HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – Only eight figure skaters are representing the United States in the Special Olympics World Games in Italy, and three of them call North Alabama home.
“We’re going to Italy for the World Games!” figure skater Beth Allen said.
Deeb Habchi, Cody Wheatley and Elizabeth Allen will compete in March, breaking barriers and achieving goals some never thought possible.
“This whole experience has been great since day one,” figure skater Deeb Habchi said.
The entire country will be cheering them on, excited to watch them achieve their dreams and be recognized on a global scale.
“There are no words,” Head Coach of the Alabama Special Olympics Figure Skating team Heidi Parker said. “My heart just explodes with pride for them. And just to see all their hard work come to fruition on the world stage.”
Parker has worked with Special Olympics skaters for over two decades, she said she stumbled upon the opportunity and never looked back. She noted how it has changed her life; her relationship with participants goes much deeper than ice skating.
“They’re not just skaters to me,” Parker said. “They’re part of my family and part of my heart.”
The skaters will each perform a minute-long routine alone. Judges will decide the award winners from those performances. But, the medals are not the entire focus. Special Olympics lives by the oath: ‘Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.’
For these skaters, being brave is doing what some say is out of reach.
“Excel beyond anything we ever imagined, or the doctors even said she could do,” Shannon Allen, Beth’s mom, said.
Parker shared that some people with special needs may feel overlooked and under-considered. The Special Olympics allows them to be appreciated, celebrated and recognized for their talent and hard work.
“The biggest thing with any Special Olympian is they just want their chance,” Parker said. “You know, they just want to be seen like anyone else.”
For those who want to achieve their goals and reach heights some considered unimaginable, Cody has one thing to say.
“Never give up and keep striving,” figure skater Cody Wheatley said.
The group is taking off from the Rocket City in March. The games begin on March 8, but there is no official schedule yet telling them their exact date of competition.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
