Willoughby resident Marcus Manzi wins gold medals in shot put, 50-meter dash at Special Olympics in Columbus
Jun. 29—It was a new experience for Marcus Manzi when he and his family made the trip to the Ohio State campus for the Special Olympics on June 24-26. After he won the shot put and 50-meter dash in regionals in Berea, he officially qualified for the event.
Manzi won both of his events, as he set personal best results. It was a big accomplishment for the Willoughby resident as it was his first year of competing in track and field.
Manzi is diagnosed with mild autism, ADHD, ODD and borderline intellectual IQ. His mother, Kim, has seen her son always be interested and involved in sports with different outlets.
"When you're with a coach that has the training to work with people and the patience to work with them is special," said Kim. "My son has been through a lot with coaches, but two organizations have been great. Mike Urban worked with the Achievement Center for Children, Tom Hienes from Empower and the LCBODD were vert adaptive with Marcus when he was 8. We've built rapport with a lot of other coaches in the area and heard about them through word of mouth from other parents. We're each other's resources."
In order for him to reach Columbus, Marcus trained at Ridge Elementary in Mentor on the track. After tryouts, he headed to Berea for the regional meet. He competed against many familiar faces from participating in sports like flag football, soccer and basketball.
Even though he was competing on one of the biggest stages in his first year of competing in track and field, Manzi put his best foot forward and took home hardware in both events.
"He won the gold in his age bracket for shot put with a 26-foot throw and ran a 9.58 in the 50-meter dash at regionals to also win gold," said Kim. "His time and throw qualified him for state. Marcus was in the age bracket of 22-29 year-olds for shot put, he was the youngest competitor in his group having turned 22 in April, and took home the gold for shot put in his group. He ran an 8.76 second in the 50 for a new personal best."
While Marcus won his events, what was more important than the events was seeing friends that he had made through the years competing in various sports. To see everyone reunited at the meet was a highlight for Marcus.
"The fact he got to see them this weekend made him so happy," said Kim. "Marcus had to have reconstructive ear and foot surgery because he had torn tendons. So he missed a year. His friends missed him a lot through that."
During the awards ceremony, Manzi went down the line of competitors and shook hands with all of them and told them good job. Sportsmanship is something that he had been taught since he started and a lesson that has stuck with him through the years.
To see her son win a pair of gold medals at a place that holds so much history in the Manzi family was extra special for Kim. The family has ties to Ohio State, being related to the first woman to graduate from the university. To be able to have Marcus add to the family history in his own way was a big moment for all.
"I was very proud and to be able to see this love that the athletes have for one another was very humbling," said Kim. "To see that love and support from the coaches, parents and athletes was so phenomenal. In our first year, to see that, it really warmed my heart. One of the things coach Hinez taught Marcus was don't be a ball hog. If you score, the next time down, you pass it to your teammate, everyone deserves a turn and he's always followed that."
"Before he ran we did this elbow bump, fist bump thing and a namaste sign and I focused on his eyes and told him go out there, grandma and grandpa are watching over you. No matter if you win or lose, no matter what I'll love you with all my heart. Just to sit there with the coaches, parents and volunteers and not just cheer him on but all of his friends meant a lot to all of us."
Manzi will be competing again soon, but this time, it will be on the links. In August, he will take part in Special Olympics golf. He has been practicing at Black Brook Golf Course in Mentor to prepare for the event.
