Athletes, Families Raise Money at Miles for Medals Walk

They all came for a common cause—to honor a special loved one and raise money for the programs offered to the Special Olympics athletes. 

"Special Olympics did a lot for me," said Jennifer Chamberlain, who has been an athlete in the program since she was a teenager. 

The Irvington woman was one of the hundreds of people who walked on Sunday at the 7th Annual Miles for Medals walk, renamed this year to Vincent Miritello Miles for Medals Walk, for Special Olympics at in Yorktown.

Chamberlain said she never did sports in high school and was shy to talk to people, until she became part of Special Olympics. She does tennis, basketball, track and golf, among others. She has also won an Athlete of the Year award for New York State in tennis. 

Jennifer Wong, who has Down Syndrome, has also been a Special Olympics athlete for more than 16 years and won a silver medal for cycling in 2002. 

"It's given them great self-esteem," Jennifer's mother Elsie Wong said of the two girls. "Now they have a purpose."

The Special Olympics program serves 3,500 athletes in the Hudson Valley region. It provides year-round athletic training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities and gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, sportsmanship and victories. There is no charge to the athletes or their families.

Marybeth Munier, of Pleasantville, walked on Sunday with her husband and a dozen friends and family in honor of her late brother Steven Stuargis, who was a Special Olympics athlete and passed away four years ago.

"I'm very blessed to have had him in my life," she said of her brother. 

Munier described her brother as an amazing person, who although he dealt with certain limitations, he made sure he lived life to the fullest. Stuargis, who was born with a lack of oxygen and had a seizure disorder because of it, was an avid swimmer. He had one gold and one silver medal in swimming. 

Ann Hertel, who lives in Poughkeepsie, has been a Special Olympics athlete for the last 17 years and competed in the 2010 World Championships. She does cross country, skiing, softball and volleyball. 

"[People] see how we don't let our disabilities get in the way," said Hertel, who first got involved because she wanted to meet people and stay athletic. 

She was happy to see people come out and support Special Olympics because without people's help there wouldn't be any funding.

"[We're] all human," she said. "[We're] special and lovable people."

Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Sign up for our newsletter