SPOKANE, Wash. — "On this day, I will become stronger, wiser, and believe more in myself," declared Mead High School senior, Tanzy Halliburton-Link, in front of hundreds of spectators at Mead's track on Friday, ahead of the highly anticipated return of the district's Developmental Learning Center Olympics.
"We got rained out [in 2019], and then we had two years off for COVID, so we're just really excited to be back," Mead Physical Therapist, Kalin Armstrong, said. "It's a day for all of us to come together and support our kids."
As fans looked on, the opening ceremonies got underway just after 10 a.m. And like the ceremonies in Beijing or Toyko, there were the introductions of countries—or rather, schools in this case—with 15 schools in the district taking part.
Graduating senior, Joy Flemming, carried the torch as Mead Principal Jeff Naslund introduced each school, all competitors holding flags and banners and waving at the crowd.
"Grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, moms and dads, siblings, missing school and work to come to this for them," Mead teacher Monica Bouten said of the crowd. "One of the first years we did this, I had a mom standing next to me just bawling and crying, and I said, 'Are you ok?' and she said, 'You don't understand. This is our big day.'"
Following the opening ceremonies, it was time to get down to business.
With 15 stations spread across the field, schools rotated at the sound of an air horn to events like bowling, field hockey, relays, and a version of T-ball known simply as "Banana Ball," which was keeping in line with the jungle theme of the day.
Each event was designed by educators with the district to showcase what these athletes have been working on all year.
"Whether it's their communication skills, their motor skills, their social skills, all of those things that we work on in the classrooms, then we get to practice those things and it all comes together on this day," Armstrong added. "They just love being out here, they love getting the ribbons, being with their peers, and just having a fun day."
