Hundreds gather in Myrtle Beach for South Carolina Special Olympics competition

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) – Saturday marked the second day of the 2024 fall games for the South Carolina Special Olympics and hundreds of athletes were giving it their all.

Players from all over the Palmetto State gathered at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center and the John T. Rhodes Myrtle Beach Sports Center.

One of those athletes is bocce ball player Michael from Anderson.

He says he is passionate about the sport and hoped to take home a medal.

“I hope everybody enjoys this time in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and I hope everybody has a blessed day,” he said.

Hundreds of athletes competed in a variety of sports including flag football, soccer, volleyball, bowling, and more.

Marcus Rhodes, a volunteer with the Law Enforcement Torch Run, says the energy at these games is simply contagious.

“Oh my heavens, how could you not love the Special Olympics. The energy, the pure joy of our athletes on the field of competition rather than sitting in the bleachers somewhere, it’s wonderful,” Rhodes said.

Scott Strainge, director of Area 16 Special Olympics, has been involved for three years. This is his first year as director and says the games have grown significantly.

“We’ve added some sports, we have an equestrian team, we have the flag football team that has grown and is now very competitive at the state level too, so we’re excited to see that,” Strainge said. “The softball team is growing, so it’s really great to see that and we’re looking to add some more sports as well in the next few years.”

Strainge says they hope to add sports like pickleball, surfing, and baseball in years to come.

Ezra and Brady play flag football for the Greenville Eliminators and say they live competing with their friends and are grateful for the experience.

“It is a blessing. Me, him and some other crew right here, we did an amazing job, we worked hard, we played hard.”

The fall games end on Sunday and it is free to the public.

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Hannah Huffstickler is a multimedia journalist at News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2024 after graduating from Coastal Carolina University in December of 2023. Keep up with Hannah on Facebook , X, formerly Twitter , and Instagram . You can also read more of her work here .

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