Special Olympics Oregon hosting Fall State Games in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore.- Special Olympics Oregon (SOOR) is hosting it’s Fall State Games at Providence Park in Portland November 17th through November 19th.

Starting November 17th, dozens of athletes from across the state will participate in leadership activities such as writing speeches and creating content for SOOR Active, an at home fitness community.

Local athletes, like Eric Thompson, will also be competing against other teams from across the state after eight weeks of training. He says anyone with a disability can compete as long as they’re willing to give it their all.

“The oath is ‘let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt’,” Thompson told NBC5, “My motto is ‘doesn’t matter if we win or lose, it just matters that we do the best that we can'”.

Eric Thompson has been with Special Olympics Oregon for over 18 years and he was awarded Special Olympics Athlete of the Year in 2010.

The weekend will feature competitions in volleyball, in which Thompson will be competing, along with swimming and soccer.

Special Olympics Oregon says there’s no better way to kick off the holiday season and they’re delighted to see how sports impact the athletes and families they serve.

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NBC5 News Reporter Lauren Pretto grew up in Livermore, California and attended University of California, Santa Cruz, graduating with a double major in Film/Digital Media and Literature with a concentration in Creative Writing. Lauren is a lover of books, especially Agatha Christie and Gothic novels. When her nose isn't buried in a book, she knits, bakes, and writes.
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