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Special Olympics: How the games are changing a Saarland resident's life
🇩🇪 Germany /Good News

Special Olympics: How the games are changing a Saarland resident's life

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • Fynn Thome, an 18-year-old autistic athlete from Saarland, is preparing to compete in the Special Olympics National Games in Germany.
  • Thome discovered a passion for running a year ago, initially struggling with the pace but finding motivation in community training.
  • He has since achieved significant success, including a silver medal at the state games and a gold medal at the national games in Luxembourg, and aims to perform well at the upcoming national games.

Fynn Thome, an 18-year-old from Saarland, is set to be a prominent athlete at the upcoming Special Olympics National Games. His journey into competitive running began just over a year ago, marking a significant personal development for the young man who is autistic.

He suddenly wanted to go to running training more and more often.

— Martin ThomeFynn Thome's father, describing his son's growing enthusiasm for running.

Initially, Thome found the physical demands challenging. His father, Martin, recalls that Fynn's first attempts at running five kilometers took around 38 minutes, with frequent walking breaks. However, Fynn thrived on the social aspect of training. He and his father joined the local running club, LTF Theeltal, alongside their involvement with a sports club for individuals with disabilities. This integration into a community group proved to be a turning point.

Our goal was actually for Fynn to run the distance without falling into a walking pattern, completely independent of the time.

— Martin ThomeFynn Thome's father, explaining their initial expectations for his performance at the state games.

Thome's dedication paid off. At the state games held in Saarbrücken, he secured a silver medal in the 5,000-meter race, completing the distance in 25 minutes and 39 seconds. His father emphasized that Fynn's personal achievement and happiness upon crossing the finish line were more important than the medal itself. This success fueled his progress, leading to his nomination for the national games in Luxembourg.

Fynn looked incredibly happy as he crossed the finish line and was proud to have completed that run.

— Martin ThomeFynn Thome's father, reflecting on his son's emotional state after winning a silver medal.

In Luxembourg, Thome achieved his greatest running success to date, winning a gold medal in the 1,500-meter race with a personal best time of 6:17 minutes. Starting from last place, he impressively overtook eight competitors. Now, his sights are set on the National Games being held in his home region of Saarland, where approximately 4,300 athletes with intellectual disabilities will compete across 27 sports, making it the largest inclusive multi-sport event of its kind in Germany.

I'm already looking forward to the Special Olympics.

— Fynn ThomeFynn Thome, expressing his anticipation for the upcoming national games.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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