Special athletes take on Special Olympics: Allen swimmers experience time of their life

This one was more than "Special."

Four athletes from Allen joined more than 300 others representing 29 countries from around the globe to compete in the inaugural Special Olympics World Aquatics Invitational on Sept. 11-16 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Allen swimmers Andrew Dennett, Rachel Seba, Jennifer Shepler and Emmily Blackburn were chosen for the experience of a lifetime because of their combined athletic ability and exemplary citizenship. They were part of a 15-member contingent representing Texas. Five other states - Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia and Nebraska - also fielded teams from the United States in a competition that sported athletes from as far away as China.

The competition was outstanding, feted with the pageantry one expects from a world-caliber contest. The host country rolled out the red carpet, showing off its world-renown entertainment and recreation venues. The hotel was spellbinding for at least a couple of the Allen swimmers; the culture was mind-boggling for another. One of the Allen athletes even enjoyed an epiphany of sorts. They all came back with grins on their collective faces that out-shined the medals each of them won.

The Allen contingent included their parents. The group flew out at the top of the week in time to be there for the Opening Ceremony festivities on Tuesday morning. The pomp immediately drew the local athletes' attention.

"I liked the natatorium where they lit up the torch!" exclaimed Andrew, 22. "I walked in with the athletes and that's how they started it, they lit up the torch!"

Walter Dennett, Andrew's father, reported the crowd participation was palpable.

"It was fantastic. All the people were yelling and screaming and just going crazy.

"Andy was just glad he didn't finish last and that he beat the Russian both times," Walter added amid laughs from the two.

Andrew finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 200- and 100-meter freestyle races, even though his time was a full 20 seconds faster in each race than his previous best. Such performances underscored the quality of the competition. But Andrew didn't come home empty-handed. Teaming with three other racers from Team Texas, Andrew and company were awarded the silver medal in the 4x50-meter freestyle relay. It was the first time any of the four swimmers had competed as a team.

The competition didn't take long to begin. Rachel, 22, was in the pool almost immediately after the Opening Ceremony concluded, taking on the arduous 100-meter Intermediate race, which calls for 25 meters in each of the four disciplines: butterfly, breaststroke, freestyle and backstroke. Three and 1/2 lengths into the race, Rachel was swimming in second, but took home the bronze when the Costa Rica swimmer caught her before the final touch. Rachel added a silver medal in the 100-meter breastroke. Considering she had shoulder surgery in May, she was quite pleased with her performances. But the aspect that delighted her most was meeting her fellow competitors.

"I really enjoyed meeting all the athletes from the other countries," she said. "Their accents were interesting. I liked racing against them and winning my medals.

"I learned they were the same as me," she added.

Jennifer, 20, enjoyed her best times ever in her two competitions, the 50 breastroke and freestyle. She finished fifth in the free, but claimed the gold in the breastroke. As much fun as being a gold-medal winner was, Jennifer said it was the rest of the trip that will stay with her as long as anything.

"I wouldn't choose Puerto Rico for my first trip (outside the United States) because I can't speak Spanish," she divulged. "(But) we managed to have a great time. It was very hot and humid, but the beaches are so beautiful!

"Getting rained on was the most exciting part of the trip," Jennifer continued. "We all went to Old San Juan and we were going to this fort and we took this trolley up there. When we were ready to go we were waiting on the trolley and we got rained on for over an hour! We were all bonding because we were freezing. We were just drenched. It was a downpour."

Jennifer reported she felt a special presence while she was in Puerto Rico.

"I thought like God was telling me to, you know, go out and just have a lot of fun, and God really spoke to me out there. He told me it doesn't matter what place you get because you're a winner no matter what place you get. And then later I got to talk to this girl from China about Him. I just happened to meet her!

"It was quite fun, funny and amazing all at the same time," Jennifer concluded about the experience.

Part of her amazingly fun adventure also included some unexpected glory from the pool.

"I was on a relay with three other girls from Texas and when we got done there were these guys there taking our pictures and wanting to talk to us, and then we found out we got gold!"

The 4x50-meter freestyle relay race Jennifer was part of was the initial gold won by Team Texas. It was the first time the athletes competed together as a team.

Rounding out the Allen quartet was 18-year-old AHS senior Emmily Blackburn. She took the silver medal in both of her competitions, the 25-meter freestyle and backstroke races. She related the people were nice and friendly, and the beaches were great. Their hotel was magnificent. But what really got her attention was something that repeatedly came up from each of the athletes: kayaking in the Bioluminescent Bay in Sahardo.

"It was really, really incredible," Emmily began. "You run your hand through the water and it glows in the dark!

"It was very dark," she continued. "We couldn't see anything, so we had to rely on other people to help us. We had these lights (actually glow sticks) on the back of the boat. That was all the lighting we had. We kept running into these mangrove trees. It was awesome! We had a blast."

Rachel said the police were weird, but otherwise, "I want to go back. It was so nice there."

Andrew agreed with Rachel's assessment.

"It was the most wonderful time ever," he declared.

He and Emmily both said to watch out while you are driving in Puerto Rico, if you are ever fortunate enough to go.

"Be aware of the traffic patterns," Emmily warned. "The Stop signs are more of a suggestion than a law! It was an adventure driving down there."

Winning Olympic-style medals in a first-of-its-kind global competition, sightseeing, meeting people from other parts of the world very far away, trying new food, making new friends, enjoying some of the very best the Caribbean has to offer - it was a wonder that each of the Allen athletes will never forget. It was beyond special.




To log onto a specific athlete's accomplishments during the Special Olympics World Aquatics Invitational, go to www.specialolympics.org and type "World Aquatics" in search field. To view pictures taken at the competition, go to www.dropbox.com.

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