MOKANE, Mo. - "These athletes are already being victorious," Missouri Sen. Jeanie Riddle said as she opened the Special Olympics track and field event at South Callaway R-II High School.
The sun blazed above.
"You chose to compete with yourselves," Riddle added. "Believe. Compete with joy in your heart."
Thirty-six athletes from Osage R-I, New Bloomfield R-III, Osage R-III, Fulton 58 and South Callaway R-II came to South Callaway's first-ever Special Olympics event. Also included in that number were a handful of 3- to 7-year-old "young Olympians," who had games of their own.
"After we watch, we're going to the petting zoo," said one of the Young Olympian's daycare classmates, wielding a crepe paper torch.
As the event began, the athletes and their chaperones paraded onto the track to tunes from the South Callaway marching band.
According to Diane Brimer, regional program director at Special Olympics Missouri, it was the first time Osage R-I and Osage R-III have participated in the Special Olympics.
"They're already talking about bringing more students next year," Brimer said.
As the competitors at Friday's event ran, jumped and threw balls, it was clear they were, indeed, competing with joy in their hearts.
Skill, enthusiasm and mobility levels varied - with a few kids having to be coaxed across the finish line after getting distracted by spectators - but overall, everyone seemed to be having a great time.
According to Ashlee Ryan, a speech therapist at Fulton 58, the kids from the school had trained for the past two weeks. They learned both the basics of their chosen events and something more intangible: "the hustle."
"It's more about the try, not the win," she said.
The challenge was in convincing kids to run and throw as hard as they could.
Gabrielle Cammack, of Westphalia, took silver in the long jump.
"I had to run a lot and jump into sand," she said about her training process, smiling as she showed off her medal.
Her teammate, Allison Boes, was proud of her 2-foot-4-inch jump - a personal record which netted her the gold in the event.
Corbin Valentin, from New Bloomfield, ran the 50 meters and said he'd run at the Special Olympics in Hermann in prior years.
"I like running sometimes," he said. "I mostly play video games."
Sonic the Hedgehog is a favorite of his; both in video games and in real life, he likes to go fast.
Jacob Mooney, from Fulton, was there with his mother, Tiffany. He'd also competed at Hermann for two years in the softball throw and the 100 meter run. This time, he planned on trying the long jump as well.
"The real value is sportsmanship," Tiffany Mooney said. "A lot of them don't get to compete in school, and this gives them a chance."
She smiled, her voice growing warm.
"I'm very proud of my son and the others. They're doing awesome."
Aside from some last-minute re-marking of lines - "When something goes wrong, improvise quickly," Fulton track coach Bill Frazee advised, brandishing a roll of tape - the event went smoothly.
Much of that, Frazee said, was due to the 80-plus volunteers who poured in from the high school, nearby colleges and the wider community. The local businesses and organizations who donated supplies and money helped as well.
"The kids are excited, and the volunteers are really excited," he said. "They're what makes it go."
The athletes had volunteer buddies to guide them from event to event, make sure they stayed hydrated and provide companionship.
Caleb Diehl, a student at South Callaway High School, was volunteering at his principal's request.
"I think it's really good that they do this together," he said. "I think it's a good deal."
When the athletes first arrived, students from South Callaway Elementary School crowded onto the bleachers, waving handmade signs and shouting encouragement. In the background, volunteers cooked up hot dogs for lunch, wrote down times and handed out medals.
"(Event organizer Angie Trammell) did a phenomenal job on the volunteers," Brimer said. "I've met so many great people."
Trammell thought the praise should rest on the volunteers themselves.
"We had lots of help, lots of community participation," she said. "It's all you can ask for."