Two Special Olympics Tauranga athletes are going global following their selection to represent New Zealand in the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens in June.


Mitchell Brown and Nigel Old are training hard for the Special Olympics World Summer Games next year.

The World Summer Games will be the largest sporting event globally in 2011.
Nigel Old, a golfer and Mitchell Brown, a runner are part of the 36 strong Kiwi team heading to Greece to compete with over 7500 Special Olympics athletes from around the world.
Mitchell will compete in the 100 and 200 metre events in athletics and may also participate in the 4 x 100 metre relay.
The team consists of 26 men and 10 women who will compete in aquatics, athletics, basketball, bowling, equestrian, golf and powerlifting.
Special Olympics New Zealand events manager Sue Kysow says the effect on athletes attending a major event like the Special Olympics World Summer Games can be life changing.
'That sounds like a bit of a cliché but its true. The athletes gain a lot of confidence, many take more responsibility within their personal life afterwards, and all become aware of the bigger world they are part of.”
The team will leave New Zealand on June 14 and spend five days at a training camp in Loutraki, near Athens; from there the team will spend five days on the island of Rhodes for a host town programme.
The Host Town Programme gives athletes an opportunity to learn about the culture of Greece, practice their sport and get to know each other better before competition begins.
The athletes need to raise $10,000 each before the games in June.