Elon students Megan Stobie G'09, Casey Hambel '09, Drew Lanzl '09 and Becca Leslie '11 led the Alamance Stingrays in Aquatics at the recent 2009 Special Olympics North Carolina Summer Games in Cary, N.C., where the team collected more than a dozen medals in competition.
The Elon students were led by Stobie, a student in the DPT program, and coached seven swimmers (Moira Bailey, 14; Don “DJ” Dark, 22; Seth Euliss, 17; Alex Keck, 11; Lucas McIntyre, 12; Gabriella Murray, 13; Rachael Shirley,11) during the games in which the athletes accumulated 16 individual medals (11 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze) and 2 relay medals (1 gold and 1 bronze).
The Elon group has been working with the team since September 2008. Athletes practiced twice a week at the Burlington YMCA, and the team participated in three additional meets this spring. Several of the coaches have made the effort to become certified Special Olympics coaches.
Other Elon students with the DPT program have been involved in the Special Olympics program dating to 2003. Undergraduate students have also taken part on-and-off for the past few years.
“Moira has participated in Special Olympics in Alamance County since she was 8,” said Stephen Bailey, a professor of physical therapy education. “There is no question that this group of students has had a tremendous impact on her and the entire program.”