Special Olympians 'push through and finish the race'

The finals of the 100 meter dash at the Special Olympics Virginia Summer Games was shaping up to be the Manchester High School Invitational.

Two recent Manchester graduates -- Craig Licorish and Jared Jones -- and Manchester junior Dameon Thomas were among the finalists in the event. The winner would earn a spot at the 2018 Special Olympics USA in Seattle.

"That's amazing, that you have the speed demons in one event," said Majorie Loya, a local Special Olympics coordinator for Chesterfield County Public Schools. "You've got three guys with ability and they are all pushing each other."

"We just train hard," Jones said, while Loya credited physical education teacher Rich Munroe. "He has given a lot of time and effort to the Special Olympics program at Manchester."

In the finals, Thomas finished fourth, Licorish fifth and Jones eighth.

But there were no losers at Robins Stadium at the University of Richmond or at other Special Olympics venues on Friday and Saturday.

In addition to track and field, the 1,300 participants competed in softball (at the Glen Allen Softball Complex), tennis (at UR), bocce (UR), swimming (at the Collegiate School Aquatics Center) and bowling (at Bowl America Short Pump). They heard from Richmond's TSoul, a semifinalist on NBC's "The Voice," and Kellie Wells Brinkley, a James River High graduate and bronze medalist in the 100 meter hurdles at the London Olympics.

There was inspiration aplenty from the participants, including Licorish, who earned two bronze medals in speed skating at the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games, held in Austria this past March. Those games featured participants from 107 nations.

Licorish, who is autistic, has been involved in the Special Olympics for 10 years. He says when he runs, "It feels, like, breathtaking."

His mother, Lyndrea Munnerlyn, was hesitant about letting him go to the Winter Games without her -- she would join him four days later. But he handled the transatlantic flight like a champ, she said.

Special Olympics "has been extremely important in his development, helping him become more independent," while bolstering her confidence in his independence, she said. "So I'm definitely grateful to them for that."

Jared Jones, who has Asperger's Syndrome, had watched his older brother Ryan run track for Manchester. His parents, Alvin and Dianna Jones, credit Special Olympics with helping their son become more confident and outgoing. But they detected that Jared had become discouraged and eased up during his preliminary race.

"He realizes he has to, no matter what, keep going," his mother said.

His father invoked a slogan of his son's favorite football team. "The Dallas Cowboys have a saying: Finish the fight. That's what I kept reminding him: To push through and finish the race."

Maria Thomas, Dameon's mother, is proud to see her son's talent being recognized.

"We don't consider him disabled," she said of her autistic son, who plans to attend college and pursue a career in computers. "We consider him a gifted child."

But she was also delighted to see the wheelchair race competitors race receive their medals to applause.

"It touches my heart," she said. "They have the 'I can do' gift."