Wake Tech student to compete in Special Olympics

Posted February 15, 2010 at 11:48 am and filed under Community, Faces and Places, Sports.

For about seven years, Kristine Hughes has been pursuing her dreams as an athlete. Now she has been named to the 50-member Team-NC, which will compete in the national Special Olympics event in Lincoln, Neb., in July.

Kristine Hughes

Kristine Hughes

Injuries Hughes suffered aboard the USS Yellowstone AD41, just after Navy boot camp in Orlando, Fla., seemed to close the door on another dream, that of serving her country in the military. Leaving the Navy, however, led her to opening her adoption records and finding out about a two-year developmental delay in her early childhood, which qualified her for participation in Special Olympics and reopened her chances to achieve her goals as an athlete.

Hughes has been active in the Special Olympics in Pocatello, Idaho, and in Wake County in basketball, softball, soccer, tennis and track and field. Selected for Team-NC from among 38,000 athletes in North Carolina, she will compete in the track and field pentathlon competition, which includes the 400-meter run, the 100-meter run, running long jump, high jump and shot put. Hughes and the rest of Team-NC will be airlifted to Lincoln on July 17 and will return July 24.

Hughes is also pursuing her educational goals at Wake Technical Community College, taking math, English, study skills and interpersonal communications. She also joined the American Legion Post 232 and is a member of the Woodrow Wilson Chapter No. 1 of the Disabled American Veterans, which serves Wake County.

— Submitted by Warren Murphy

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