Ireland (June 26, 2003) - Team Virginia Karen Dickerson and Ryan Freeman collected ribbons on Day 3 of the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Ireland.
Dickerson of Springfield received a 5th Place Ribbon in the 1500M Run for Track & Field. Battling a stress fracture, Dickerson was hampered during her 6:50:02 race at the World Games. Dickerson previously received a Bronze Medal in the 3000M Run. She is a high school student who has competed in soccer, unified softball, and basketball in her four years in Special Olympics. Additionally, Karen recently won the female division in the 5k Marine Corps Marathon.
Freeman of Grafton received a 7th Place Ribbon in the 25M Backstroke for Aquatics. He finished with a 26.83 second result in his first competition at the World Games and is scheduled to participate in the 4x25 Freestyle Relay and the 25M Freestyle later this week. Freeman, a two-time Yorktown Athlete of the year, is no stranger to competition in other events the Special Olympics offers. Over the nine years he has trained and competed in such events as bowling, roller skating, ice skating, and softball. A graduate of Bruton High school, Ryan is the recipient of highest honors from his job training program in June of 2002. Freeman is also a true patriot, who freely expresses his intentions to “make everyone proud of Team U.S.A”.
The two athletes are part of Virginia’s delegation of 16 athletes competing among the 7,000 Special Olympians from over 150 countries participating in the World Games. The 11th Special Olympics World Summer Games is the largest multi-sport event in the world in 2003. For more results and information about the 2003 World Games or Special Olympics Virginia (SOVA), please visit www.specialolympicsva.org

Ireland (June 25, 2003) - Team Virginia picked up a gold and bronze medal and a fourth place ribbon in the 50M backstroke events on Day 2 of the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Ireland, while Tracey Howdyshell earned a bronze medal in the 400M walk on the second day of competition.
Howdyshell earned a Bronze Medal in the 400M Walk with a time of 2:56.00. She will try to better her 3rd place finish when she competes in the 800M Walk on Friday. The Verona native is competing in her second World Games.
The pride of Stuart’s Draft, Larry Lawthorne, received a 4th place Ribbon in the 50M Backstroke with a 1.18.46 second time finish in his first aquatics meet of the Games. Lawthorne will compete in the 4x25 Freestyle Relay on Wednesday and the 50M Freestyle on Thursday. Lawthorne is returning to the World Games after bringing home a gold medal in softball from the 1991 World Games in Minneapolis, MN. Larry as been a special Olympiad since 1967 and has competed in a myriad of events. At the age of 43, he is proud to be able to claim participation in the Special Olympics since the age of eight. When not working at Vector Industries or Food Lion, Larry has been training in the pool.
Athlete James Thacker of Virginia Beach received a Gold Medal in the 50M Backstroke Aquatics competition Tuesday at the World Games. Thacker swam to a personal best 1.04.04 finish in his first meet of the Games. The 21-year old Thacker will compete in the 50M Freestyle on Thursday and the 4x50 Freestyle Relay on Friday.
Also in the pool on Tuesday, Nokesville’s Matthew Clark earned Bronze Medal in the 50M Backstroke. Clark swam to a 1.27.26 finish following his 4th place finish 100M Freestyle earlier in the Games. Clark will compete in the 4x50 Freestyle Relay on Friday. Clark, 23, has participated in a vast array of sports including soccer, volleyball, track & field, basketball, and softball in his 13 years as a Special Olympian. Matthew is an employee at Marine Base Quantico and a graduate of Stonewall Jackson High School.
The four athletes are part of Virginia’s delegation of 16 athletes competing among the 7,000 Special Olympians from over 150 countries participating in the World Games. The 11th Special Olympics World Summer Games is the largest multi-sport event in the world in 2003. For more results and information about the 2003 World Games or Special Olympics Virginia (SOVA), please visit www.specialolympicsva.org.

Ireland (June 24, 2003) - Team Virginia earned two gold medals on the first day of competition at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Ireland, as half of the 16-member delegation competed in powerlifting, swimming and track & field events.
Charvay Perdue of Roanoke earned a gold medal at the World Games, as she raced to a 9.51 second time in the 50M Run on Monday. Running in the same heat as 4th Place finisher teammate Desiree Howard (Petersburg), Perdue earned the honor of receiving the first gold medal for Team Virginia at the games.
Howard finished with an 11.8 second time, cutting nearly 2 seconds off her 13.50 qualifying time. The 9-year old Howard competes in the 100M Run preliminaries on Tuesday with the finals scheduled for Wednesday.
In other track & field events, Karen Dickerson (Springfield) received a Bronze Medal in the 3000M Run. Her 13:59.6 second result earned her third place in front of 1996 Arthur Ashe Award Recipient Loretta Claiborne from Pennsylvania. Dickerson finishes her competition at the World Games in the 1500M Finals on Wednesday. Karen is a high school student who has competed in soccer, unified softball, and basketball in her four years in Special Olympics. Additionally, Karen recently won the female division in the 5k Marine Corps Marathon.
In powerlifting events, Carol Anne Connors of Mineral received four Silver Medals Monday at the World Games. Competing in the 67kg weight class, Connors earned a silver medal in each of her four categories: Squat, Dead Lift, Bench Press, and Combined. Connors, 2002 SOVA Athlete of the Year, is competing in her second World Games and previously ranked as the third strongest women in the world in her weight class.
Athletes Kristen Dowdy and Stefanie Ward of Virginia Beach received various medals and a ribbon in the powerlifting competition. Competing in the 56kg weight class, Dowdy earned a Silver medal in the Squat, Bronze in the Dead Lift, Silver in the Bench Press, and a Bronze Medal for her combined effort. Dowdy, 21, has been competing in Special Olympics Virginia for 13 years. In addition to powerlifting, she has proven her skills in sports such as soccer, swimming, basketball, and tennis.
Ward, entered in the 52kg weight class, received a 4th Place Ribbon in the Squat, Gold Medal in the Dead Lift, Silver in the Bench Press, and a Bronze Medal in her Combined result. Like Dowdy, the 20 year old is competing in her first Special Olympics World Games. Stefanie had previously competed in the State Summer games in Tennis and Volleyball, in addition to powerlifting.
Competing in the 67kg weight class, Tara Padgett (Ashburn) closed out the Team Virginia powerlifting competition by earning a Bronze medal in each of her four powerlifting categories: Squat, Dead Lift, Bench Press, and Combined.
In Team’s Virginia lone swimming event of the day, Matthew Clark (Nokesville) swam his way to a 4th place ribbon in the 100M Freestyle with a time of 1:55.55. Clark will compete in the 50M Backstroke on Tuesday and the 4x50 Freestyle Relay on Friday. Clark, 23, has participated in a vast array of sports including soccer, volleyball, track & field, basketball, and softball in his 13 years as a Special Olympian. Matthew is an employee at Marine Base Quantico and a graduate of Stonewall Jackson High School.
The eight athletes are part of Virginia’s delegation of 16 athletes competing among the 7,000 Special Olympians from over 150 countries participating in the World Games. The 11th Special Olympics World Summer Games is the largest multi-sport event in the world in 2003. For more results and information about the 2003 World Games or Special Olympics Virginia (SOVA), please visit www.specialolympicsva.org.