Kristin Gavoni winning the standing long jump.
One of the best parts of living on the Outer Banks is how generous and giving the community is. That spirit was on full display yesterday at the Dare County Special Olympics.
There were a few hundred on hand at First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills, spectators and family and about 40 competitors ranging from preteen to 72. It was a cool day-overcast with a breeze from the north, but what was happening on the fields of competition was at once heartwarming and motivating.
There was pride and joy in competing and winning that medal, but with that pride came a sense of accomplishment and inclusion. And that sense of inclusion seemed to be a part of everything that was happening on the field-the competitors, the families and the spectators.
The human spirit is a wonderful thing and it shines through in so many ways. It shown through when David Vincent-who is a bundle of energy-stood on the winner's platform and spread his arms out in triumph; it was there to be seen as Kristin Gavoni sprinted to the lead in the 50m run, or leapt to a gold medal in the standing long jump.
It was all those thing and a bit more. It was also a great way to remember that the good things we do as a community really do matter.
