Jamie Staton's Mile 20 Virtual Running Partner
My name is Chris Panarese, and I am proud to be a Special Olympics athlete. I am 36 years old a
n
d have been an athlete for 28 years.
I was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, in October of 1979 and have lived there all my life. When I was born, the doctor told my parents that I had Down Syndrome. At first my family felt really sad, but I have shown THEM and EVERYONE how GREAT I have become. I have not let Down Syndrome get in my way, and I think I am TERRIFIC!
I started school when I was 3 years old and graduated from Manchester Central High School with the Class of 2000. To let you know just how TERRIFIC I am, I was the only senior to get a standing ovation at graduation!
I had great experiences in high school and am still a big part of Central. For the last 17 years I have been the manager of the football and basketball teams. I go to all of the football practices and games and help with anything that needs to be done.
I work at a restaurant in Manchester called Goldenrod Drive-In where we serve great food and even greater ice cream. I also volunteer at several places in Manchester including the Audobon Center where I have been a volunteer for 6 years.
I became a Special Olympics athlete when I was 8 years old, and over the years I have competed in many different sports. Right now I am a member of three teams--the Manchester Mustangs, the Hooksett Angels, and the Manchester Sharks Swim Team.
With the Mustangs I participate in basketball and track and field. With the Hooksett Angels I play unified golf. On a unified team we play with a partner, and my partner is my nephew Steven.
I have been a member of the Sharks swim team since the team was formed when I was about 10 years old. I am a GREAT swimmer. Swimming is my favorite sport, and my best strokes are the freestyle and the butterfly.
One of the other activities that I am involved in with Special
Olympics is the Global Messenger program. As a Global Messenger my responsibilities are to promote the benefits
of Special Olympics through public speaking.
Being a Special Olympics athlete makes me feel really good about myself. It's fun to be part of different teams, and I have made lots of new friends over the years.
My coaches are great and always help us to get better at our sport. They help us to do our very best, and everyone has a good time at practices and meets. I get lots of exercise because my coaches make me work very hard. I usually swim about 40 laps at every practice.
Special Olympics is a VERY BIG part of my life, and I LOVE every minute of it. One of the sayings of Special Olympics is to INSPIRE GREATNESS, and I try hard to do exactly that.
