Special Olympics Athletes return with medals

COLUMBIA — Six years after learning to play golf, Shirlene Treadwell received the gold medal for level two alternate-shot team golf at the National Special Olympics Games.

Her Unified partner, Peggy Llewellyn, said her favorite part of the competition was watching Treadwell hit the ball to the green from her drive two days in a row.

"When she turns around to look at you, she's got this look on her face like 'wow, look what I just did,'" Llewellyn said.

Columbia Special Olympics athletes came back from the 2010 USA National Games with more than 20 medals. The games took place July 18 to 23 in Lincoln, Neb.

Team Missouri — or "MO Magic" — sent 155 athletes and coaches there, and they participated in 11 different sports.

Besides competing on their own, Special Olympics athletes played on Unified teams. These teams are made up of a mix of special-needs athletes and Special Olympics volunteers. These teams help Special Olympics athletes improve their skills so they can move on to higher levels of their sport.

Special Olympic athletes who participate in Unified sports are typically at one of the highest levels in their sport said Mandi Mueller, Missouri Special Olympics public relations coordinator.

Treadwell and Llewellyn played four games of golf throughout the competition. Each game was nine holes. In alternate-shot team golf, players take turns hitting the ball no matter where it lies. "So if I hit the ball in the woods then she has to dig me out, and if she hits the ball in the woods then I have to dig her out," Llewellyn said.

Llewellyn's husband, Ken Neff, taught Treadwell how to play golf.

"I think of it as the highest honor to get selected by an athlete to compete with them," Llewellyn said. Llewellyn has been volunteering with the Special Olympics for about 30 years, since she became a volunteer in college.

The women's and the men's bowling teams took silver medals. The men's Bocce Unified team took the bronze medal.