Yesterday I had the privilege of volunteering on the medical team at the TN Special Olympics. My nursing school has been doing it for years, and many of my classmates and I had the chance to hang out with some amazing kids and adults! The highlight of the day was the opening ceremonies, watching the teams walk in the area in their colorful team outfits. The ceremonies had a dance party, a speech by the Titans head coach, t-shirt cannons, balloons raining from the ceiling, and lots of laughing and cheering.
The medical team wore red hats, as you can see from the picture. On my way there I commented to one of my classmates that I can't believe we are trusted with such important roles already! We were in pairs, but still responsible for all medical care until our teacher showed up at our event. I was stationed at powerlifting, which it turns out, is one of the most dangerous spots because of potential crush injuries. Fortunately, it was an injury-free zone yesterday!
The most challenging part of the night was the torrential downpour. By the time the rain stopped, there were rivers of deep water all over the campus, making for hazardous walking conditions, and many of the athletes have limited mobility. That was actually the scariest part of the night for me, as I stood in deep, fast-moving water, ready to spring into action if someone needed me. As far as I know, all the athletes arrived at the opening ceremonies safe and sound!
As someone with learning disabilities, yesterday was a valuable lesson to focus on the things I can do, rather than the things I can't.
