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Special Olympics at The College at Brockport

http://specialolympics-ny.org/

Around 1800 athletes and coaches are at the College at Brockport this weekend for the Special Olympics New York 2016 Summer Games.

Opening ceremonies tonight feature a keynote address by Allison Jones, who was born without a right femur, and is missing her right leg above the knee. 

She's a Paralympian in both cycling and alpine skiing.

Kathleen Maggi of New York City is a competitor in the summer games.

She's a swimmer competing in the 20 lap backstroke.

Maggi says she trains hard, but it's worth it.

"I get lots of gold medals, because I'm good. And it makes me feel proud, yeah," she said.

Maggi says she thinks Special Olympics gets people active, and also brings people together.

Special Olympian Joe Pignatelli

Joe Pignatelli from the Albany area competes in unified basketball, a team made up of people with and without intellectual disabilities.

He says that's been a game-changer for him because he used to be lonely with very few friends and a negative attitude.

"Throughout the unified basketball and throughout the program I have been able to make numerous amounts of friends and I have been more positive and I have lived a more healthy lifestyle," he said.

Bill Collins of Special Olympics says New York has the largest program in the country, and this is the biggest event of the year for the athletes.

He maintains sports and real training and competition is necessary for people to find their strength.

"Strength where they learn by all the same life lessons that the rest of us do.  That sometimes we train and we get better and we get beat.  And we pick ourselves up and we do it again so we can win," he said.

Competition is underway Saturday in 8 Olympic-Style sports: Track and Field, Aquatics, Basketball, Bowling, Powerlifting, Tennis, Gymnastics and Volleyball.

This is the final year of a two-year stay for the games at the College at Brockport.

Officials say the venue for next summer's games is still in the works.