As Western Bay of Plenty's three Special Olympians arrive at Tauranga Airport today, fresh from the 2023 World Summer Games in Berlin, they'll be met by some very proud supporters.

A large group of family, friends, trainers and volunteers are set to welcome home Tauranga bowler Len Just, runner Hayley Little and Katikati powerlifter Caroline Tangitau at 10.30am.

Medals and memories

Len brings home a gold medal and two bronzes from his first international competition in ten pin bowling, and Caroline will have four silvers around her neck. Hayley, who nearly clinched a medal, will bring back the experience of a lifetime from her overseas debut.

'Absolutely amazing – it's probably the biggest things these guys will do in their life competition-wise,” says Pat Wakelin from Tauranga's Special Olympics Committee.

Pat says Hayley ran and placed third in the 800m track event – and achieved a personal best by 28 seconds 'but unfortunately got disqualified on a technicality”. 'That was a shame but Hayley being Hayley – she just handled it. A few days later she ran the 200m event and placed fifth, also a personal best.”

The committee and whole community of Special Olympics staff, volunteers, coaches and trainers – which number 50-odd and give the 160-odd athletes under their guidance hundreds of hours of tuition and support – are over the moon for the trio.

The BOP athletes and coaches, including Tauranga coach Raewyn Judson who was NZ's head ten pin coach, were part of 7000 athletes with an intellectual disability competing from 190 countries around the globe.

Icing on the cake

'For us an as an organisation, it's the icing on the cake for all the work that goes into these athletes. This event only comes around every four years – and these three competitors are the most amazing athletes.”

Pat, who manages the committee's Facebook page, has been posting news as she's received it daily from NZ's head of delegation Rowena Massey, and from contact with coordinators.

How do the athletes back home feel about the trio's success? 'Oh, they are overwhelmed – they're so happy for them. These three athletes are very well-known in our club.”

Katikati powerlifter Caroline Tangitau won two silver medals at the 2023 World Summer Games in Berlin. Photo: supplied.

Pats says Caroline has been a swimmer, basketballer and is now a powerlifter in the club. 'She's been swimming with us for 20 years, Len's been ten pin bowling with us for 30 years, and Hayley is a newcomer. She's been involved for three years. They've all got personality.”

Pat says Caroline participates in three Special Olympics sports – swimming, basketball and is Tauranga's only female powerlifter, and has been a Special Olympian for about 25 years and shifted to Tauranga 15 years ago. 'She went to the World Games in North Carolina as a reserve with the swimming team 22 years ago and represented NZ at the Australian National Games in swimming in 2006.”

International debut

But for Len and Hayley, this was their international debut. 'Each athletes had to personally raise $3000 to get to the games, plus the community worked hard to gain sponsorship and fundraising from as far away as Auckland.”

Tauranga bowler Len Just brings home a gold medal and two bronzes from his international debut. Photo: supplied.

Pat says this year's games is a great result. 'What we've notice is this time the athletes have got a lot more publicity. Each World Games, Special Olympics is getting more well-known – because many still don't know what it is, and what it involves.”

Lastly, Pat believes the trio's accomplishment shows fellow BOP athletes that they can set and achieve goals on the world stage. 'Caroline, Len and Hayley will be great role models for our club. They're the sort of people that will encourage others to go for it!” Welcome home!