So. Utah Special Olympics athlete speaks in 16 California cities as part of World Games torch run

Jazmine Slama speaks at Pier 39 during the Torch Run Ceremony for the Final Leg with her Final Leg team members (image: Special Olympics Utah)

The Independent

Jazmine Slama, Special Olympics Utah track and field athlete, has been chosen to speak in 16 different cities along the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg route in California as the Guardians of the Flame of Hope carry the torch to the Opening Ceremony of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games.

Slama was nominated by Special Olympics Utah to be on the 2015 Los Angeles Final Leg Team. She was selected by the Athlete Selection Committee, which consisted of Law Enforcement Torch Run and Special Olympics program representatives. The Athlete Selection Committee chose 10 athletes from around the world to be members of the Final Leg Team. 

Slama is proud to be a Native American Navajo as well as a Special Olympics Utah athlete. She was the first person with intellectual disabilities at Hurricane High School who qualified for both the cross country running team and the track team. Years later, Slama still competes in track, including last summer’s 2014 Special Olympics USA Games, where she won gold in the 1500 meter and 800 meter track events and silver in the 400 meter.

In her speech, Slama talks about how she became involved with Special Olympics Utah and what the Special Olympics movement means to her (see full script below).

“I have met many new people in Special Olympics. It has helped me to build my self-esteem,” Slama says. “Now I have been given a chance to carry the [Special] Olympic[s] torch. This is a great honor for me. It’s wonderful that people from around the world can come together and make new friends and memories during these games.”

Slama has spoken at several venues along the Final Leg route in the last week, including the Pier 39 Concourse in San Francisco. On Sunday, July 19, Slama spoke at the Downtown Disney Stage.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg started on July 13. It is the last journey of the Flame of Hope, which has traveled from Athens, Greece through all 50 U.S. states to reach the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015. 

Slama and the other Guardians of the Flame will carry the torch 4,648 miles, honoring the spirit of the Special Olympics global movement and delivering a message of hope to communities where people with intellectual disabilities continue to fight for acceptance and inclusion.

The Flame of Hope will complete its journey on July 25 at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles when the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg team carries it into the Opening Ceremony of the World Games to ignite the cauldron. ESPN is the official broadcaster of the World Games, and coverage begins live from Los Angeles with the Opening Ceremony on July 25 at 7 p.m. and continues daily throughout the Games.

To buy tickets and learn more, visit LA2015.org/opening-ceremony. For volunteer information, including becoming a Fan in the Stands, visit LA2015.org/volunteer/fans-in-the-stands.

Jazmine Slama’s Final Leg Speech

“Hello, my name is Jazmine Slama. I am proud to be a Native American Navajo. In 2011 a friend of mine told me about Special Olympics. She said that I could compete in different sports. My parents wanted me to give it a try. I decided to try running track. I have met many new people in Special Olympics. It has helped me to build my self esteem. One day in 2013 after State Special Olympics was done I found out about the 2014 National games in Princeton, New Jersey. I told my Dad about it and he told me to not be afraid to dream about going. Two months later I got a call from BobbiJo Kanter, she takes care of Special Olympics Utah. She asked me and my parents if I could represent Utah in the 2014 National Games. I cried I was so happy to go. My dad is my coach. He had me running five miles a day for three months. I brought home the gold medal in the 1500 meter and the 800 meter. I came away with a silver medal in the 400 meter. The trip to New Jersey was wonderful. I’m proud that I showed them what I got. Now I have been given a chance to help carry the [Special] Olympic[s] torch. This is a great honor for me. It’s wonderful that people from around the world can come together and make new friends and memories during these games. Thank you all for coming and cheering us on.”

About Special Olympics Utah

Special Olympics Utah provides free year-round training and competition in eight sports for more than 2,500 participants living in the state of Utah. With the support of more than 3,500 volunteers and the generosity of Utah citizens, corporations and local businesses, Special Olympics Utah is able to offer many events annually to individuals with intellectual disabilities. Participation with other athletes, partners (typically developing peers), coaches, sponsors and volunteers builds confidence and creates opportunities to participate as productive and respected members of society by increasing public awareness of the athletes’ capabilities.

Special Olympics Utah is a registered Utah 501(c)(3) charity with a local governing Board of Directors comprised of Utah community representatives and leaders. Special Olympics Utah is 90 percent privately funded through donations contributed locally. For more information, visit www.sout.org.

About the 2015 Los Angeles Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg

The Final Leg tradition is for law enforcement officers, representing their country, state and Torch Run Program, to act as “Guardians of the Flame” and carry the Special Olympics Torch and “Flame of Hope” to the Opening Ceremonies of the Special Olympics World Games. This Torch Run event is called the Final Leg because it represents the culmination of Torch Run events that have occurred previously throughout the world. The Torch Run Final Leg is not only a salute to the athletes from around the world who will compete in the Special Olympics World Games but also an honor for the participating law enforcement officers who comprise the Torch Run Final Leg Team. The Olympic flame symbolizes the light of spirit, knowledge and life. With identical power and majesty, the Special Olympics “Flame of Hope,” in the entrusted care of the law enforcement community, symbolizes the courage and celebration of diversity that the Special Olympics movement represents.

The 2015 Final Leg will precede the Special Olympics World Games held in Los Angeles. The Flame Arrival Ceremony is scheduled for the state capitol in Sacramento on Monday, July 13. The flame will then travel throughout the state before reaching the Opening Ceremony in Los Angeles on July 25. The mission of the Final Leg is to create awareness and excitement for Special Olympics, support and attendance of the World Games, and involve, inspire and motivate runners to increase their level of commitment to Special Olympics when they return to their local Programs. The Final Leg Team (126 members strong) is comprised of law enforcement runners, Special Olympics athletes, and Logistics Team members from 48 states and 23 countries around the world representing 79 Torch Run programs.

Final Leg runners were chosen for the dedication and commitment to the Law Enforcement Torch Run and Special Olympics by their respective Torch Run Program throughout the world. For more information on the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg for the 2015 World Games, please contact Final Leg Committee Chairman and Team Captain John Newnan at [email protected]  

About the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015

With 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches representing 177 countries, along with 30,000 volunteers and an anticipated 500,000 spectators, the 2015 Special Olympics World Games—being staged in Los Angeles July 25 – Aug. 2—will be the largest sports and humanitarian event anywhere in the world in 2015, as well as the single biggest event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympic Games. The 2015 Special Olympics World Games, with the unparalleled spirit, enthusiasm, teamwork, joy and displays of courage and skill that are hallmarks of all Special Olympics events, will feature 25 Olympic-style sports in venues throughout the Los Angeles region.

The Opening Ceremony will be held July 25 in the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the site of 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games, is expected to attract 80,000 spectators. For more information on the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, including volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.LA2015.org and on social media with #ReachUpLA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Special Olympics

Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. We empower people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all. Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries.

With the support of more than 1.3 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and more than 81,000 games and competitions throughout the year. Special Olympics is supported by individuals, foundations and partners, including the Christmas Records Trust, the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics®, The Coca-Cola Company, The Walt Disney Company and ESPN, Microsoft, Lions Clubs International, Mattel, P&G, Bank of America, Essilor Vision Foundation, the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation, Finish Line, The Safeway Foundation, and Safilo Group. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org. Engage with us on Twitter @specialolympics; fb.com/specialolympics; youtube.com/specialolympicshg; instagram.com/specialolympics and specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com.