Tuesday, 6/24/97 Athletes go for gold in Special Olympics
CHALLENGE: Participants find pride, happiness in competition held
at UCLA
By Chris Umpierre Daily Bruin Contributor Mashalleh and Jinous
Nikkhah had every reason to fold up the proverbial tent. Mashalleh
is not receiving any financial support from the government despite
the facts: his daughter, Jinous, is mentally retarded, and he
doesn’t have a job. He doesn’t get one dime from social security.
She badly needs gum surgery but he cannot afford the expensive
procedure, or a doctor for his own high blood pressure. His
multi-million dollar factory in Persia was seized by the government
after he immigrated to the United States. If not for Mashalleh’s
family in Persia sending money, they would be living on the street.
But despite all the hardships life has brought them, the Nikkhahs
haven’t folded up their tent, and they refuse to do so. They
symbolize the ability to strive amidst adversity that 1,299 other
Special Olympians displayed in the pool, on the track, on the
basketball court, on the golf course, in the gym and on the tennis
court in the 29th annual Special Olympics Summer Games, held over
the weekend at UCLA. Despite constantly having new obstacles and
challenges thrown in front of her to overcome each day, the
28-year-old Jinous has been able to leap over each and every one.
Literally. She took home 14 medals in this year’s Games. She has
also brought home a degree from Santa Monica College. One needs
only to look in Mashalleh’s proud and happy eyes as he looked at
the array of medallions that hung from his daughter’s neck to see
that the Special Olympics is not only a worthy event but an
important one. The Games brought joy and happiness to countless
others this weekend. "I think the beauty of (the Special Olympics)
is how it brings an entire family together," said Mona Dill,
coordinator of the event’s 1,593 volunteers. "If someone has a
disabled child, sometimes they are living off in a home. But the
Special Olympics is a community event where the friends and cousins
and sisters and brothers all come together for a weekend to watch
an athlete compete." The Special Olympics experience is not just
important for the family but for the athlete as well. "I had one
athlete who had just lost his parent to cancer, and the other
parent has cancer as well," Dill added. "I asked him if he was
scared about his family, and he just looked at me and said ‘Special
Olympics is my family.’" "For some of these athletes it’s their
first time away from home," Dill continued. "For some, just even
walking from here to here is a huge, huge thing. Just to get on
that bus to get here is the biggest accomplishment of their life."
Other officials believed that the Special Olympics is a necessary
event because it puts the mentally retarded in the spotlight. "It’s
no longer necessary for the mentally retarded to be hidden like the
old days," Jeannie Heimberger said, who has worked the Athletic
venue for the last 25 years. "These individuals can now be out in
the public. The Special Olympics is an opportunity for them to be
out in the public, showing that they too can succeed." "It gives
them a chance to belong and to participate in something that famous
or healthy athletes do," Dr. Jon Perry said, a founding member of
the Games, who continues to be an active member on the Special
Olympics board. "If you come out here and you don’t have a little
tug on your heart and a little tear or two in your eyes, you really
haven’t experienced it." People have indeed been shedding some
tears since the Games’ inception in 1968. Eunice Kennedy Shriver
came up with the idea after asking herself why her mentally
retarded child couldn’t participate in the Olympics. So in Chicago
in 1968, she not only had her child participate in the first ever
Special Olympics, but 1,000 other mentally retarded athletes. Since
then, Perry said, "something like 100 countries run a similar
Special Olympics." Many celebrities came out to this year’s games
to show their support during the three-day event. Film star Michael
Keaton was one of the featured speakers at the Opening Ceremony on
Friday night. Other celebrities at the event included Hall of Fame
NBA basketball player Bill Sharman, film star Diane Cannon, and TV
game show announcer Mark Wahlberg. Many UCLA alumni and coaches
were also at the Games. Rafer Johnson, UCLA track athlete and
Olympic gold medalist, once again was the head organizer. He was on
the founding board of the California games. Jim Bush, UCLA’s Track
and Field Coach from 1964 to 1984, was also in attendance. "I just
told Rafer Johnson that I’ll be tickled to death to show up," Bush
said. "These people are very special. Just to see their faces when
they cross the finish line is worth the price of gold. After
coaching only great athletes, I finally get an opportunity to see
these young people without that ability. It means just as much and
maybe even more to them. That’s what’s important." Of the
volunteers, many were current Bruins or UCLA alumni who came back
to donate their time. The athletes "are very sincere and very
open," said UCLA alumna Valeria Beaudry. "It’s amazing to see how
happy they are when you start talking with them." It is the
athletes such as Jinous Nikkhah who teach valuable lessons that can
last a lifetime. "For me it’s just a matter of knowing that there’s
absolutely nothing you can’t do," Dill said. " Those people just
focus on the things that they can do. As long as I remember that,
and I just do the games once a year, it’s enough to carry myself
through (each day)." CHARLES KUO/Daily Bruin Special Olympian Maria
Olague is greeted by volunteer Sheila Liles after her finish in the
100-meter dash at the 29th-annual Special Olympics held at UCLA
over the weekend. See back page GENEVIEVE LIANG/Daily Bruin Members
of the South Bay and Riverside Special Olympics teams reach for a
rebound at Pauley Pavilion Saturday. Previous Daily Bruin Stories
Special Olympics provides ‘training for life’, June 24, 1996 UCLA
hosts California Special Olympics, June 26, 1995