Christian Summers pitches gold medal victory over Russia
Lead Summary
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
Christian Summers and his family will always remember how they celebrated this Fourth of July weekend.
Christian, 17, was the winning pitcher for Team USA in the gold medal softball game in the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece.
"It was a very exciting game," Christian's dad, Scott Summers, told The Highland County Press on Independence Day. "There were several ties. We were tied in the third, fourth and fifth innings."
After falling behind, 5-2, Team USA rallied for an 11-10 victory over Russia, with Christian recording the win after a walk-off base hit by teammate Daniel Bena drove in Justin Hansen with the winning run, July 2 at the Helliniko Olympic Softball Venue.
Team USA finished 4-0 in the softball competition, played in a round-robin format.
"It was really exciting for the kids and parents," said Scott Summers, a 1988 graduate of Fairfield High School and a 1992 Xavier University graduate, now living in San Antonio, Texas with his wife, Christina, and family.
"This was the first year that Team USA entered a softball team in the Special Olympics," Scott said.
More than 7,500 athletes from 185 countries competed in this year's World Games.
Christian's paternal grandparents are Bob and Sandie Summers of Penn Township. His aunts, Bobbie Earley and Teresa Evans, also live in the Hillsboro area.
"We are all thrilled for Christian, and wanted to share the good news," Sandy Summers told The Highland County Press after the team captured the gold medal.
Back home in San Antonio, Christian plays softball for the Firedawgs, who became part of Team USA for the World Games.
In a story by Jessica Belasco in the San Antonio Express-News, Firedawgs Coach Teresa Sullivan said, “These 13 kids have been practicing off the field from January, and we got on the field at the beginning of March. They've done weight training and swimming to cross train in addition to team-building exercises to help them prepare mentally."
Yvette Porter, whose 23-year-old son, Cody, plays on the team, told Belasco and the Express-News that she remembers crying when she received the letter last summer informing them the team was heading to Greece.
“I don't know that it's really soaked in yet. I am the mother of a Team USA member. It's something that you don't think about when you have a child with a disability. Your dreams kind of change,” Porter says. “This is just such an honor to represent the entire United States. When I think of it, I cry, and I know I'm going to cry the entire time I'm there.”
(For more on Jessica Belasco's story, go to: www.mysanantonio.com/life/article/Firedawgs-honored-to-be-on-Team-USA-1….)
This year, competition was held in 22 sports and a total of 12,000 medals were awarded to the athletes.
The official end of Special Olympics World Summer Games Athens 2011 included the extinguishing of the flame and the ceremonial lowering of the Special Olympics flag to be transferred over to the Games Organizing Committee for the 2013 World Winter Games in PyeongChang, Korea.
The closing ceremonies for the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games were held Monday, July 4.
For more information, go to www.specialolympics.org/.[[In-content Ad]]
Christian, 17, was the winning pitcher for Team USA in the gold medal softball game in the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece.
"It was a very exciting game," Christian's dad, Scott Summers, told The Highland County Press on Independence Day. "There were several ties. We were tied in the third, fourth and fifth innings."
After falling behind, 5-2, Team USA rallied for an 11-10 victory over Russia, with Christian recording the win after a walk-off base hit by teammate Daniel Bena drove in Justin Hansen with the winning run, July 2 at the Helliniko Olympic Softball Venue.
Team USA finished 4-0 in the softball competition, played in a round-robin format.
"It was really exciting for the kids and parents," said Scott Summers, a 1988 graduate of Fairfield High School and a 1992 Xavier University graduate, now living in San Antonio, Texas with his wife, Christina, and family.
"This was the first year that Team USA entered a softball team in the Special Olympics," Scott said.
More than 7,500 athletes from 185 countries competed in this year's World Games.
Christian's paternal grandparents are Bob and Sandie Summers of Penn Township. His aunts, Bobbie Earley and Teresa Evans, also live in the Hillsboro area.
"We are all thrilled for Christian, and wanted to share the good news," Sandy Summers told The Highland County Press after the team captured the gold medal.
Back home in San Antonio, Christian plays softball for the Firedawgs, who became part of Team USA for the World Games.
In a story by Jessica Belasco in the San Antonio Express-News, Firedawgs Coach Teresa Sullivan said, “These 13 kids have been practicing off the field from January, and we got on the field at the beginning of March. They've done weight training and swimming to cross train in addition to team-building exercises to help them prepare mentally."
Yvette Porter, whose 23-year-old son, Cody, plays on the team, told Belasco and the Express-News that she remembers crying when she received the letter last summer informing them the team was heading to Greece.
“I don't know that it's really soaked in yet. I am the mother of a Team USA member. It's something that you don't think about when you have a child with a disability. Your dreams kind of change,” Porter says. “This is just such an honor to represent the entire United States. When I think of it, I cry, and I know I'm going to cry the entire time I'm there.”
(For more on Jessica Belasco's story, go to: www.mysanantonio.com/life/article/Firedawgs-honored-to-be-on-Team-USA-1….)
This year, competition was held in 22 sports and a total of 12,000 medals were awarded to the athletes.
The official end of Special Olympics World Summer Games Athens 2011 included the extinguishing of the flame and the ceremonial lowering of the Special Olympics flag to be transferred over to the Games Organizing Committee for the 2013 World Winter Games in PyeongChang, Korea.
The closing ceremonies for the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games were held Monday, July 4.
For more information, go to www.specialolympics.org/.[[In-content Ad]]