By Rich Fisher, Packet Media Group
On Saturday, June 13, local resident and head coach Shannon Schafer of Schafer School of Gymnastics took her team to the top at the Special Olympics Summer Games. The competition was hosted by Special Olympics New Jersey and held at the Schafer School of Gymnastics, and included nearly 2500 athletes from around the state.
Local resident Ethan Fastag-Rosenfield placed 1st overall for his age group. Lauryn Wilfing, Brian Palmer and Kyle Lande also took first place overall for their age groups. The seven athletes brought home a total 22 gold medals, 13 silvers, six bronzes, two 4th-place and two 5th-place medals.
“This team has worked very hard all year and it was the first time competing for six of the seven athletes,” Schaefer said. “We are thrilled at not only how well they performed during competition, but also how strong they were as a team that supported one another, which was really the bigger reward.”
