By Hannah van Warmerdam
As Special Olympics celebrates its 50-year anniversary, longtime athlete Robert Waters may be closing in on his final competition.
After hearing about Special Olympics from a friend more than 30 years ago, athlete Robert Waters found his love for competition. Whether it is competing in soccer, bocce ball, or track and field, Robert is proud to be a Special Olympics athlete.
“I love making new friends, competing, and having fun,” he said. “It has helped me overcome my shyness.”
At 63 years old, Robert still loves competing and is headed to the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games. He has been a stand out athlete excelling in track and field. His best events are the long jump and 800-meter dash.
Robert will compete in the long jump, shotput, 800-meter run and the 1,500 meter run. He will definitely be someone to watch out for in Seattle.
“I am very excited,” he said. “I am not getting any younger and this could be my last competition.”
This love for competition makes him want to encourage people to join Special Olympics. Robert has seen Special Olympics grow firsthand through adding the USA Games and World Games.
Looking back on his 30 years of competing, Robert is proud to have been a part of Special Olympics and is looking forward to possibly one last hurrah.
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