Wednesday, July 07, 1999
Florence golfers shine in Special Olympics
BY AMY CAPPIELLO
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FLORENCE — Two Northern Kentucky Special Olympics athletes received medals for their golf prowess at the 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games that ended Friday in North Carolina.
Chris Revay, 23, of Florence finished third in the top bracket of competitors to win a bronze medal. Joshua Smith, 17, of Florence competed in the third bracket and came away with a silver medal.
This year, Team Kentucky sent 53 athletes to the World Games to compete in nearly 20 sports. Mr. Revay and Mr. Smith were the only North ern Kentuckians on the team.
More than 130 athletes participated in the Individual Golf event at Prestonwood County Club in Cary, N.C., where competitors played 18 holes of golf each day for five days. The first day's competition placed the athletes in tiers, and they competed in those tiers the remaining four days.
Mark Staggs, who coached Mr. Smith and Mr. Revay, said the duo did very well.
“They played awesome golf,” Mr. Staggs said. “They represented the state and the United States well.”
Although the young men were nervous at the beginning of the competition, butterflies soon disappeared. To lighten any tension they might be feeling, Mr. Staggs took his golfers to the course Sunday to let them hit a few balls.
“By Thursday, they were really relaxed,” Mr. Staggs said. “They were bowing, tipping their hats and being big hams.”
The golfers also got to spend time with officials from the Professional Golf Association and professional golfers.
More than 7,000 athletes from 150 countries competed in the World Games, which lasted for 11 days. To be selected for the Games, athletes had to be nominated and complete a selection process.
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