Special Olympics brings together 400+ athletes in Bethpage

Hundreds of incredible athletes with intellectual disabilities took the field in Bethpage Saturday for the Special Olympics Spring Games North.

News 12 Staff

May 11, 2019, 9:16 PM

Updated 2,172 days ago

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Hundreds of incredible athletes with intellectual disabilities took the field in Bethpage Saturday for the Special Olympics Spring Games North.
Special Olympics New York organizers say it’s the largest competition on Long Island with more than 400 athletes competing.
Athletes say the games are more about making friends and gaining confidence over who finishes first.
Organizers say the focus of the games is more on the athletes’ “ability, and not their disability.”
“We might adapt certain things here and there for them, but for the most part, they’re out there training just the way any athlete does," says Diane Colonna, of Special Olympics New York.
It was the third and final year the Spring Games were held at Bethpage High School. They will take place next year in Farmingdale.