A record number of 130 swimmers from 15 teams participated in the 10th Anniversary Special Olympics City of Hull Swimming Gala which was held for the first time at the Beverley Leisure Centre on Saturday 14 February. The teams competing in over 50 races represented: Bradford, Hull, York, Doncaster, Dearne Valley, Harrogate, Kirklees, Lincolnshire, Netherlands*, North Lincs., Pudsey, Scarborough, Sheffield, Thorne and Wakefield.

 * The group of 6 young Netherlands swimmers accompanied by Dutch Rotarians Marlies Van Troost and Corrie De Winter, again enjoyed return overnight crossings courtesy of the P&O cruise ferry company and returned home with a tally of 20 medals.

The Rotary Club of Hull provided medals for the competitors which were presented by the Chairman of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Councillor Bryan Pearson and the 2009 Special Olympics Games Director, Steve Humphries. Hull Rotarians also acted as timekeepers and marshals at the event as well as hosting the Dutch team and taking them bowling at Kingswood prior to the gala!

Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports organisation for people with learning disabilities, providing year round sports training and competition in over 23 Olympic-type sports for people aged 8 and over. Founded in 1968 by the Kennedy family, it held the first International S.O. Games in Chicago with over 1000 athletes. Since then it has grown and spread worldwide, coming to the UK in 1978.