Games On: NM Special Olympics begin in Albuquerque

Wearing his orange “West Side Wonders” T-shirt, John Hanna took to the track at the University of New Mexico on Friday to complete in his 13th Special Olympics. At 60, he was the oldest athlete in the field. But age is only a number.

“I like to try and keep up with these guys,” Hanna said with a smile. Competing in the five-event pentathlon, which included the long jump and shot put, Hanna said the camaraderie he shares with his fellow athletes is what keeps him coming back.

“Getting along with everybody and helping my teammates and teaching them, it’s very rewarding,” he said.

Hanna was one of the roughly 1,200 athletes competing in the 2024 New Mexico Special Olympics Summer Games.

Over the course of Friday, Saturday and Sunday, these athletes, who hail from all over New Mexico, will compete in track and field , flag football, volleyball and bocce ball. More than 2,000 medals will be awarded over the course of the Games.

The Summer Games are the culmination of nearly 14 weeks of training these athletes have undergone. With over three months of practice under their belts, these competitors were ready to go Friday morning.

“This is their championship,” said Jena Waddell, assistant sports director for Special Olympics New Mexico. “This is the big one.”

Waddell has worked for Special Olympics New Mexico for the past 13 years and said she never gets tired of seeing the excitement and joy on the faces of the athletes.

“It’s the best part of the job, and it’s why we keep doing this,” she said.

One of those faces full of joy on Friday was 19-year-old Fabian Romero. Admittedly a bit tired, Romero, who competed for the West Side Wonders, spent his morning participating in the pentathlon events before running in the 4x100 relay.

The relays were Romero’s favorite part of the day, he said, because he really likes running. He also said he felt accomplished as well. “I’m very proud and happy,” he said.

Another proud athlete was Darnell Villanueva-Cruz, who was participating in his eighth Special Olympics games for the Peñasco Panthers. An avid sports lover growing up, he was often excluded from playing games with classmates in school, his mother Laura said. So they turned to the Special Olympics to get him involved in sports with other kids.

“He feels comfortable here,” Laura said.

Villanueva-Cruz, 23, said his favorite part of the Games is being able to compete in front of the crowd. He’ll have plenty more opportunities to do so over the course of the weekend.

The event’s opening ceremony took place on Friday night and featured teams making their official entrances and the lighting of the Olympic torch. Track and field will continue, and the flag football tournament and bocce competition will begin Saturday. The day will end with a victory dance featuring all of the athletes. Volleyball will take place on Sunday and close out the Games.