Skip To Main Content

Logo Image

Logo Title

East Islip’s “Lucky 13” Bring Home the Special Olympics Gold

East Islip’s Special Olympics team competed with great enthusiasm, athleticism and sportsmanship in this year’s Spring Games, held on May 2 at Alfred G. Berner Middle School in Massapequa. East Islip’s newly expanded team ranged in age from 8 to 29 years old, and included student athletes from East Islip High School, East Islip Middle School and Ruth C. Kinney Elementary School as well as returning alumni. The “Lucky 13” athletes brought home 15 gold, seven silver and three bronze medals in a variety of track and field events.

The district’s annual Special Olympics kickoff breakfast, sponsored by SEPTO and held in the East Islip High School cafeteria on the morning before the Games, was attended by the athletes and family members, coaches, volunteers, administrators and Board of Education members.

“It is an honor and a privilege for fellow coach Julie Susskind and I to train and work with our athletes and their families each year,” coach Diane Wahrenburg said. “We are proud of our exemplary athletes, and we shared in their excitement and pride as they competed and stood on the podiums to receive their well-deserved medals!

Photos courtesy of East Islip School District
 

Children stand on a podium with numbers 1, 2, and 3, while a fence and spectators are visible in the background.
A group of people, including two children in wheelchairs, pose for a photo in front of a track and field with spectators in the background.
Two medal-winning athletes stand proudly in front of a lit Special Olympics cauldron on a grassy field with a stadium and American flags in the background.
A young man in athletic wear prepares to throw a shot put on a grassy field, with spectators and trees visible in the background.
Four young athletes stand on a red and white podium with medals around their necks, while a cloudy sky and stadium bleachers form the background.
A group of smiling participants in grey %22East Islip Special Olympics New York%22 t-shirts with medals around their necks pose for a photo in front of a building and tents.
Three young men stand on a podium with medals, while police officers and spectators watch in the background under a cloudy sky.
Two young men stand on a podium in the foreground, wearing medals and athletic attire, with a backdrop of Special Olympics banners and a chain-link fence.
A young girl in a gray Special Olympics shirt proudly displays her medal in the foreground, while a blurred background suggests an outdoor sporting event.
A runner with bib number 101 races on a track in front of a scoreboard and bleachers.
A group of participants and volunteers in matching t-shirts stand on a grassy field with tents and spectators in the background.
Three young men celebrate on a podium in the foreground, with a crowd and a cloudy sky in the background.
A group of people in the foreground hold signs supporting East Islip athletes, while a crowd watches an event in the background.
A group of people, some holding signs, stand on a green turf field with a track and stadium lights in the background.
A young person throws a javelin on a green turf field with a cloudy sky and spectators in the background.
A group of people, some on a podium and others in front of it, pose for a photo with tents and buildings in the background.
Three smiling women in athletic wear stand on a grassy field with a fence and track in the background.
Two girls with race bibs are running on a red track, with spectators and tents in the background.
Two women are playing a game on a green turf field with a crowd of people and trees in the background under a cloudy sky.
A group of people, including a boy with a walker in the foreground, stand in front of a banner that says %22EI PRIDE%22 in the background.
In the foreground, people are seated at tables covered with red tablecloths, while in the background, a large cafeteria is decorated with balloons and an American flag.
A group of smiling children in the foreground hold colorful %22Go Sloane%22 signs, while a crowd of spectators and a stadium structure are visible in the background.
A group of students and adults stand holding certificates in front of a banner, with a hallway visible in the background.
Two young men with medals stand on a grassy field with orange lines, while a crowd of people and tents are visible in the blurred background under a cloudy sky.
A group of people, some holding signs, stand in front of a banner in a hallway.
A group of people are seated at a long, red-covered table in the foreground, while the background shows a gymnasium with more tables and people.
A group of people are seated at tables covered in red tablecloths in the foreground, while a woman stands at a podium in front of a brick wall adorned with balloons and a presentation screen in the background.
Three young men sit at a red-covered table in the foreground, with a cafeteria setting and other people visible in the background.
A group of people are gathered around a red-covered table in the foreground, while a larger crowd mingles in the background of a cafeteria.
Two children, one with a walker, smile in the foreground of a school cafeteria with tables and chairs in the background.
A group of nine people stand in a hallway with a table in the foreground and lockers and doors in the background.