On June 17-18, three Special Olympians from KSD140 traveled to Illinois State University to compete in Special Olympics State Games.
Ryan DiTuri, a seventh-grader at Grissom Middle School, competed in the standing long jump and brought home a gold medal in his division. Gabriel (Gabe) Jalandoni, a seventh-grader at Prairie View, showed tremendous tenacity in the 50-meter run when he collided with another athlete, lost one of his shoes, and still finished the race with a fifth-place ribbon in his division. Gabe also competed in the softball throw and received a gold medal in his division. KSD140 athlete Erin DiTuri, a fifth-grader at Keller, took on the softball throw and earned a silver medal. Erin also competed in the 50-meter run and took home the gold in her division.
Altogether, our Olympians brought home three gold medals, a silver medal, and a fifth-place ribbon. We are incredibly proud of the work, practice, and determination each athlete put into training for this event.
The weekend would not have been possible without our amazingly supportive families, our wonderful school board, a district that supports this program, and the countless dedicated volunteers that helped our athletes train week after week. We could not have done it without you! Thank you!
