It will be a weekend full of games and competition and a special opportunity for those who don’t always get a chance to play.
“It’s definitely kind of nice because I enjoy competing with them because, you know, otherwise, I probably wouldn’t be able to play sports,” said Special Olympics Oregon Fall State Games competitor Zachary Herrmann. “So what this allows us to do is give us a different perspective. Any competitive level.”
Herrmann, 27, of Redmond is competing in his second Oregon Fall State Games this weekend. His sport — one he played since he was a kid — is soccer.
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“So we practice here on this field for about two hours every week,” he said. “Lot of drill training, a lot of just like scrimmages, just so that we can get a feel for others of what the matches are going to be like.”
When Herman is not working at Mcdonald’s, he’s on the field with other athletes from the High Desert Special Olympic program.
“And those who aren’t competing this weekend are going to be, you know, doing all the conference stuff so that, you know, anywhere from photography to doing surveys with parents of athletes or just spectators,” he said.
The Games are organized for those with intellectual disabilities and take place every year at Providence Park in Portland.
