Two Manitowoc men who had the opportunity to represent Wisconsin at the Special Olympics USA Games last month are still riding high on the experience.
Lucas Smith was a part of the gold medal-winning volleyball team, while bowler Preston Bjarnarson finished second in the team competition, 3rd in doubles, and 4th individually.
Both athletes visited the WCUB Studios for an appearance on On the Line, where Smith called the week-long event an incredible experience.
“The whole week…was wonderful,” he said with a smile. “To be able to participate and be selected and just represent not only, you know, Wisconsin, but Manitowoc as well.”
All of the volleyball games were played at the iconic Mariucci Arena, where the Minnesota Golden Gophers’ hockey teams play.
Smith loved experiencing the thrill of playing there, especially in the gold medal game.
He recalled “having the crowd cheer, you know, being down to the wire like that game was against Virginia and being able to just let go and just celebrate for a hard-earned week, a hard-earned medal. It was legendary.”
Preston, who is a man of few words, said the games were “Awesome. I had a fun time.”
The opening ceremonies were held at U.S. Bank Stadium, a venue neither athlete had been to before, and they both said it was pretty awe-inspiring to be on the field.
Preston really liked, “The underneath part, where you go through the tunnel and all that.”
Preston has actually been competing in Special Olympics for 20 years in multiple sports.
He recently completed a half-marathon and is looking forward to running a full marathon in the future.
You can hear more about what Lucas and Preston thought of their experience by visiting SeehaferPodcasts.com.
