Special Olympics teamed with BUILD
During the 50th year of Special Olympics, Bethel athletes got involved and staff see what matters.
By Madyson Bartsch, Isaac Johnson, Ashton Hagemeier
Mia Camp bowled at the Special Olympics Bowling Tournament, Nov. 12th, at Bowlero in Blaine. As a Special Olympics athlete for 15 years, Camp was featured on the Special Olympics newsletter this October.
BUILD students at Bethel University have been involved with Special Olympics for 8 years. Many of them came in with long backgrounds involved with Special Olympics, and Bethel was designated as a Unified Champion School. Bethel provides Unified bowling, broomball and basketball.
“I enjoy seeing all the athletes trying their hardest and doing the best with the sports,” Mia Camp said.
Mia is in her second year of BUILD and she is part of Student Activities, but she has also been involved with Special Olympics.
“My favorite memory of the Special Olympics is going to the USA games twice,” Mia Camp said.
“The highlight of my week [is] coaching Special Olympics,” — Ryan McKimens, Special Olympics coach
Along with the students, Bethel staff found enjoyment in helping with Special Olympics.
“The highlight of my week [is] coaching Special Olympics,” Ryan McKimens said.
McKimens has been a part of Special Olympics; he started Special Olympics in 2017 as a Unified Partner and came back as a coach in 2020. This. year McKimens and Matt Flynn coached Unified Bowling. Along with coaching, Ryan Mckimens cheers on the athletes.
“[The abilities are] a pretty wide range [in Special Olympics]… that’s why I also like Unified Partners because it brings everyone together,” McKimens said.
He is the bowling and basketball coach, and is hoping to bring softball into it.
Special Olympics includes many roles, like athletes, Unified Partners and coaches. Athletes include students in BUILD, Unified Partners include BUILD mentors and other traditional students and coaches include BUILD staff.
“I wanted to try a bunch of different sports” — Nick Cedergren, Unified Partner
“I was a volunteer coach in an advertisement,” Nick Cedergren said.
Cedergren is the Associate Dean of Residence Life and has been in Special Olympics since 2013. He saw a booth and signed up for it.
“I was a Unified Partner,” Cedergren said. “I wanted to try a bunch of different sports.”
Cedergren started as a Unified Partner, and has kept it, even while being staff at Bethel.
“When I found out about Special Olympics, it changed me and my mom’s life forever,” — Mia Camp, second-year student in BUILD
Special Olympics has grown tremendously over the past few years. More students in BUILD and traditional students have joined. There is a need for Unified Partners, but as BUILD has grown, so has the amount of students who are involved. This semester, 17 students in BUILD started as a first year, and seven of them bowled in the tournament.
“When I found out about Special Olympics, it changed me and my mom’s life forever,” Camp said. “They included me in everything. They supported me, and let me do whatever sports I wanted.”
