Five St. Thomas Special Olympics athletes are toning up and tuning up in training for the 2010 National Summer Games being held July 13-18 in London. The swimmers are finding additional pool time in St. Thomas, Simcoe and London, the track and field athletes are receiving extra guidance with the St. Thomas Legion Track and Field club.
There’s a focal point among the five who have prepared the Ontario team for the Canadian championships in their particular disciplines. Jeanette Popp is the experienced person of the group. She admits to her 49 years, but does so with a silence smile that masks her experience.

She’s the sole member of the group who has been to the national level previous to, challenging in Manitoba in 2004. She’s also been at the Worlds, competing in track and field.
This time around Popp’s in the pool, with events being detained at the Canada Games Aquatic Centre. She’ll battle in the 50-metre freestyle, 100-metre butterfly, 100- metre breast stroke, and the 100- metre individual medley. Also swimming will be Lewis Berry, entered in the 50-metre freestyle, 25-metre breast stroke and the 50-metre butterfly.
Rahim Jumani will be in the pool for the 50-metre freestyle, the 25-metre back stroke, 25-metre breast stroke and 25-metre butterfly.

Not far, at TD Waterhouse Stadium on the site of the University of Western Ontario, the other two St. Thomas athletes will be splitting 10 events. Gordie Michie, the youngest of the athletes and the only one opposing in the junior class, will run in the 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres, and adds in the shot put and long jump. Steve Craig is entered in the 100 metres, 800 metres, high jump, shot put and 110-metre hurdles.
“We’re all thrilled about the Games,” Jumani said. “This is a dream come true for all of us. To symbolize your state, you rarely get that opportunity.
“You need to work hard and believe in yourself so you get good results.
Enough can’t be said about the support of friends and family and coaches, Jumani said.
“Without them, we are not the athletes that we are today.
“Now, we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. Our goal is to do our best and if we win a medal, that’s OK.
“We want to make the most of this opportunity and never back down.