Craig Daily Press

Craig — Julianne Malley didn’t know.

After all, it was her first time, and she couldn’t help but pick up change.

In the middle of her 1,500-meter walk during the Special Olympics Colorado Summer Games on May 31 and June 1 in Greeley, Malley stopped walking.

The glare of two pennies and a nickel caught her attention.

She picked up the seven cents and continued on her way, waving like a princess to the crowd, on her way to a sixth-place finish.

“I was thinking ‘please win, please win,’” Malley said. “And then I saw a nickel and two pen­­nies and I thought, ‘cool, a penny.’”

If you’d asked her after the race, she was sure she had won.

To her, the shine of a gold medal and that of a red sixth-place ribbon are the same.

“It’s just as important getting a ribbon as a medal,” Malley said. “All I had to do was finish, and I was a winner. It was easy.”

The 12 competitors from Craig made the games at the University of Northern Colorado look easy.

In front of an announced crowd of more than 1,500 spectators and volunteers, the combination of Craig swimmers, track athletes and weightlifters took home 18 gold medals in the 24 events they competed in.

“It’s always fun watching all the athletes get so excited” at the games, said Bonnie Dalton, Colorado Special Olympics Local Program Coordinator. “The look on their faces when they receive awards is amazing. There is really no way to describe it.”

Many of the athletes and coaches said a medal isn’t what they were after — instead it was good times spent with friends, old and new, that they relished most.

“We are like one big family,” track coach Cheryl Chase said. “This isn’t just a team of athletes out to win. There is more to Special Olympics than just sports. You cheer for everybody. It’s really fun to watch the athletes grow.

“They start off wanting to win a medal so bad, then it changes somewhere along the line.”

A few of the athletes even attempted to give their gold medals away.

Mariah Kowach attempted to give her gold to Ashleigh Santistevan.

Josh Chase gave his medal to E.J. Camp and Camp in turn gave one of his to Chase.

To them, the event wasn’t about winning — they won by being there.

“If they got nothing, except a ‘good job,’ they would be just as happy,” Cheryl Chase said. “An eighth-place ribbon is the same to them as a gold.”

Josh Chase won gold in the shot put, the 1,500-meter run and the running long jump.

“It was fun, I ran like crazy,” he said. “In practice, I’m a slacker. But when there is somebody else on the track, I just take off like no other.”

When asked what he could have done better, Josh was quick to respond.

“I would have cheered on other people more,” he said. “And supported my team more. I just wanted everybody to do their best, and I probably could have helped them more.”

E.J. Camp made his second trip to the Summer Games.

The 12-year old captured a gold in the softball throw (similar to shot put, but with a softball) and the 200-meter run.

“It was fun. It’s always fun,” Camp said. “It didn’t matter if I won anything or not, the competition is the best part.”

Josh Dalton, a weightlifter in the Craig Powerhouse Crew, earned gold in bench press, dead lift and combination (total weight of the two events combined).

“It was kind of hard,” Josh Dalton said laughing. “Well, it wasn’t really that hard. I was showing everybody my bling when I was done.”

Each of the athletes said they plan on making a return trip next year, some for medals, many for fun.

“There is so much more to the special Olympics than what people think,” Bonnie Dalton said. “The athletes get to grow up a little — and have a lot of fun. And like I said, seeing the looks on their faces makes it all the worthwhile.”