Swimming in an atmosphere of pride and accomplishment, participants in the 2001 Special Olympics Ohio State Aquatics Championship will meet at OSU this weekend.

More than 600 athletes from 44 Ohio counties and 54 Special Olympics organizations will descend upon Larkins Hall to compete. The event, which has been held at OSU in the past, will feature races between some of the state’s proudest competitors.

Heather Baxter, a representative speaking for Special Olympics Ohio, praised the upcoming event for its spirit of true competition.

“There’s such a sense of accomplishment on the athletes’ faces as they finish, no matter what they do,” Baxter said. “They have a determination unlike any other athlete; it’s just a different type of determination in order to finish and reach their goals.”

The meet will begin on Saturday, with the opening ceremonies starting at 11:50 a.m. and the first two swim sessions from noon to 5 p.m. Competition will resume the next day with the third swim session scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon. The competition is free and open to the public; volunteers are welcomed.

Scheduled events include individual races, such as the butterfly, freestyle and backstroke, as well as team relays, such as the 4 X 25-yard freestyle and the 4 X 25-yard medley.

Baxter said this weekend’s team relays are unique since they allow for two levels of competition.

“We have what is called unified competition in addition to traditional competition,” she said. “The traditional relay teams are made up of all Special Olympics athletes, while the unified teams pair two Special Olympics athletes with two non-mentally-handicapped athletes.”

According to Baxter, in order to be eligible to compete, participants are required to be at least 8 years old. They also must have trained a minimum of eight weeks and competed in October and November area competitions.

Baxter said this weekend’s meet is the premier event for participants in the Special Olympics aquatic competitions.

Special Olympics Ohio holds eight events throughout the year, which include bowling, basketball, golf and softball competitions, as well as the more Olympic-based Winter and Summer Games. The aquatics competition is not the only event to be held at OSU – the organization’s largest competition, the Summer Games, is also held on campus each June.

According to the organization’s Web site, Special Olympics was created in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver with a mission of providing competitive sporting events for children and adults with mental retardation. The program has expanded throughout the years, boasting sponsored events in more than 25,000 U.S. communities and in more than 150 countries worldwide.