Let Me Win, But if I Cannot Win, Let Me be Brave in the Attempt: Special Olympics Bowling 2013

Saturday we bowled.

Ok, so we didn't bowl, we didn't wear goofy rented shoes or score gutterballs. We did something much, much better. Early on Saturday we, and by we I mean the L4L members and some other enthusiastic volunteers from UIS, loaded up a bus and headed out into Springfield to volunteer for Special Olympics Bowling, and it was fantastic. Not only was the experience itself great, but it also reminded us of something right off the bat.

It's not always about winning.

Ok, so to some people it is, but really it isn't. The slogan of the Special Olympics is "let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." And it is a fantastic reminder, for everyone. Yes, try to win, do your absolute best, but in the end it is the attempt that matters and the memories and all the other things you get in the process.

Kristin giving out the gold metal.

And if that is the case, then I think our volunteers got just as much out of the event as the participants, event those who won the gold. For them it was an opportunity to catch a glimpse at the little things they take for granted and meet some amazing people they might not otherwise see or if they did that they might not take the time to really meet. 

"For me the most touching experience of the whole day was when one of the participants came up to me and hugged me. She told me that she really liked me and hoped that I would come back and help her team next year. In my mind, that really showed me that I made a small impact in the world through my service, and that really touched my heart." 

-Martina '17

"In between frames I was able to talk to my team of bowlers and learned Tony liked to watch different shows on Netflix, Deb loves to bowl, and Janice likes the Cubs. Out of all the bowlers I think Janice and I had a connection. And after everyone was done bowling the team was awarded gold metals! That just goes to show how good they were! Even though the bowlers had some sort of disability they didn't let that stop them from going for the gold. As I said good-bye to my bowlers, Deb's mom thanked me for all of my help, and Janice and Deb both gave me a hug good-bye. That made all the difference in the world. All of the athletes that participated in the Special Olympics didn't allow challenge or disability to stop them from doing anything. This was truly an experience I will always remember." 

-Lizzy '17

Lizzy and Martina were not the only people to feel that way, everyone walked away with a story, a hug, something that really stuck with them. The bus ride back was filled with students bragging about the amazing scores their bowlers had, and just what made the experience so great.

"Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."

The athletes were brave. They came out to the bowling alley and threw everything they had into the game. They laughed, they cheered each other on, and had the time of their lives. While our volunteers showed up to help them I think they helped us. They showed us the sort of attitude we should bring into our own daily lives, to strive to win, to do our very best, but if we don't then at least we can say we tried, and that we put our all into something.

-Erika
UIS Vista

-Martina
UIS Class of 2017

-Lizzy
UIS Class of 2017