The main mission stated by the Special <\/a>Olympics is\u00a0 \u201cto provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in various Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cI was immediately inspired by the energy of the event \u2014 community members, law enforcement, businesses and athletes all coming together for one purpose,\u201d Andrist said. \u201cI have been involved in Special Olympics Kansas for seven years and working for them two years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inspired to come back year after year, the work Andrist does allows her to see firsthand how these events help athletes. Not only does fundraising help make the Special Olympics possible, but it also allows for moments of inclusion and celebration.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Polar Plunge is more than just a fundraiser; it is a visible demonstration of community support and belief in the abilities of every athlete,\u201d she said. \u201cMy athletes and families are special people who give so much and deserve to have special moments like the plunge to feel included.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Manhattan community consistently shows up for this event year after year. 50+ local businesses supported 135 brave plungers, and 300+ community members and volunteers came to show their support.<\/p>\n
Andrist said the event\u2019s fundraising provides support that allows the program to run year-round.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Special Olympics Kansas was chosen as the charity of choice because of its direct and lasting impact on individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families,\u201d Andrist said. \u201cAthletes receive opportunities to compete, build confidence, develop friendships and grow as leaders both on and off the field.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Polar Plunge allows students to see their impact, tightening community connections through inclusion and empowerment. Ellie Keegan, junior in special elementary education, has an emotional connection to the event.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve participated in this event multiple times before, and I love anything to do with the Special Olympics,\u201d Keegan said. \u201cFor a quick moment, we choose to be uncomfortable by jumping into cold water. That small moment of discomfort reflects what many Special Olympics athletes experience when they step outside their comfort zones to compete and try something new. It\u2019s really about coming together to support year-round programs and opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Keegan helped plan the Polar Plunge event for the past few years. She believes that spreading the word and being persistent contributes to the event\u2019s success.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFor many Special Olympics athletes, competing means being brave enough to try, to be seen and to push through uncertainty,\u201d Keegan said. \u201cJumping into freezing water is uncomfortable, but it\u2019s temporary.\u201d<\/p>\n
The day of the Polar Plunge is when Keegan gets to work with the kids the most, reminding her how much passion these kids have.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeeing people with and without disabilities jump into the water together honestly feels like a picture of what inclusion should look like,\u201d Keegan said. \u201cEveryone is side by side, doing the same thing, cheering each other on. No one is separated or treated differently; they\u2019re just teammates sharing the moment. That\u2019s the ultimate goal of an inclusive classroom, too. It\u2019s not just about being in the same room, it\u2019s about belonging.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Plunging into freezing water in the middle of February may not sound appealing to most, but every year…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":138432,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[1349,75,84,83,9,24,63,42196,12162],"class_list":{"0":"post-138431","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manhattan","8":"tag-arts-culture","9":"tag-manhattan","10":"tag-manhattan-headlines","11":"tag-manhattan-news","12":"tag-new-york","13":"tag-new-york-city","14":"tag-nyc","15":"tag-polar-plunge","16":"tag-special-olympics"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=138431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138431\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}