OXFORD, Ga. — Eastside’s unified swim team made a splash at the Special Olympics of Georgia State Summer Games last weekend at Emory University-Oxford College.

The event was held on Friday, May 24 and Saturday, May 25, and brought athletes and Special Olympians together for unified competitions. 

The first competitions on Friday were held for level-A athletes, who needed more assistance in the competitions. Saturday’s events were held for the athletes who could compete without assistance.

Led by head coach DeAnna O’Brien, the team consisted of current Eastside students as well as Eagles’ alumni who volunteered. In advance of the competition, O’Brien’s team practiced in Johnson Park in Conyers.

The group of swimmers joined with the Rockdale Force, a team that the Eagles competed alongside in the same event last year.

Rockdale Force is a non-profit organization run by parents.

The opportunity for the local athletes to compete in the Special Olympics Summer Games came to fruition with the help of a Covington-based company.

“The Eastside swimmers — not just the unified swimmers, but the special olympians as well — were all made possible by a sponsorship from Covington ProLube,” O’Brien said. “They paid the registration fee, so they sponsored the Eastside swimmers and Newton County swimmers.”

By the end of the event, the team had captured 12 gold medals, three bronze medals and two silver medals.

The team took home gold in the Masters Relay (over-22) while they earned bronze in the Senior Relay (high school). Among the current Eastside swimmers who competed were Jasmine Everett, Jack Hays, Abby Barron and Demitrius Simplice. 

Joanna Fisher, Cole Goering and Cameron Rodgers were three Eastside alumni who competed, along with Eastside’s Maddie Fisher.

Connecting high school students with special olympians is something that holds deeper meaning for O’Brien.

“I think it's amazing that our high school athletes can take the sport that they love and use it to bring people together. And, to bridge that gap between athletes with support needs and athletes without support needs,” O’Brien said. “All that the athletes want to do is compete. It’s all about competing and doing your best in the pool, and it’s amazing when our high school athletes can see that these athletes are doing the same thing. 

“They are putting in the same practice hours, they are doing the same distances, they are swimming the same strokes and it brings them together. You really see the spirit of what a true athlete is.”

O’Brien shared how she felt the impact of the event goes far beyond the confines of the pool.

“When we can take out sport and use it to bring people together, that is above and beyond what we do in the pool,” O’Brien said.