INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — More than 340 swimmers from around the state descended on the North County Aquatics Center, vying for medals and ribbons in the Florida Special Olympics Aquatic Games.
“Today was fast,” said Mike Redstone Sunday, Indian River County’s assistant recreation department director, explaining that the two-day event is split into the long course meets on Saturday and the short course swims Sunday.
Once the assisted swims were completed early Sunday, the rest of the meets went in record time.
Redstone said two world records had been broken during the aquatic competition, both by Miami-Dade swimmers.
Though no records were broken by Indian River County’s 10 competitors, the team went home with nine medals and five ribbons.
“They did excellent,” said Indian River County Special Olympics Coordinator Darla Danis.
Gabrielle Ioffredo, no stranger to swimming in the competition went home with a ribbon for fifth place. Danis said the swimmer was disappointed in her placement but should have been proud.
“She cut 3 seconds off her time,” Danis said, marveling that Ioffredo had been in a body cast for four months leading up to the swim meet.
One swimmer who didn’t get the opportunity to compete this time was Amber Fallo, who channeled her efforts into helping serve food to the competitors.
Each county was limited to sending 10 swimmers to the Florida Special Olympics, forcing county coordinators to select who would go.
For Danis, that meant assigning the task to someone else within the organization to draw names.
“It’s better to volunteer,” 22-year-old Fallo said while handing a lunch bag with a hotdog inside to another volunteer. “But I miss the competition.”
“I’m very proud of what Special Olympics is doing,” she said of helping athletes “swim fast, swim hard, and have fun.”
To help keep Special Olympics Indian River County running, donations are desperately needed, Danis said.
“They are gladly accepted,” she added, explaining, “There is never a cost to the athlete.”
Transportation, equipment, uniforms – it all gets covered through donations.
Anyone interested in making a donation can make checks payable to Special Olympics Indian River County and mailed to 1235 Main St., Sebastian, FL 32958.
To that end, the organization has planned a Poker Run in Sebastian for Nov. 13. Registration is from 9 to 10 a.m. at American Legion Post 189, 807 Louisiana Ave., Sebastian. Registration is $15 for the rider, passengers $5. For information, call (772) 581-0837.
For more information about Special Olympics or how to help, call Darla Danis at (772) 778-6400.