For the first time in its 16 years of hosting “Feet Meet” events, Special Olympics Virginia has made its way into the Dog Pound. On Apr. 22, 15 schools packed into the stadium and took part in the last of the three spring “Feet Meets” held across Loudoun County this year, bringing Olympic games to elementary, middle, and high school students with and without intellectual disabilities.
Special Olympic “Feet Meets” allow students with and without disabilities to engage with students and teachers from other schools through several adapted sports stations. This year, Stone Bridge opened its stadium to five elementary schools, five middle schools, and five high schools from all across Loudoun County, bridging age gaps through teamwork, determination, and sportsmanship between students of all kinds.
“We’ve participated in it, but we never hosted it,” Principal Dr. Timothy Flynn said. “A lot of times we would go to Loudoun Valley High School to go to it. About a year ago, we made the decision to host it with the Special Olympics committee members and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. It’s such an incredible event, and to have it closer to the Ashburn area, I really felt it’d be great if we hosted it. It’s less of a drive for all of the schools in this area, and I think there should be more than just one of these. I’d like to see it expand.”
Starting off with a bang, the Feet Meet began with an opening ceremony that included the marching band, which played “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office colorguard, which walked the American flag, and the Special Olympics Feet Meet pledge, read out by senior Tyler Gibbs. Most notably, the ceremony featured the lighting of the Special Olympic torch, which Gibbs held alongside senior Ashley Royer.
“My favorite part of the event was being able to run a race with the kids and walk the torch,” Royer said. “It felt like all the schools were coming together at that moment.”
Afterwards, students were led around the field to partake in various interactive stations spread out across the turf, split by having more advanced, middle and high school stations on the left side of the field, and stations fit for elementary schoolers on the right. Some of the stations included obstacle courses, softball toss, cornhole, and soccer, complete with students cheering each other on and leading each other throughout each station. With so much happening at once, student volunteers were essential to the event’s success.
“All of our student volunteers were amazing,” Student Activities and Engagement Coordinator Phillip Campbell said. “They ran each event all morning and set up each station, so that made the day run smoothly. We have great student leaders across the building, so it really makes the experience enjoyable. The awesome thing about leadership is you have the ability to inspire others, and we had five different high schools [visit], so when people come over and they see students taking the reins, you have the ability to inspire other students across the county.”
Extensive efforts were made prior to the exciting day to show a unified school community. Every aspect of the event, from the crowd-favorite Bruster’s ice cream truck set up outside of the stadium to the specialized Feet Meet T-shirts on each student’s back, was carefully organized to make the big picture shine.
“I really got to coordinate with the other host schools,” Campbell said. “But also the head of Special Education for the county and the head of our Department of Transportation. So there were a lot of moving pieces, even our shipping and stuff, because every T-shirt was sent to every school.”
Although this was the first Feet Meet held at Stone Bridge, the school’s participation reflects a continued commitment to providing inclusive opportunities all across the Special Education department. Several programs established around the school aim to engage and connect students, as well as encourage them to come together and take part in the different aspects of the school community.
“It’s been very important for us at Stone Bridge to do Unified Sports, Unified Music, and make sure that we’re meeting the needs of every kid who goes to Stone Bridge,” Dr. Flynn said. “[These events are] also great opportunities for students who typically wouldn’t be in class together to make friends and join together. It’s done a great job of unifying the school.”
The Special Olympics Feet Meet has shown to be rewarding for all of those who took part in its success. Fortunately, this Feet Meet is just one of many each year, and Stone Bridge plans on hosting it every year moving forward. The event has proven to unite everyone who participated, and leave many more with lasting memories and meaningful experiences.
“Seeing how excited the kids were when they got off the buses, that was the moment where you’re like, ‘it was worth it–all the work is worth it,” Mr. Campbell said.
To donate and learn more about Special Olympic events in Virginia, visit https://www.specialolympicsva.org/.
