On the Road to Athens for The Special Olympics

I just arrived in Athens to attend the Special Olympic World Games.  As I’ve written before, I’m attending as a guest of P&G, a 31-year sponsor of the Special Olympics. I’ll be filling you in on all the exciting events I’ll be attending, like the Opening Ceremonies tonight.

In Athens, I extremely excited to meet Christopher McMullen of Team USA.  I’ve introduced you to his mother Carol and written what an inspiration she is.  Last time we met, Carol shared with me a brief video segment produced by the Special Olympics for the National Games held last year in Nebraska.  The piece showcases Christopher and his talent, his sportsmanship and how far he has come from the little boy who couldn’t speak at four years old (Christopher has autism) to the young man he is today, a champion swimmer and a leader to his team members.

Right now Christopher is on the Greek island of Rhodes with Team USA. He is training, acclimating to the environment and soaking up as much f the culture as he can.  His mom, Carol, is excited about him seeing and experiencing a new culture in such a historically-rich land.  She tells me that in true swimmer fashion, Christopher is most excited about being able to swim and compete in the same pool that Michael Phelps– his hero– did back during the 2004 Summer Olympics.

In Athens, Christopher will be swimming in four events: the 400 yard Freestyle, the 200 yard Breaststroke, the 200 yard Backstroke and the 400 yard Relay.  Interestingly Carol tells me that Christopher doesn’t get nervous and in the video above you can see the calm and confidence in his demeanor.

I can’t wait t meet this young athlete!

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This post has been sponsored by Procter & Gamble as part of their Thank You, Mom program. 

Photo Source: Special Olympics Website