NJ track star's heart of gold shines at Special Olympics USA Games

Go! Go! Sprint! Sprint! All the way! Sprint it! Anthony is 35 years old, and he is a well-known legend in South Jersey. He'll give you 110%, and you always got the smile on his face, right? Yeah! I like Special Olympics because they do know people have fun. Is this the first time you've stretched since you raced? Yeah! Every four years, Special Olympics hosts the USA Games. This happened to be Minneapolis. You keep the pace, you stay with your runners. There's a whole tryout process, an application process. There was 70-some track athletes that tried out to make Team New Jersey, and only four were selected. Come on, Ant! Last curve! He's 20-plus years with Special Olympics, and it's a rarity to get picked for something like this, and he got the call to be on the team this year. I went to my first time on the airplane, and I went to do a medal. Anthony, sprint! Go! Go! Go! The big one, the 1,500-meter race, at the last turn, Anthony was actually in third place, and he turned it on, and he passed the runner from Kansas, and then right before the finish line, a runner fell. Anthony finished, and at the awards podium, Anthony, completely on his own, had the idea. They could bring him up on the first-place podium with them. And the three of them, arm-in-arm, smiled and waved to everybody, and they all finished that top together. You know, as a coach, you can't ask for anything more, and as a human, as a person, I mean, that's just phenomenal. As your past teacher, we have a citation on behalf of the Assembly and the Senate on your accomplishments being a rock star in the Special Olympics this year, so congratulations. Special Olympics has always been very important to Ocean City. Over the years, it has grown, and with Jackie and our team, it has made it even better. Somebody like Anthony winning the gold medal, how cool is that? All of our recreation facilities are all available at Special Olympics, and we keep telling them whatever they need here at Ocean City, we'll provide. That was cool. That's when you got a little emotional there, didn't you? Yeah. Special Olympics allows him to compete, and to see him not only shine athletically as an athlete, but then that story just speaks so much of his character. Our Team New Jersey motto was represent, and I don't think he could represent any better than he did out there.