The County Press

Lapeer County Special Olympics athlete competing in Dubai this week


Special Olympics 02 State Sen. Kevin Daley (R-Arcadia Township) presents Nicole Roberts with a certificate signed by the governor during a fund raiser at the Lapeer Center Building last month to help pay her way to Dubai.

Special Olympics 02 State Sen. Kevin Daley (R-Arcadia Township) presents Nicole Roberts with a certificate signed by the governor during a fund raiser at the Lapeer Center Building last month to help pay her way to Dubai.

ATTICA TWP. — There’s a good chance Lane Odalovich will be watching EPSN at 11 a.m. tomorrow (March 14) to get a glimpse of Nicole Roberts marching in opening ceremonies of the World Games for Special Olympics in Dubai.

Roberts, 31, is one of only three Special Olympics athletes making the 7,000-mile trip to Dubai to compete with 7,000 athletes from 170 countries. The first international Special Olympics was held in 1968.

Odalovich, who has been working with Roberts for a decade, began three-day-a-week training sessions with her last spring at the Lapeer Community Center. Roberts will compete in the 50-meter freestyle, 50-meter backstroke and the 50-meter 4-by freestyle relay at the games.

Three other coaches took over for Odalovich in January, when she headed to Florida for her annual stay there, but she said she’ll be watching the games on television.

Roberts flue to New Jersey March 6 to join other Special Olympic athletes before making the 20-hour flight the next day.

Nicole Roberts takes a breather from her training earlier this year at the Lapeer Community Center. She’s one of only three Special Olympic athletes competing at the World Games for Special Olympics in Dubai. Photo by Phil Foley

Nicole Roberts takes a breather from her training earlier this year at the Lapeer Community Center. She’s one of only three Special Olympic athletes competing at the World Games for Special Olympics in Dubai. Photo by Phil Foley

Her first event will be the 50-meter 4-by freestyle relay, set for 3 p.m. (Dubai time) Friday (March 15). She’ll follow up with the 50-meter backstroke at 9:40 a.m. Saturday (March 16) and wrap things up with the 50-meter freestyle at 9 a.m. March 20.

Odalovich noted that friends and neighbors raised more than $7,000 of the $7,200 it cost for Roberts to go to the World Games at a fund raiser at the Lapeer County Building Feb. 8 that included a performance by Third Degree Burns.

Following closing ceremonies in Dubai on March 21, Roberts is expected to fly home March 23.

Phil Foley