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Hedrick brings home gold from first-ever national Special Olympics
By Justin Goble
When the first-ever national Special Olympics ended, a Jackson County athlete walked away with gold around his neck.
Jason Hedrick won the gold in the 4 x 100 relay event, and took home the silver in the 200-meter dash. He also placed fifth in the 100-meter dash.
Other members of Hedrick’s 4 x 100 team were Courtney Justice and Richard Krieselman from Durham; and Ericlanza Raye from Fayetteville.
Local Special Olympics athlete Jason Hedrick brought home a gold medal as part of North Carolina’s 4 x 100 relay team at the first-ever national games. Hedrick also took the silver in the 200-meter dash and placed fifth in the 100-meter dash.
More than 3,000 athletes traveled to Ames, Iowa to take part in the events. Hedrick was one of 115 athletes North Carolina sent to the games.
To qualify for the national competition, Hedrick had to compete in the N.C. Special Olympics, which were held in Raleigh in June. There, Hedrick placed fifth in the 100-meter dash and fourth in the 200-meter dash.
Preparing for both the state and national competitions was a daunting task, Hedrick said. He trained for eight weeks with Western Carolina University basketball players Josh Dees and Kyle Greathouse to get ready for the games, with the final three weeks consisting of a daily training routine.
“They (Dees and Greathouse) were so faithful,” said Hedrick’s mother, Pat Beasley, who is also the coordinator for Jackson County Special Olympics. “They were out there every night for three weeks running with him. They were out there with him as much as they could be. We have a lot to be thankful for with Western Carolina University right down the road.”
And while Dees and Greathouse could not be in Iowa to cheer Hedrick on, they let him know they were there in spirit.
“They called Jason to keep up with how he was doing,” Beasley said. “They were really excited for him.”
While Hedrick said he enjoyed the competition, the atmosphere at the games was just as exciting. Along with meeting athletes from all across the nation, he said one of the biggest thrills was meeting country singer Jo Dee Messina, who appeared at the closing ceremonies with emcee Kurt Warner of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.
Beasley was just enthusiastic about the experience, saying it was a great way for the athletes to do things they may not have the chance to otherwise.
“When we think about games, we think about competition,” Beasley said. “But to the athletes, it wasn’t all about winning. It was great to see them make new friends and have experiences like flying out there, living in a dorm for a week and treated like royalty. The whole time out there, the focus was on the athletes. That impressed me the most.
“I never envisioned how large it would really be,” Beasley said. “It’s almost indescribable. I get goose bumps just thinking about the whole thing. But it was great to see all the athletes there and see all of their abilities. I know what the local athletes are capable of, but to see how all of these athletes were able to compete and excel was very moving.”
The interesting thing Beasley said she noticed was how much organizers appreciated what the athletes’ parents were doing for them to be there. Even Special Olympics organizer Eunice Shriver was quick to give credit to the parents
“They held a reception for the parents, and Shriver spoke,” Beasley said. “I walked up to her and asked if she would autograph a fan for Jason, which she did. I thanked her for everything she did, and she told me, ‘It’s not what I’ve done, but what you all as parents continue to do now.’”
Now that this year’s games are over, Beasley said she is looking down the road to the next national Special Olympics, which is set for 2010. She is hoping that more athletes from Jackson County will have the chance to take part.
“My dream is that all six athletes we have attend the national games at some point,” Beasley said. “It could happen. We have a bowling and golf team. It is a good possibility.”
As for Hedrick, he said that, while he was glad to have performed so well at the competition, he is ready for a break from the training.
“I’m ready to take some time off,” he said.
By his own admission, though, Hedrick won’t have such a luxury. He has already begun practicing golf in preparation for the local fall games.
For more results from this year’s national Special Olympics, visit www.sonc.net/sports/national_games_results.asp.
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