Special Olympics can help transform an athlete’s life, and that’s what it has done for Dale Hickman.
Hickman, 49, is a 1993 graduate of Brownstown Central High School and has been an athlete in the Special Olympics Indiana Jackson County organization for about 20 years. He’s hoping the program will grow.
“I grew up in a little town called Jasonville, and in the early 1980s, we moved to Brownstown,” Hickman said. “I’ve lived in Seymour for about four years, after mom and dad passed away. Now, I live with my brother, Mike Hickman.”
Hickman said he wants to get the word out about Special Olympics and explained the history behind it.
“Special Olympics was founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver,” he said. “Special Olympics Indiana is a nonprofit organization that offers competition and training in more than 20 Olympic-type sports for individuals ages 8 and up with intellectual disabilities.”
Hickman said there also is a sport and play program for ages 2 to 7 called Young Athletes.
The work of Special Olympics Indiana goes well beyond the games, including a biannual weekend workshop called Athlete Leadership University that empowers athletes to take on meaningful leadership roles and create inclusive communities.
The program provides a college-like experience for participants, allowing them to choose majors, enroll in courses, complete practicums and graduate, according to butler.edu.
Hickman recently completed a communication class, Global Messenger II, for the Athlete Leadership University curriculum through Butler University and Special Olympics.
“About three years ago, volunteer Zach Spicer asked if I’d like to go up to Butler for education on leadership roles,” Hickman said. “I told him, ‘Sure, I’d love to do that,’ and my first fall session was held three years ago on Oktoberfest weekend.”
Hickman said one of his teachers would like to double the number of athletes attending ALU by the year 2026.
“Special Olympics is about sports, but it’s also about getting out into the community,” Hickman said. “There are about 20 different sports you can do, like track and field, and we just got done with Area 2 games, and I’ve already qualified for the state competition in bocce.”
Area 2 consists of Bartholomew, Brown, Clark, Crawford, Floyd, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Orange, Scott, Switzerland and Washington counties.
Hickman said athletes can play year-round in Special Olympics, and his favorite sports are bocce, corn toss, bowling and basketball.
“In 2023, my three-on-three basketball team won sectional and then finished second at the state tournament,” Hickman said. “I’m very proud of my team. Also, I was the 2022 Area 2 Athlete of the Year.”
He said he’s having a joyful time while competing with athletes from other counties in a variety of sports and making new friends.
“It’s the experience of a lifetime,” Hickman said. “I encourage other people to support the Special Olympics movement, which includes more than 16,000 athletes in Indiana. You will fall in love with Special Olympics.”
He said he is hoping for community members, along with their friends and families, to get involved so the program can grow.
“I encourage people to volunteer. For example, our county program had a high school student pick us for her senior project,” Hickman said. “She helped us at basketball practices and games and did a fundraiser for us, and she helped improve our skills. You can do that, too.”
He said the Special Olympics athletes travel for their competitions and sometimes hold fundraisers, and the funds raised go into equipment and traveling.
“Nobody laughs at the athletes. That’s one of the rules, and everyone is respectful of the other athletes,” he said.
Hickman said what he likes most about being in Special Olympics is being with his friends and meeting new people.
For information about Special Olympics Indiana, go to soindiana.org. For information about the Jackson County program, visit facebook.com/jacksoncountyspecialolympics.