IMA SPORTS

Making his first trip down to the Special Olympics state meet in Columbus, Isaac Farley and his family weren’t sure what to expect.

It certainly wasn’t what he ended up with — three medals and a bunch of new friends.

Farley competed in the state athletics meet at the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at the Ohio State University in June. Farley, a 2024 Maumee graduate with Down syndrome, won a gold medal in the 4×100-meter relay and bronze in the shot put and 400 run.

“It was so cool to run down there,” Farley said. “I wanted to be happy down there.”

Farley even received his medal in the 400 from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, which he thought was a great experience.

More than the medals, though, are the friendships he developed while competing.

“Even after his 400 run, the guys didn’t just walk off the track, they turned around and cheered for those who were still running,” Kathi Farley, Isaac’s mom said. “In the shot put, they cheered each other on. It was fantastic because I don’t experience that in other athletic competitions.”

Isaac said he got tips from the other competitors to help him improve his shot put form.

While this was his first experience in the Special Olympics, Isaac is no stranger to competition. He was a member of the Maumee High School track team as a student. In fact, Kathi said they delayed his start in the Special Olympics so he could continue running with his peers at Maumee.

Since Isaac is the oldest of three siblings, Kathi wasn’t sure what to expect from that experience at first. It turned out to be a fantastic experience.

“They welcomed him, the coaches and pretty much all the athletes were excited he was there,” Farley said. “The track coaches were fantastic. What I liked is they didn’t give him leeway to goof off and stuff. If coach (Lindsay Vannett) saw him doing something that he shouldn’t have, she was right on it.”

For Isaac, it made him feel good to run in events with his friends from school.

“I remember some of my friends from Maumee, they ran in my events,” Farley said.

Away from competing in track and field, Isaac stays busy with a job at Sunshine Communities in the dietary department. He’s also an Eagle Scout, installing a three-bin composter at Sunshine, an idea he came up with after volunteering. He also enjoys working out and running with his dad, Pat.

It’s obvious that Isaac hasn’t let any challenges stop him from living his life.

“We have found that what some may feel he is lacking, he more than makes up for in his attitude, kindness, empathy and excitement for experiences and adventures,” Kathi said.

This state meet was only the first of Isaac’s experiences with the Special Olympics. Winning the medals makes him want to run faster and get better. In the fall, he will start flag football and move on to basketball in the winter. He wants to score touchdowns, and he’s getting his TD dance ready.

“I want to win more medals in flag football and basketball,” he said.

Reach IMA at insidemaumeeathletics@gmail.com