(guitar music) - [Narrator] It's that time of year again.

Every summer, athletes and volunteers from all over Connecticut gather for the Special Olympics games held at Southern Connecticut State University.

People fill the stadium as the event kicks off with an opening ceremony.

(audience cheers) Police officers start the ceremony by riding motorcycles and bicycles around the track, preparing the way for the Olympic Torch run.

(police sirens) (audience cheering) (gentle music) (police sirens) (gentle music) (crowd cheering) After the festivities, the teams also circle the track and are met with cheers from the crowd.

(announcers introducing teams) (crowd cheering) - [Narrator] Every athlete has come a long way to arrive at this point.

And their hard work will be seen throughout the weekend.

But for now they celebrate their arrival with style.

(Loudspeaker announcements) (crowd cheering and talking) - [Narrator] Swimmers meet up at the pool the following morning, to prepare for the daunting task of racing up and down the lanes.

Bobby Zabarsky is one of those athletes.

His journey has been met with a lot of resistance all of which he has had since birth.

But he was not alone in the fight.

(Rhythmic drumming) Bobby is from Southbury Connecticut.

He plays drums on occasion, decorates his walls with posters of his favorite Pixar films, loves new technology and hopes to one day work for Apple.

He even cooks his own breakfast in the morning.

On the surface, Bobby seems to be like any other 14 year old but what makes him a little different can't be seen or understood so easily.

- Some kids, like when I'm at school and I change and they're just like, whoa, what's that?

And I'm just like, well, it's, it's just heart surgery, I had surgery.

They're like, did it hurt, I'm just like, I'm just like, I actually don't remember.

- His heart defect is that we have four chambers of our heart and his left ventricle is pretty much non-functional.

It's there, but it kind of just hangs out.

They had to do three, it wound up being four, different surgeries to reroute the, it's a plumbing job, pretty much.

They reroute the blood flow to make use of what his heart is as best as they can.

So, you know, he has limitations and he, it's hard for him to exercise.

But we know how important it is.

And so we make the poor kid do it (laughs).

That's why he's in Special Olympics.

- [Narrator] As a registered nurse, Bobby's mom, Trish understood the complications her son would experience after being born.

- It was a blessing and a curse.

It was the worst thing, and the best thing.

When we were in the hospital I knew about 85% of what they were talking about.

And so when they would say something, I knew just enough to scare the living daylights out of me.

And John, my husband was blissfully unaware that anything was going on and I wouldn't tell him what was going on, but I was terrified.

His SATs, I told you, normally up in the hundreds his were in the twenties.

Right there, we didn't know if he'd be brain damaged for life.

You can't survive with that kind of oxygen level for very long.

Infections that were so bad, we didn't know he'd ever pull out of them.

And time on the respirator, and dialysis and all this stuff that happened.

You don't know what ramifications that leads to until they grow up and you see.

So I never knew, and I always had this again, it's survival.

You have this built- in mechanism that says, well, we'll catch up, we'll catch up because it's the only way he can keep going.

And every time he'd make more gains and he'd start to walk when he was three years old that's really late.

But to me, it was well, see, now he's walking, so he'll catch up because the next thing he'll be able to do is run.

And some things just never happened.

- I got to keep all of these posters.

- [Narrator] When Bobby and his family joined Special Olympics it changed their lives for the better.

Having a community who understands them was one among many things the family benefited from.

- As soon as he got into the practice, they were so welcoming.

I felt like I had been in the place for my whole life and talking to other parents.

And now I have other parents that I can speak to that under, they get it, they get it.

- [Narrator] Bobby must compensate for his condition to avoid being left behind but still struggles to even reach normal standards.

Special Olympics offers a different system that solves this problem.

- It's like me working harder than everybody else at doing things.

- It was the first time that Bobby was in a competition where it was evenly matched.

I can't tell you what a relief that is as a parent because he was always the last, always trying so much harder than everybody else, and at the back of the pack.

And now they do it by, not age anymore, like they do in regular things, they do it by times.

And so now he, I can remember last year in the summer games watching him compete in backstroke.

I have it on tape and I, every time I watch it, I say this is the most evenly matched thing I've ever seen.

They got off the wall, three kids were in front of him.

They get to the end of the wall, by the end of the time, it was like touch, touch, touch.

And that's wonderful, that is great.

Everybody gets something.

And I think that it's just one big party.

It's Special Olympics (laughs) it is.

- We cheer on each other and we help each other out.

- Hey, Bobby!

(crowd clapping) - [Announcer] I see some green shirts for Special Olympics Oxford!

- [Narrator] Through the special Olympics, Bobby has competed alongside teammates who he can now call friends.

- We've known each other for like two or three years.

In fact, two years ago, we were roommates.

- I've known Bobby for the past three years from when he started swimming and we've been doing Special Olympics swimming together for a long time.

And then I actually, I swim against his sister during high school.

So I see him all the time during the year at swim meets.

- [Narrator] Every team needs a capable leader and Maureen Blees or Mo, as her Oxford teammates call her, is that leader.

- So he started out first on our swim team, I believe.

And then actually last year he switched over to cycling.

And then decided, nah, cycling's not quite his thing, so then he switched back to swimming.

And he really is so good at swimming.

So I'm sure that's where he'll be staying for awhile.

- Bobby would be your typical, fun, loving kid.

He likes to get out there, not always working hard during practice, because he likes to play games, but he's great.

- A really great friend.

- The sweetest kid on earth, he's got a heart of gold.

He's so kind and he's so loving.

And to see him compete after everything he's been through, it's amazing.

- [Narrator] For Bobby's mom, this was a spiritual battle and not just a physical one.

This was a battle for hope.

And the belief that Bobby would eventually make it through.

- So I had to put that back in him.

Every so often it would cough up or-- There was one part where we had a van and all the other kids were getting in and out of the van.

And I had his car seat in the van, cause I would not move that car seat.

I would not, that car seat stayed in the car.

There was like my omen, because if I move that car seat, I was so afraid he'd never get back in it again.

And the kids said, can't we move this thing?

Can we move out the car seat, we don't need it anymore.

We keep having them walk around this thing.

Like, no, that is staying there.

And it stayed in that same spot until I got in it to come home.

- 4k?

yeah.

I walked a 4k yesterday.

- [Narrator] Bobby's struggles are no laughing matter, but through it all, Bobby brought a lot of joy and laughter to those around him.

- He does backstroke laughing the whole way down the pool at everybody that's on the side because they're all cheering for him and he can hardly breathe because he's laughing so hard.

You know what a great attitude, who cares about the medals who cares about the place, who cares?

He's just out there having a great time.

And I think everybody loves him for that.

- [Narrator] Special Olympics is about much more than just competing in sports.

It's about discovering the connections and the love surrounding the games that allow athletes to participate.

For Trish, that love is deep and has been there since the beginning keeping all hope alive.

- They would have me sit in a seat and they get me with a pad or something and they would make me sit down and put him in my lap.

And even though he was attached to the respirator and he was attached to the feeding pump and he was attached to the dialysis and you know, everything he was my baby in my arms.

If I touch him, (voice breaking) if I could touch him, and there were a lot of times where I couldn't touch him, they wouldn't let me because he was so unstable, I couldn't hold him.

So once I got, once I got a piece of it, you know once I got a feeling of him being my baby I hated when they took it away from me because that's all I had (sniffling).

Those times when I got to hold them, they'd keep me going.

And I had I'd hold on until the next time I could hold him.

Houses, money, cars, it's just all frivolous.

It just doesn't matter.

So I was so fortunate.

So, so fortunate to so many times almost lose and have him come home because I can tell you the amount of people at Yale that I saw walking out of there without their kids and it changes your whole life.

So, you know, even now I get stuck in a traffic jam.

It's like, phew, traffic jam, so what?

I'm going to be two hours late, I don't care.

Or the kids are asking me for more money or somebody lost something or I can't find the keys or the dogs make a mess, who cares?

Because it comes down to being loved.

And, and your family - 1989, when I first joined West Harvard team, I did the a hundred meter dash, the standing long jump and softball throw.

I just got too many metals, way to many.

- [Narrator] Warren Hartleb has been involved in the Special Olympics for nearly three decades competing in a variety of different sports.

This time it's cycling.

- This year, I do, we just finished floor hockey.

I'm an assistant coach for floor hockey.

Now we're doing cycling, after that, we do unified softball.

And after that we do volleyball.

- [Narrator] Warren says he's a higher functioning handicap which limits the way he learns new tasks and skills but it doesn't affect his overall independence.

- Like reading, I'll understand some of it.

But then when I have to do an article and I have to read When I gotta redo and re try to figure out what happened and where, it throws me off a little bit.

I like have a little bit of a hard time trying to remember what happened, where and how and it's kind of a little bit tricky, but other than that, it's not bad.

- [Narrator] Warren loves to collect key chains in his spare time and has a multitude of them from different places, each one having its own story.

- I got this, I got some of these, I got one from Trapp Family Lodge up in Stowe, Vermont.

And then I got this cool Lego one that I actually found at a thrift store here in Newington.

And the baseball one I got, I have two I have a lot of keychains.

- [Narrator] Warren is one of the more competitive athletes and he has the medals to prove it.

But having fun and meeting new people is just as important as success, and maybe even more so.

- You get to meet different people from all different we're all different life, You get to meet the for athletes and you get to hang out and you get to do, you get to be a part of the Special Olympics, which is a lots, lots of fun.

And it's always fun to have people volunteering, gets them to meet new people.

I got one, I have ones from, from the softball throw, standing long jump and the hundred meter dash.

And then I have other ones that are from bowling and different sports, volleyball, and every kind of sport that I did, even skiing too.

My motivation is the challenge.

It's a challenge to try and beat everybody in cycling and softball.

Sometimes you win sometimes, you don't.

You're pretty much out there for the fun, you're out there for the experience of trying to get better, trying to increase your time.

- [Narrator] Back at Southern, cyclist zoomed past cheering onlookers in the summer heat.

Each racer wore an expression of determination as they peddled around the track.

(crowd cheering on cyclists) (gentle music) - I got a funny feeling, gold or silver today.

- [Narrator] Cycling coach, Trish Stapleton noticed a change in Warren that spurred from joining special Olympics.

- His self-esteem's gotten a lot better.

Their self-esteem really grows doing special Olympics.

He's a hard worker, he'll do anything for anybody.

Like my neighbors have him do jobs, little jobs around, mows the lawn or whatever they pay him, he does, he's a very hard worker.

- It's a lot of fun, I mean, it's good.

Like, you know, because while I'm at home, you know I don't get to interact that much, because you know I'm busy with work.

But here it's like a vacation hanging out with friends.

It's like, we're one big family.

- [Narrator] One of the cyclists, Matt Hennessy, says joining Special Olympics has changed his view on what it means to be disabled.

- Before I was thinking like special Olympics, It was, you know, for people who are like, you know aren't able to do much, that's what I used to think.

But once I came here, it really completely changed my life because it shows that, sure everybody has disabilities but we're all the same.

We're all the same and what you see us out on that course and you see us swimming, doing athletics and stuff.

You'd be really amazed.

- [Narrator] No matter what place he comes in, Matt takes pride in giving his all.

But of course winning wouldn't hurt.

- It's a good feeling, but you know, it's like the oath.

If I can't out-win, let me brave in the attempt.

I was brave.

- When I first started out, you know one of my friends says do you want to?

I said, sure, I'll do it, whatever it takes.

And it's grown leaps and bounds from one sport to another.

- [Warren] By competing, it opens up your life to new experiences, meeting new people, sometimes talking to people.

It's interesting cause you don't really know about their life story until you actually get to meet the people and you get to learn what they do, how they like to do things and what they like to do.

(ominous music) - [Narrator] On the other end of campus, it's time for the swimmers to compete.

It's also Bobby's time to shine and to show the world again, what he can do.

(crowd cheering) - [Announcer] Swimmers take your mark (buzzer) (crowd cheering) - Go, go, go!

(crowd cheering) - I'm so proud of him.

I get that same excitement about watching the other kids.

You have many other swimmers who are very talented gifted swimmers.

And when I see him get to the end of the pool I know he's proud of himself.

I know he tries really hard.

You can see how hard he works.

He's huffing and puffing when he gets out.

I'm lucky to be a parent and sit there and be able to watch that, it's a gift.

- It was really exciting to see him swim the 53 today.

And he did really well right off the blocks and everything.

- As soon as Bobby finished the race there was somebody that was behind me.

She came running over and she said she has a son that has swam with Bobby.

She came running over and said, you must be so proud of him.

And she started crying.

I think when we go to regular meets, people have no idea.

And people here only have a fraction of what we'd been through with him, but they get what a miracle it is to see him swimming like that.

- Yeah, it's nice, he goes home and he can look at his medals and stuff like that.

And it's just like Nate hanging his medals out and his sister and the same thing.

So it's just one more person in the family that, you know fits right in with everything we're doing.

- [Narrator] Trisha and John have gone through many hardships as parents but their trials have given them a unique perspective on how to live life and what it means to love.

For them, love empowers communities.

It endures through the worst of times and it never dies.

Through it all they came to see life as fragile and above all, precious.

- You are a prized possession, that you are so valued and it doesn't matter what place you come in.

It doesn't matter how fast you are.

It doesn't matter if you can just do dog paddles to the end of the pool, if you can't even do that.

Because just the way you are is perfect.

And good for you to be out here doing anything.

(gentle music) - Bradley, do you like swimming the best?

- I do.

- That's your favorite?

- I do.

- I love it because I think there needs to be a place for everybody to succeed and participate.

And this gives a place for our children to really succeed at what they're trying to accomplish.

And it's fun for the parents because we're constantly supporting them and to get them rewarded this way and recognized is wonderful.

- I am enjoying the weekend.

My daughter is a athlete from Groton.

She's a swimmer.

She's been doing it for 15, almost 20 years now.

She loves it.

It's one of the best things that can ever happen.

It's just amazing.

And it's just not competition.

It's just seeing the happy faces on the kids.

Smiles and stuff, it's beautiful.

It's wonderful for the kids.

- Well, I think that, I think that the athletes that come to the games if you wander around and you look at the athletes as they go through the day, this is their weekend and they know it.

And they're very proud of that.

And they're very proud to stop and show you the medals.

And they're very proud to tell you their achievements and they want you to know what they did and you don't need to know them.

And you could be a complete stranger, but they'll stop.

And they'll talk to you.

And that's a great feeling.

They're not shy at all.

And everyone that comes to volunteer and everyone that's involved is here to celebrate them.

- I think people need to understand that it's about integration.

Sometimes they feel like Special Olympics is something that shows our athletes in a great light when it separates them.

And it puts them aside from everyone else and kind of highlights them and it's not that.

- It's showing people that are your, people without disabilities that people with disabilities are just like everyone else.

They like to go out, have fun, like have games.

And when people, when the athletes come they're not expecting, I want to go easy on them.

They're here to compete and they've been training for this.

And when the athletes are here, they want to be treated as other athletes, as you would treat anyone else.

And I think this kind of event shows people that, Hey, look they're athletes, they're just like you and me.

- It helped me look at his limitations differently and really see that there's a lot available out there for him to succeed at in life.

So it's probably opened my eyes as to what he can do and not what he can't do.

- It's the feeling that you're doing something that's not about you, you're doing something that's about other people.

You know, you spend a lot of your life worrying about yourself.

You spend a lot of your life spending, you know, time on your selfies and your careers and all of it.

So for a whole weekend, you spend time on someone else.

And it's so gratifying to feel at the end of the weekend that they feel good because of what you did.

- Here at summer games, we have a huge healthy athletes program going on.

So our athletes come in and see clinicians.

They see doctors, they have free eye exams they get free glasses.

The audiologists are here, they get hearing AIDS.

We have fit feet with podiatrists.

Cardiologists are here, dental screenings, all kinds of things that take place, where our athletes don't always have access to those things in the community.

- Anybody who wants to get involved in Special Olympics just volunteer, and once you volunteer, you'll be hooked on it for life.

They'll really suck you in.

And it's fun once you get to be a part of it you'll understand it, and you'll just like it.

It's tons and tons and tons of fun.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] Every year, these athletes meet to compete against each other for a weekend.

There are plenty of fun and games and dancing and singing making every year a memorable one, but Special Olympics has never been about just competing in the games.

These games are only glimpses of what the organization is all about.

Involving everyone in the community pushing each other to become better human beings each and every day.

And finding the joy in doing it all.

- I learned about courage.

I learned that there must've been something here so good that he wanted to stay because it would have been so much easier to leave.

I can't believe what this kid fought back from.

And I learned about really appreciating other people and not always trying to beat them in competitions.

And kinda just a lot more hugs and how anybody could think that someone so imperfect is, is he just thinks I'm great (laughs) you know?

That's pretty good.

And there's kind of an innocence and kind of naive innocence there that every adult we wish we could keep that.

He's just my hero, my hero in everything.

(gentle music)