Special Olympics Poland

JUNE 4-9, 1998
WARSAW, POLAND

  The National Games for Special Olympics in Warsaw, Poland was held June 4-7. I was so very fortunate to have a First Class seat sponsored by LOT Polish Airlines! After an 8 hour flight to Warsaw, we were greeted by Mariusz Damentko, the program director for Central & Eastern Europe, Izabella and Marek Waluskiewicz, and were escorted to our hotel. Our first night was spent at the luxurious Hotel Forum. Then moved to the downtown Marriott, which has 40 stories. We ended up on the 35th floor with a beautiful, panoramic view of Warsaw. Class and elegance, and a very appetizing full breakfast buffet every morning.

  The Opening Ceremonies was very nice, and the president of Poland was there, along with many government and Special Olympics officials. I pictured the athletes of Poland to be just as outgoing as any place I've visited, and indeed they were. It made me feel great to hear their response to "You Are the Flame", especially when I sang the last chorus in Polish. I was very touched by the fact they couldn't really communicate with me afterwards in English, but the smiles and looks on their faces told me of their heartfelt welcome and acceptance. We attended many of the competitions over the weekend, and cheered for all the athletes who obviously put their hearts into their sports. During the Closing Ceremony, I again sang "You Are the Flame", and everyone gathered in one huge circle to close the games. It was a very emotional moment.

  It was definitely a great experience for my first international event because of the song, and one I will never forget. But, to make it all happen, there are some very wonderful friends I must acknowledge.  Mariusz Damentko, the Program Director for Central & Eastern Europe was my first contact, and he believed in the song and my goals. He spoke with the chapter in Poland, and a huge thanks goes to their National Director, Boguslaw Galazka, who was the major influence with LOT Polish Airlines. Also, the Program Coordinator, Grazyna Paczocha, who went above and beyond in everything she did for us. Not only did she have her own full schedule to contend with and kept in contact with me weekly about the Ceremonies, but she also translated the chorus of "You Are the Flame" to Polish. She phoned me to help with the pronunciation, and also sang it and sent me the tape so I could learn it for their athletes.

  During our stay in Warsaw, we met some very nice people who escorted us to the Special Olympics events and took us around to show us the beauty of the city, and the many historical sites in the downtown area. Izabella and Marek, along with their son, Oscar, not only were at our side at any given moment, they also became some new and very close friends. Iza spoke English very well, and she helped us so many times when we were quite confused with the language.

  The Circus was in town that weekend, and the entire big tent was reserved for Special Olympics. We were invited to attend, and what a fantastic show they put on! Very fast paced and entertaining, and we, along with the athletes absolutely admired the many talented people who made it happen.

  On our last evening, we were invited to a celebration dinner for VIP's and staff. About 50 people connected with the Special Olympics events were there. To us, it was just another sample of the hospitality we were shown in Poland. The many people we met and became friends with during the weekend will never be forgotten for their warm personalities, and I hope one day we will again be able to visit and entertain the athletes, families and staff members of Poland.