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Gold Medal Special Olympian Michael Heup, center rear, visited children attending the “Y”lympics Camp at the Dorchester Family YMCA.
[/caption] CAMBRIDGE – Children at the Dorchester Family YMCA’s “Y”lympics Camp had an actual medalist among them earlier this month. Maryland Special Olympian Michael Heup brought his gold medal and his inspiring story to the young athletes during his visit. The YMCA offers weekly camps during the summer focusing on certain sports or activities. Mr. Heup was a member of the 4x100 traditional snowshoe relay team, which finished first in the February Winter Games, in a time of 2:18.6. “Mr. Heup shared his Olympic journey with our campers and was a great sport while answering all of our questions,” a statement from the YMCA said on social media. “He is one of 10 USA Special Olympians chosen to participate in the World Special Olympics in Austria is 2017. We are all so excited to follow his journey.” Mr. Heup brought souvenirs from the games to share with his young fans. Among them was an autographed trading card showing his with a pair of snowshoes and featuring the statement, “The only special need I have is to be loved and accepted just the way I am.” For more information on the YMCA, call (410) 221-0505 or visit www.dorchesterymca.org.