By Marisa Iati, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR In Athens, Greece, Margo Lee swam her way to three victories for Team USA at the Special Olympics World Summer Games from June 25 to July 4.
As one of two swimmers from New Jersey on the national team, the West Windsor resident won gold medals in the 50 meter backstroke and the 4 by 50 meter medley relay and a silver medal in the 50 meter freestyle.
Margo said her favorite event was the backstroke because it is exciting for spectators to watch. She won the gold in this event by 16 hundredths of a second.
”I like freestyle, too, but my freestyle’s not as great a time,” she said. “Backstroke’s my stronger stroke.”
Margo swam the backstroke in the 4 by 50 meter medley relay while three of her teammates swam the breaststroke, freestyle and butterfly.
”They usually put the fastest swimmers at the beginning and the end and the slower swimmers in the middle of the race,” she said. “I like being first.”
Margo’s mother, Bonnie Lee, said Margo and the rest of the Team USA swimmers trained at San Diego State University in March. Before she began her trip to Greece in June, Margo received a card and a send-off party from her co-workers at Gold’s Gym in East Windsor.
”I was really happy getting it,” she said.
On June 18, all Special Olympians from New Jersey took a bus to Baltimore, where Team USA had a send-off party and then flew to Rhodes, Greece.
Margo Lee said while in Rhodes, she and her teammates trained for the competitions by swimming every day. They also toured the island.
On June 24, Team USA took an overnight ferry to Athens and joined athletes from around the world, including approximately 400 from the United States, at the opening ceremony the next day, Bonnie Lee said. Most of the events were held at the OAKA Common Domain.
Margo Lee said she spent most of her time in the water or cheering on her teammates, but when she wasn’t poolside, she visited famous sights such as the Acropolis Museum and the Parthenon.
”I never saw that before,” she said of the Parthenon. “It was really cool.”
She said she met athletes from around the world while in Greece. Bonnie Lee added that her daughter traded pins unique to each country with her fellow athletes.
”I guess it’s tradition in the regular Olympics that when you meet somebody you trade pins with them, so in the Special Olympics they do the same,” she said. “So you might trade pins with someone from Ireland or China.”
Margo Lee said she is most proud of winning two gold medals and of being on Team USA. Her favorite part of the experience was “just hanging out and being with my team,” she said.
She said she is now taking a short break but will soon continue swimming with Special Olympics. She hopes to participate in the World Summer Games again in the future.
When asked what advice she would give to an athlete that aspires to swim in the World Summer Games, she said, “I’d tell them it’s a little hard to get in at first. If you want to get in, you have to try your best.”
