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School students show spirit at track

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Special to Highlands Today

The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 25, 2009

SEBRING - Spirit was the main focus recently with the Special STARS Track and Field Competition for school students.

Children ranging from kindergarten to high school merged onto Fireman's Field to participate on Dec. 16 in track events or throw the softball in the field event. There were events for all levels of disabilities.

Even though children in walkers and wheelchairs struggled to do a 25-meter event, the crowd cheered the same as if they were running a 100-meter dash. Teachers and coaches walked along some of the young athletes in gait trainers offering words of encouragement or stimulating their muscles to keep them moving.

Every step that Gunner Porter, a student with the Kindergarten Learning Center, took was exhausting but his coach kept him going.

He was carefully strapped into a gait trainer to offer him support in walking and Adaptive Physical Education Coach Buddy Hunter stayed right behind him to cheer him on to move.

At one point in the race his little legs gave out and he put his head down on the gait trainer. He was tired. His mother came from the sideline to gently hold his head up by putting his little face in her hands. He smiled as his mother kept telling him to not give up. He found that second burst of energy and shoved off one more time.

Although he did not finish first, the spectators went wild as his wheels crossed the finish line. In their eyes, he was a winner.

Cheers were ringing all over the stadium. The special athletes were even greeted into the venue by the Sebring High School band which made a tunnel and played a song for each school. The schools decorated tent sites and got members of their school involved in cheering at the event.
Spirit awards were presented to Memorial elementary, Lake Placid middle and Lake Placid high schools.

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