'I want a gold medal:' Lake County Special Olympians ready for Florida State Summer Games

Chris Yandell is ready to win.

"I want a gold medal."

Yandell will soon have his chance, as he joins Sidge Taylor and Caitlyn Williamson as part of the Lake County delegation this weekend at the Special Olympics Florida State Summer Games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, part of Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando.

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Yandell and Taylor will compete in the soccer skills category, a way for individual athletes to demonstrate their abilities in dribbling, kicking and shooting. Lake County doesn't have enough players for a full team, but may soon field a "unified team," which features a mix of special athletes and partners without disabilities.

"They want hard competition. Even when we're doing skills, they insist we play games," said local organizer Caroline Van Dyken. "Chris and Sidge thrive on it."

The 45-year-old Yandell was among the first special athletes to play soccer in Lake County, said Van Dyken. Before moving to Leesburg, Yandell competed in North Carolina. There was no soccer in the Lake County area, so Caroline and her husband Scott created the program so that Yandell and others would be able to compete.

Sidge Taylor, 23, started competing in the Special Olympics around eight years ago. He started playing soccer as a way to have fun with his family and is an avid Orlando City SC fan.

"We're going to the state games and we're going to have fun," Taylor said.

His love of sports extends beyond the field: Taylor has long been a part of the coaching staff of Eustis High School’s junior varsity basketball team. In 2017, he took to the court to help his team win their final game of the season.

Caitlyn Williamson, 22, of Astatula, started participating in Special Olympics activities since she was a child at Triangle Elementary School. Williamson says she likes the games because she loves being with her friends — and she loves to compete.

"I love to shine," said Williamson — and she has the silver medals in the 50 meter dash to prove it. She will again take part in the sprint event as well as the softball toss. She has been to the state games many times, and revels in the love she feels when surrounded by the Special Olympics community.

The Special Olympics programs run year round, and the games change with the season. Now that soccer is winding down Taylor, Yandell and Williamson will head to the lanes for the start of bowling. Williamson will also try out swimming this year.

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Lake County Special Olympians competing in Florida State Summer Games