Olympic-sized success

Judy Szues used a secret weapon Saturday during her victorious 1,500-meter race at the Tri-Valley Special Olympics in La Crescenta.

“I kept my head up,” the 41-year-old said.

Cheers of “You can do it!” and “High five!” rang across the Susan Osborne field Saturday at Crescenta Valley High School as 150 special-needs children and adults competed in the first Special Olympics Games put on by Crescenta Valley Committed to Athletic Needs.

The event’s organizer, Grace Chaise, said more than 500 volunteers had turned out, far exceeding her expectation of 200.

“What we’ve done is pair up two volunteers with each athlete,” she said.

The volunteers assisted the athletes in competing in track and field events and helped hand out medals and refreshments.

Ielen Iskandari, a Crescenta Valley freshman who spent the morning cheering on Szues, described her volunteer experience as exciting and inspiring.

“[Szues] has a lot of energy,” she said. “She’s really a lot of fun.”

Iskandari ran alongside Szues for her entire race, cheering her on as she crossed the finish line.

The goal of the Special Olympics Games is to help its participants — all of whom suffer from developmental disabilities — socialize and build stronger people skills, said volunteer Gilbert Servin.

“It’s a building experience for them,” he said amid cheers of the spectators and participants.

The athletes have been training for months, some year-round, to compete in events such as the long jump, softball toss, wheelchair races and various walks and runs.

One of the event’s highlights was the four-team relay race. Competitors had to pass a golden baton from team member to team member as they sprinted around the 400-meter track. But even the glimmering baton failed to match the smiles of contestants, taking time as they ran to slap hands with those cheering them on.

The event even featured its own celebrity. Competing was Marissa Watkins, a 16-year-old athlete from Santa Clarita who won gold and silver medals at the Special Olympics Winter World Games in Sun Valley, Idaho. As a member of Team USA’s snowboard squad, she hasn’t let the warm May weather keep her off a board; she proudly displayed a gnarly gash from a recent surfing wipeout.

Watkins may have finished the day with four first-place medals, but Anthony Baker, 22, was a winner in his own right. Finishing just behind Watkins in the relay event, the North Hollywood resident completed his 200-meter leg just over his own personal best, 22.70 seconds.