Sportsmanship Above Par

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Members of the 2017 Indian River County Special Olympics golf team and their coaches prepare at Sandridge Golf Club for competition that may take them to the regional tournaments in Palm Beach County.

If you tee off at Sandridge Golf Club this summer, you just might see a member of the Special Olympics Florida Indian River County golf team in a cart on the next fairway or hitting balls at the practice area working on a chip shot. 

Marcy Bobell is one of these athletes and she has developed quite a game. She has earned a spot on Special Olympics teams at the state and national levels during her nine years of play, both in Vero Beach and in her native state of Illinois. And she has the medals to show for it. 

Winning is important to the 42-year-old woman who was born with Down syndrome. Excelling earns her bragging rights. But it’s the joy of competing and being with friends on the course that keeps her in the game. She readily recites the Special Olympics athlete’s oath, “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

Let’s face it. Anyone who has played golf knows it’s not easy. Obstacles that beginning golfers may face when taking up the sport include the cost, proper equipment and coaching.

People with developmental disabilities have enough obstacles to face in their daily life. But Special Olympics — an organization that was founded almost 50 years ago to give this population the opportunity to participate and compete in sporting activities no matter their abilities — removes these obstacles.

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