Special Olympics Echuca is asking people to help support the club’s athletes.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Special Olympics Echuca is calling for community members to support the annual Law Enforcement Torch Relay Polar Plunge.
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The event supports athletes with intellectual disabilities and autism by raising funds and awareness.
It is organised by LETR, a global organisation of law enforcement employees that has supported the Special Olympics for over 40 years.
Twenty groups, made up of around 50 participants, will take the plunge at this year’s event, with all donations going directly to SOE.
Event organiser and SOE swimming coach, Shirley Milgate, who has just been awarded the prestigious Special Olympics Games Technical Delegate Emeritus by Special Olympics International, said the day was about more than just raising money.
“It’s a lot to do with inclusion and awareness that there are athletes and clubs within our community that do train regularly and do need funding,” she said.
“We’re a sporting community and it’s great that the [wider] community can get involved with our athletes.”
Special Olympics clubs provide opportunities for locals with intellectual disabilities and autism to get involved in sport through competition pathways, health and wellbeing programs, and dedicated year-round training.
Special Olympics Australia also hosts a National Games, which is considered the pinnacle of domestic competition, offering athletes a chance to qualify for the Special Olympics World Games.
Fourteen members of SOE’s club have been selected to represent Victoria in the National Games, which are set to be held in October.
“We’re trying to raise awareness and funding for those athletes,” Ms Milgate said.
“[We’re] also [raising awareness and funding] for the athletes that haven’t been selected for the National Games ‒ we currently have 33 athletes within our club, we still need to fundraise for them as well.”
The theme of this year’s plunge is “freezin’ for a reason”.
SOE athlete Sophie Ryan qualified for the national games in swimming after winning a gold medal at the state event.
She will compete at the nationals in the 100m freestyle, 50m breaststroke and 100m breaststroke.
Last year’s top fundraiser and SOE athlete, Sophie Ryan, poses in front of the pool people will plunge into on Sunday.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Ms Ryan said she enjoys “swimming and competing” in the water, as well as the friendships and opportunity to meet other swimmers that comes with competing as a Special Olympics athlete.
She was the club’s leading fundraiser last year, and as of Tuesday morning, is atop the leaderboard again, with $1316 raised this year.
SOE was the first club in regional Victoria to hold a Polar Plunge, hosting an event on Moama Beach last year.
The club planned to host this year’s edition on the beach again, but were forced to relocate by river inundation.
Ms Milgate said she was incredibly grateful for the support the club had received with the location.
“Naughtons Pools and Spas have come to the fore and have offered their venue [for us] to conduct our polar plunge there on Sunday,” she said.
The morning will start with a torch relay led by emergency services personnel and SOE athletes, before the first plungers hit the water.
The event will take place on Sunday, July 26, from 9am to 11.30am at Naughtons Pools and Spas, 1 Murray Valley Hwy.
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