The knocking of pins could be heard among laughter, high-fives and hugs in a local bowling alley July 13. A sea of colorful shirts matched the Special Olympics crowd’s colorful energy.
Nearly 150 Special Olympics athletes from Alachua and Bradford Counties gathered at Alley Gatorz to participate in the Area 3 Central Bowling Competition. During the free event, 17 coaches and 45 volunteers aided the athletes.
The Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities, fostering inclusivity for nearly four million athletes globally.
Evan Combs, a 23-year-old Gainesville resident, is the manager of sports training and competition for Area 3 and oversees day-to-day sports operations for North Central Florida, including Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia and Marion Counties.
“In a world for people with disabilities, so many times they’re told what they can’t do,” he said. “Special Olympics combats against that and says they should be given that opportunity to shine. They should be treated just like every other athlete.”
The Special Olympics offers 22 different sport competitions year-round, with coaches and volunteers conducting weekly practices. Combs was the only Special Olympics staff member at the Alley Gatorz July 13.
Following area competitions like the bowling games, athletes advance to regional and state competitions. Alley Gatorz hosts the bowling program year round along with five practices per week, he said.
“It takes a lot, a lot of volunteer work,” he said. “It takes dedicated hosting facilities.”
Combs said the Special Olympics isn’t an “everybody participates, everybody wins” program. Rather, divisions are categorized by age, gender and ability level, allowing participants to compete with others in a similar athletic range.
However, he said the main goal of the Alley Gatorz event was to provide a place where others can make friends and be celebrated.
“So many people still don’t know that we have huge events like this,” he said. “We want people to know this is happening, to know how they can support.”
Bonnie Crowe, a 42-year-old Gainesville resident, has coached in the Special Olympics for three years. Her inspiration came from her brother Jimmy Hampel, a Special Olympics athlete.
She led a group of 87 athletes for the bowling competition.
“I love bowling because this sport, anybody can do,” she said. “We have ramps, we have wheelchairs… I just love this group.”
Ashley Shechtman, a 21-year-old UF Health Science senior, volunteered at Alley Gatorz for the event. Every athlete works alongside “unified partners,” UF students assisting with special needs and encouraging inclusivity during the competition.
“Everyone becomes friends,” she said. “It’s just a good way to… connect with sports.”
Mitchell Pearce, a 39-year-old Archer resident, said he started bowling 20 years ago and arrived at Alley Gatorz ready to test his new bowling ball. His mother Virginia Pearce, a 63-year-old Archer resident, said he participates in multiple sports, including flag football, powerlifting, swimming, cornhole and bocce ball.
“This year has been awesome,” she said. “He just enjoys talking to people. He’s very social… The UF players who play with him are really encouraging.”
Collin Cunningham, a 26-year-old Gainesville resident, also participated in the event, having begun his bowling career at 7 years old, he said.
“It was hard at first to get the courage to not have the bumpers up,” he said. “It was hard because the ball kept on going into the gutter, but I kept on practicing.”
After receiving second place in last year’s competition, Cunningham continues to bowl to honor his mom, who was his biggest supporter before passing away in 2022.
“I am very happy that they created Special Olympics for the special needs so we can feel equal as the others,” Cunningham said.
Contact Sara-James Ranta at sranta@alligator.org. Follow her on X @sarajamesranta
Sara-James Ranta is a third-year journalism major, minoring in sociology of social justice and policy. Previously, she served as a general assignment reporter for The Alligator's university desk.
