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Markie LaForge competes Wednesday in softball throwing at the Great Northern Area Special Olympics Games at the Havre Middle School track.
Koleman Anderson is hoisted up for winning Division 1: Softball throw by Supervisory Border Patrol Agent T. David Lines at the awards ceremony of the Great Northern Area Games on Wednesday at the Havre Middle School track.
Dariane Rose Mitchell leads the pack of her heat for the 50m run the Great Northern Area Games on Wednesday at the Havre Middle School track.
Sway Anne Byrd receives help carrying the torch from Supervisory Border Patrol Agent T. David Lines during the Great Northern Area Games on Wednesday at the Havre Middle School track.
Sway Anne Byrd receives help carrying the torch from Supervisory Border Patrol Agent T. David Lines during the Great Northern Area Games on Wednesday at the Havre Middle School track.
Supervisory Border Patrol Agent T. David Lines points Koleman Anderson to a camera to have his photo taken for winning the Division 1: 50m run at the awards ceremony of the Great Northern Area Games on Wednesday at the Havre Middle School track.
Athletes from across the Hi-Line came together Wednesday at Havre Middle School for the track and field portion of the 2015 Great Northern Area Special Olympics Games.
From the running long jump to the 200-meter run, about 80 athletes from towns including Havre, Malta, Turner and Chinook competed in this year's tournament.
Before the games began, everyone honored the Special Olympics oath: "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."
Justin Konesky, 21, of Havre, said he has been involved with Special Olympics for five or six years.
Konesky competed in the 200-meter run, the 100-meter run and the softball throw in this year's Area Games. He said his favorite part of competing was "doing the 200."
This year, Konesky took titles in the 100-meter run, 200-meter run and the running long jump.
He said it felt "good" to win.
Mitch Grubb, 33, of Havre, competed in the 100-meter walk, softball throw and running long jump.
Grubb said he has been participating in the Area Games for 10 years and that his favorite part of competing is seeing "how good" he is.
Grubb said he trained about three weeks to prepare for this year's Area Games.
"We had track runs on Mondays and we had bowling on Thursdays," he said.
This year, Grubb took titles in the 100-meter walk, softball throw and running long jump. He said it felt "awesome" to win.
Mandy Hansen, a Havre Special Olympics coach and spokesperson, said the athletes worked their hearts out for the competition.
"I think they come in with a smile on their face and the smile doesn't go off," she said. "They cheer each other on. We all cheer each other on."
Hansen added that her athletes teach her unconditional love.
"It doesn't matter if you're a little guy that's out here walking, or an older athlete, it doesn't matter - we're all family, we're all the same," she said.
Barb Konesky, a Special Olympics coach, said the athletes support one another, even if they do not know each other.
"They're happy even if they take last place," she said. "They're just happy for everyone."
Jamie Wood, the master of ceremonies of the Area Games, recognized the law enforcement officials who attended this year's tournament and gave information on the upcoming 2015 Law Enforcement Torch Run.
"The U.S. Border Patrol is going to be the leg leader for the Great Northern Area and be taking the torch to Great Falls for the State Summer Games here in May," she said. "Law enforcement from all over this area will be biking and running the Special Olympics flame 110 miles, all the way to Great Falls."
The Havre to Great Falls leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run will begin May 8 at 8 a.m. at the Havre Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol.
The 2015 Special Olympics Montana State Summer Games is set to take place May 19 through 22 in Missoula.
For more information on Special Olympics Montana, visit http://www.somt.org.
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