VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Hundreds of athletes are leaving the weekend as winners.
Special Olympics Virginia's Fall Championships ended Sunday after bringing more than 1,000 athletes to the Resort City to compete in sports like soccer, volleyball, bocce and more.
The top finishers in each event received a medal.
Organizers tell News 3 that events are chosen in a way to give people of all physical capabilities the chance to compete.
“It’s all about having fun, but our athletes are here to compete," said David Pawlowski with Special Olympics Virginia. "They train hard, they play hard, they want to win and we hope we can make them healthier and better with a chance to win, not only on the field of play in their communities. In their workspace.”
One of the athletes competing this weekend was Hampton Roads native Kaitlin Dykes, who says she's been playing soccer for around nine years.
“Just go out there, have fun and try your best," she said, when asked to give advice to younger athletes.
Special Olympics Virginia says more than 800 volunteers worked the Hampton Roads Soccer Complex and Virginia Beach Sports Center to make the tournament happen, but they still could have used more, including in the medical tent.
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