Morganville swimmer wins gold at Special Olympics USA Games
Competing in his first ever Special Olympics USA Games, 19-year-old swimmer Nicholas Zellin, of the Morganville section of Morlboro, won gold in the 25-yard freestyle this past Tuesday in Orlando, Florida.
“Everyone played a role in getting Nicholas to where he is and in getting myself and my husband to where we are, and now we’re just trying to pass it along and pay it forward,” said Jen Zellin, Nicholas's mother.
Nicholas Zellin always loved the water, but he didn’t start competing for a team until 2016, when he joined the Monmouth Marlins Special Olympics New Jersey Aquatic Team at the Freehold YMCA.
“He would be the kid at the family party that was the first one in the pool and the last one to get out,” Jen Zellin said.
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After doing a few one-on-one lessons over the years, Jen Zellin eventually decided her son should give a swim team a try. When he first began practicing with the Monmouth Marlins, he would hold his nose as he swam and didn’t know much about the techniques involved with the sport. Flash forward a few years and Nicholas Zellin is now a gold medalist in swimming.
Despite losing two seasons due to the pandemic, Nicholas Zellin has excelled within swimming and made the most out of the practices held this year.
After winning a spot on the team for the Special Olympics USA Games, he began training more than ever before, which included practicing with both the Monmouth Marlins and Team New Jersey, hitting the gym and taking one-on-one lessons to perfect his stroke, while also balancing jobs at All American Ford dealership and Trader Joe’s.
“Almost everywhere we go I hear his name being called,” laughed Jen Zellin.
The months of preparation flew by, and before they knew it, it was time to head down to Florida for the Games.
The opening ceremony at Exploria Stadium was filled with cheers, confetti, performances and the lighting of the official cauldron, and Nicholas Zellin walked in with Team New Jersey during the Parade of Athletes.
Yet, that was just the beginning of the exciting week ahead of him.
Heading to the pool at the Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center the next day, Nicholas Zellin swam the 25-yard freestyle in the preliminaries and qualified to swim it again in the finals.
There, in just 13.62 seconds, he touched the wall and won first place.
But, even though he won gold, it wasn’t the highlight of Nicholas Zellin’s week. “My favorite part of the meet is cheering on my friends,” he said.
“I say to a lot of people ‘If you’re ever in a bad mood, if you’re ever down on things, go to one of these events’ because you cannot leave in the same state that you arrived in,” explained Jen Zellin. "It’s just so awe-inspiring.”
She added, “These are our moments raising a child with special needs. There may not be weddings or college graduations, so these are our big wins for them, for the families, for parents, for coaches, for everyone."
Nicholas Zellin went on to swim the 25-yard backstroke, the 25-yard breaststroke and the 4 x 25-yard freestyle relay where he won a silver medal.
“If he was ever fortunate enough to do it a second time, I don’t know that anything can top this experience," said Jen Zellin. “To have this be your first Olympic Games in Orlando, in Disney World, coming out of a pandemic — it’s going to be hard to top, but I’m sure that Special Olympics will figure that out.”
Intern Kaitlin Balasaygun is a rising senior at Ramapo College and expects to earn degrees in journalism and photography in 2023. She is captain of the school's NCAA Division III swim team. Reach her at kbalasaygun@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Morganville NJ swimmer wins gold at Special Olympics
