In this narrative I will be describing what Unified Track is, opportunities that come with joining, current coaches and athletes, and my thoughts on it.

Unified Track is a sport made to unite neurodivergent students and neuro-typical students. The sport is sponsored by the Special Olympics, although athletes are still required to do fundraisers for field trips, with the current fundraiser being country meat sticks.

There as five main events for Unified Track, including a total of 11 different sub events. Starting off at meets are the running events, divided in 100, 400, 800, and 1600 meter dashes. Following the runs, teams are divided into three sections: shot putters, javelin throwers, and long jumpers. To complete the meet, teams rejoin for the final running event, the relays. Like the dashes, relays are also divided into 100, 400, 800, and 1600 meter distances per each athlete in the que.

Being on the Unified Track team gives you the opportunity to go on field trips to build relationships with your soon-to-be team mates, with the team hosting the trips once a month. In addition, the team also holds holiday events, such as pumpkin painting for Halloween, a Thanksgiving dinner, and a Christmas gift exchange.

Currently, Unified Track has four Coaches: Mrs. Pound, Mrs. Walls, Ms. Nosel, and Mrs. Rose. Track members include: Luke Littlefield, Ethan Artice, Matthew McDonald, Gary Dear, Shane Thomas Little, Ryan Mather, Lucas Burch, Margo Boucher, and Kyleigh Artice.

As a third-year athlete in Unified Track, I feel right in saying that Unified Track is and was the best part of my high school experience. There is nothing more rewarding and heart-warming than to see the joy in your teammates eyes, their brilliant laughter, and their mile wide smiles. If I had heard of Unified sooner, I would have joined the first year it was started, and I’d play next year if I could.