Three local swimmers are among the Special Olympics athletes who competed last Wednesday in the Area 12 swim meet at the Pine Street YMCA in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Ben Bouwkamp, Josh Lowe  and Jason Morrow are part of the Piranha’s swim team that practices twice a week at Converse College in Spartanburg from October until May. The three swimmers qualified for the Special Olympics South Carolina state swim meet to be held at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina in May.

Ben and Jason will also be traveling to Greensboro, North Carolina, for the SE Regional Swim Meet in April. Morrow will also be competing in the Special Olympics USA Games to be held in Seattle, Washington in July.

The team will compete in three invitational meets, Anderson, South Carolina, Rock Hill, South Carolina, and Beaufort, South Carolina, prior to the state championship meet to round out the season.

Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

Special Olympics South Carolina Area 12 is a volunteer organization from the director down, and receives no government funding for these events nor does it charge participants. The organization is a 501(c)(3) that relies on the generosity of our community and corporate neighbors. It is only through their generosity that an event like traveling to Seattle to compete can take place.

If you would like more information about the swim team, or would like to support travel to Seattle, please contact Area12@so-sc.org or send to: Area 12 Special Olympics, 110 Maryland Drive, Lyman, SC 29365 with the designation of USA games swimming. 

– Submitted by Area 12 Special Olympics