Student athletes compete at Columbia County Special Olympics

EVANS, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A lot of winning student athletes competed at the Special Olympics Spring Games in Columbia County on Friday.

Lakeside High School played host and if you need a reminder there is a lot of good in this world, look no further than the Buddy Program at Lakeside.

The event was filled with raw unbridled excitement, and good news, it’s contagious.

Ayisha Sherman, mom to Kaylynn Spikes Sherman, says, “She feels really good about herself when they get the ribbons. She just celebrates. We’ve kept the ribbons for years and years and years.”

And if there was a ribbon for a winning attitude, no matter the obstacle Ayisha’s daughter Kaylynn, would take home first place.

“She’s always been relentless, she’s always been determined and she’s always been independent and we just love her. We call her bubbles and butterflies,” Sherman says.

And while the goal for athletes is just to have a good time, The Buddy Club, a group of high schoolers who adopt special needs buddies at Lakeside are cheering them on.

Cole Movius, Lakeside Buddy Club member, says, “She’s happy the whole time, just having a blast, it’s just good to see.”

It’s good for everyone to see, especially their biggest cheerleaders of all, their family.

“She went from not being able to follow the simplest instructions to walk down the stairs from her bedroom to being able to say the pledge in front of the whole county today which was amazing to see. But the students, in this case, are the best teachers of all,” another parent says.

“One thing we have learned is to stop and smell the roses with Kaylynn. I always tried to rush her to meet milestones but she met them and hit them on her own time. It’s taught us as her family to slow down and be patient,” Sherman says.

Reminding us it isn’t when you finish the race, but how.

News 12, Laura Warren, and Richard Rogers were honored to serve as the emcees for the opening ceremonies.

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