It is that time of the year when Special Olympics athletes are in the midst of their most intense training.  They are on the track, in the pool and on the bocce court sharpening their skills for the big competition event of the year – the Special Olympics Barbados Annual National Games.
 
The action gets off to a fast start on March 1 with the National Games Track and Field Preliminary Meet at the Carlton Cricket Grounds in Black Rock. Athletes from age 8 to adult will qualify for the biggest event of their season, the National Games Track and Field Finals.
 
The qualifying athletes will meet on the track for the Special Olympics Barbados National Games Track and Field Finals one week later, on March 8, at the Carlton Grounds. In addition to running events, from dashes to middle-distance to relays, competition will be held in the long jump and softball throw.  The meet is almost certain to feature the Barbados athletes who won Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals at the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece.
 
On March 10, the focus shifts to the Hockey Astroturf in Wildey for the Special Olympics Barbados National Games Bocce Tournament.  Once again, medal winners from the World Games will join their fellow athletes on the court for Bocce, a bowling game of Roman origin.  Bocce, which is still very popular in Italy, requires excellent hand-eye coordination, which the Barbados bowlers have mastered.
 
The month of competition ends on the next day with a splash. The Special Olympics Barbados National Games Aquatics Meet is set for March 11 at the Aquatic Centre in Wildey.  There is always plenty of excitement around the pool for this annual event, and this year’s meet promises more of the same.
 
The Special Olympics Barbados National Games are held each year in conjunction with “March – the Month of the Disabled”. Still ahead on the calendar are two more major competitions, the Special Olympics Barbados National Games Football Tournament and the Special Olympics Barbados National Games Cricket Tournament.
The football event kicks off on May 10, with cricket following in October.
 
The experience of competition and the joy of accomplishment are always intensified for the intellectually challenged athletes of Special Olympics when fans are in the stands to cheer them on.  The public is invited to all National Games events, and all events are free.
 
Event: Special Olympics Barbados National Games Track & Field Preliminary Meet
Date: March 1, 2013
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Venue: Carlton Cricket Grounds, Black Rock