By Eric Jankiewicz
The Queens Rockers are getting ready for the Special Olympics track-and-running competition in Forest Park this weekend.
For eight weeks now, the team has prepared for 50- and 100-meter races, along with other competitions. Coach Donna Gelb has been training with the dozens of athletes who make up the Queens Rockers, a Forest Hills-based team that has provided mentally disabled people with an outlet for competitive sports.
“Oftentimes people think we just have a big field day,” said Tom Peyton, a spokesman for the New York Special Olympics. “But these are true athletes who have been training for a period of time.”
The region has more than 60,000 members with various mental disabilities and to start the summer season, the organization will be holding a track race this Saturday at Victory Field from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“Having attended this event last year, I can safely say that you will find this to be a rewarding and uplifting experience,” wrote Ed Wendell, of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association.
The Special Olympics conducts training and hosts events for nearly five million athletes with special needs in over 170 countries around the world. Here in New York City, the organization has been active for more than 60 years. Events are held throughout the season, matching the rigor and discipline of the regular Olympics.
Organizers expect close to 300 athletes to compete in Victory Field. There will also be relay races and softball throwing. Make no mistake, Peyton said, the competition will be fierce and certified track-and-field officials will oversee the Olympians.
“The athletes don’t know age or race. They’re just a family. They don’t judge people based on ability,” Gelb said. “Whether you win or lose, we always win because you did your best.”
Gelb’s team trains out of the Forest Hills YMCA and Gelb is part of a network of around 35,299 dedicated volunteers and some 4,663 certified coaches, according to the New York Special Olympics.
Gelb, a Forest Hills resident, continued, “That’s the best way to teach these guys and girls. It’s fair. They’re all the same and have to help one another. That’s how they learn.”
The race will also bring 30 to 40 clubs throughout the city and Long Island together.
“We’re like a big family,” Gelb said. “We get together and have parties. And we all see each other at least once a week.”
Reach reporter Eric Jankiewicz by e-mail at ejank
