More than 400 special needs athletes filled Milton Frank Stadium for the North Alabama Special Olympics Track and Field events on Tuesday.
AEgis Technologies is the event sponsor and celebrated 50 years of the Special Olympics. Athletes ranged from age 8 to 65-years-old. The athletes are from several local school districts and are often paired with a mentor.
Some of the events athletes competed in include running and standing long jump, softball throw, 100 meter dash and shotput. The qualifying athletes will now advance to the state-level Special Olympics in 2019.
"I'm having a really, really lot of fun. I like doing this. I want to come back next year," said Wendell Odom, a competing local athlete.
More than 1,600 volunteers spent the day helping the athletes and working the various events.
