photo by: Emma Delk

High school peer tutors play with special education students during the 34th Annual Marshall County Special Olympics Thursday at John Marshall High School.

GLEN DALE — More than 150 student and adult athletes gathered at John Marshall High School to compete in various track and field events during the 34th annual Marshall County Special Olympics Spring Games.

Special education students from every elementary, middle and high school in the county were represented in the races and throwing events held on Thursday morning. In between races, athletes could play other sports, make arts and crafts or take pictures at a photo booth.

Athletes could choose three events to compete in, with running events ranging from 25 to 200 meters and throwing events including shot put and discus. Wheelchair races also took place.

The set-up and running of the games was a combined effort of teachers and over 200 peer tutors from Cameron and John Marshall High Schools, who assisted the athletes. The Knights of Pythias, American Legion, and Army National Guard also lent a hand during the games.

Marshall County Schools Special Olympics Co-Director Lori Caldwell, a JMHS special education teacher, noted the various JMHS classes that volunteered their time and talents to create the games. She credited JMHS industrial arts shop teacher Matthew Ali and his students with building many activities for the students, including a giant wooden Connect Four game.

Several other JMHS career and technical education programs helped out during the Olympics, including agriculture students setting up for field events, nursing students in the therapeutic services program providing a first aid station and assisting with physicals, Pro Start students providing lunch and WJMH Media students announcing results and acting as DJs.

Caldwell noted the importance of the peer tutors in keeping the games running smoothly. She said that during yesterday’s peer tutor training, the students were instructed not to discipline athletes but to act as their “buddies.”

“The peer tutors are told that all they need to do is to make their athletes smile and have a good time,” Caldwell said. “We have tutors who come back for all four years because they enjoy being out here with the athletes so much. I think our peer tutors might look forward to this more than even the athletes because we get more and more students signing up to help each year.”

Caldwell noted that students begin to build a relationship with their athlete that often carries beyond the field into the classroom. She added that some students request to help specific athletes every year.

“We want to get some friendly competition going on between the athletes, but more than anything, it’s about building relationships,” Caldwell said. “When students request certain athletes, we make it happen, because it’s all about keeping the kids smiling and building those relationships.”

Kolton McGlumphy, a junior at JMHS competing in the games, had his own posse of three peer tutors keeping him company as he competed. The three JMHS sophomores serving as his peer tutors were Austin Chayer, Lane Icard and Hayden Fordyce. McGlumphy said he asked the students to work with him during the games since he sits with them at breakfast each morning at school.

“He sits with us at breakfast every day, and so when he asked us if we wanted to help him today, we obviously wanted to do it,” Chayer said. “We’ve played a couple of games with him already, including Connect Four, which he won.”

McGlumphy, who had just finished first in a 100-meter race, felt confident in his chances at placing first in a 200-meter race and the shotput event he was also competing in. His peer tutors also thought he would do well in those events, with Icard adding that they did not feel like they had to give McGlumphy any pointers as they were confident in his skills.

Peer tutor Jersea Slonaker, a JMHS junior, specifically requested to work with her step-sister, Glen Dale Elementary School kindergartener Kieryn Woodruff, while she competed in the games. Slonaker and JMHS junior Jesse McDowell, who was Woodruff’s other peer tutor, guided Woodruff through various events and activities. Woodruff’s favorite activity was running through the parachute set-up at the field.

“I just love being here with her because she’s just a blast,” Slonaker said.

McDowell added that his favorite part of the day was seeing the smiles on Woodruff’s and other athletes’ faces as they participated in the various activities.

“I just love seeing how happy they are and how much fun they’re having,” McDowell said.

Marshall County Schools Special Olympics Co-Director Catherine Folmar, the Cameron Elementary School Principal, was thrilled to see peer tutors building relationships with the students they were helping at the games. She noted that they rely on peer tutor feedback to decide what activities to include at the games, with two favorites of attendees being the large beach balls and the parachute.

Folmar added it was “really neat” to see how the friendships between tutors and athletes developed over the years.

“I think this event can be eye-opening in some ways for some peer tutors and make them more empathetic towards people different than them,” Folmar said. “I’m so thankful to our sponsors, the community and Marshall County Schools for helping us facilitate this. It’s seriously a community effort to put this together for our students with special needs, and it’s an amazing thing.”