Organizers offer special services for 'special' athletes

The organizers of the 8th National Special Olympic Games are checking eyesight, hearing, oral cavity and nutrition conditions of athletes to improve their health. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Liu Yan, from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, has witnessed her daughter with Down's Syndrome Wang Mengting to turn healthier, more confident and more willing to interact with others after playing sports.

Wang won a gold medal in swimming at the Special Olympic Games in 2002, at the age of 11.

"For families like ours, the most dreadful thing is living without hope, and the Special Olympic Games is the light of hope. My daughter is healthy and we feel happy. I'm proud of her," Liu told a local newspaper of Shaanxi.