31st annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk, a statewide event that occurs simultaneously Saturday, May 16, on Oahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauai.

More than 9,500 walkers raised $1.12 million and helped 190 local charities, including SOWH, in 2008.

The Big Island event begins at 7:45 a.m. for runners and 8 a.m. for walkers at Anaehoomalu Bay in Waikoloa.

Volunteers are needed to man the SOWH aid station located along the walking route. Want to help? Contact Dave Ross, SOWH area director, at 808-345-1344 or sowhdave@yahoo.com.

SOWH athletes, coaches, volunteers, families, friends and supporters are also encouraged to participate in the Charity Walk. The entry is $35 for adults and $25 for those under 18 years of age, which includes a morning of fun, food, entertainment and exercise. For more information about the Charity Walk, call Lynne Nagaoka, of the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort, at 808-886-8129 or Bambi Lau, of the Hilton Waikoloa Village, at 808-886-2884.

Ross has pledge sheets, with a goal of $35 per entrant, for those interested in running, walking or simply just donating.

“This is a fun event, a casual stroll followed by great food and tunes on the beach. It is also a huge fundraising event for SOWH,” he said. “Our monies raised in donations have no bearing on the size of the donation we receive. It is all about how many people we have turn in a form. So let’s do it.”