What an incredible journey it has been. After a kick off party and Irish send off at the Oakland Airport, our athletes boarded a plane for Belfast Ireland. They arrived in Belfast and spent the next three days being hosted by the wonderful people of Belfast at many parties, dances, and sight seeing events. It was a great couple of days and helped the athletes' body clocks get used to the time change and the 17 hours of daylight that Ireland experiences each summer.

Re-energized, it was off to Dublin to begin a most memorable week kicked off by the opening ceremonies. The Opening Ceremonies began with a rainbow of color filling Dublin’s Croke Park. Team USA/Northern California walked into a cheering stadium of over 85,000 joining former South African President Nelson Mandela, boxing legend Muhammad Ali, politicians and royalty, and some of entertainment’s brightest stars to welcome Special Olympics Founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver and the other 7,000 athletes from 150 countries to Dublin, Ireland.

Performers included Irish natives and worldwide sensations The Corrs, and the Riverdance. To mark the occasion, Riverdance assembled over one hundred dancers to perform in the longest troupe line ever seen in an Irish dance show, with the accompanying choir and drum corps increased accordingly. Irish rock band U2 played a stirring mini-concert before bringing Mandela to the stage to the delight of the 85,000 athletes and spectators. The evening closed with Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics founder, proclaiming:

“Forty years later, I am proud to have returned home to Ireland,” said Shriver. “I am even more proud to come to this stadium tonight to the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games, to a place where people with intellectual disabilities no longer have to be ashamed or afraid to live their dreams."

With that proclamation as their mantra, Team USA/Northern California took to the athletic stadiums, bocce courts, bowling alleys, golf courses, roller rinks,and tennis courts of Dublin. The week of competition proved both inspiring and rewarding. Gymnast Jason Stutey became a favorite with the Irish school girls as his still ring routine was broadcast on Irish TV. Jason wowed not only the girls but the judges and came away with seven gold medals. Fellow gymnast Jared Schmidt won 2 gold medals as did bowler Kevin Decker. The week was not all about a medal count but also overcoming adversity and achieving personal bests. Roller skater Danyelle Borba broke her ankle in preliminary warm ups but toughed it out and got to meet boxing legend Muhammad Ali. Marathon runner Darren Guertner achieved his goal of finishing in 4 hours and the Oakland soccer team did not medal but really started playing well against some tough international competition.

Athletes also had a chance to visit Trinity College and view the Book of Kells, taste their first pint of Guinness at the brewery tour, and see Dublin Castle. Most memorable of all were the Irish people and their outpouring of support and enthusiasm for our athletes. Crowds of thousands lined up everyday to watch the various competitions. People would high five an athlete if they saw them on the street.After each competition, school kids would mob the players for autographs. It was truly awing to see a country and its people cheer and connect with the inspirational feats or our amazing athletes.

The week came to an end with an impromptu closing ceremonies dance party that had 7000 athletes and 80,000 spectators dancing on their chairs and in the aisles. It was a massive celebration of the human spirit coming together to recognize and appreciate the struggles and joys life brings to everyone.

TO VIEW RESULTS AND PHOTOS OF INDIVIDUAL ATHLETES, CLICK HERE.