Forsyth Man Wins Medals For Table Tennis At Special Olympics

FORSYTH COUNTY, GA -- Forsyth County’s Garrett Ardizone took home two medals from the recent Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019. He won a silver medal for Singles Table Tennis and a bronze medal for Unified Doubles.

Ardizone has had a love for sports his entire life, according to the organization. He has been involved in Special Olympics for over 10 years. His favorite sports are softball, table tennis and basketball. He loves to compete and being part of a team.

Your Forsyth featured Ardizone, 33, who has been competing for five years in table tennis and one year of doubles.

"I played a little in my high school years," he told TV Forsyth. "After that I just stopped. When I noticed the Special Olympics were going to do it, I thought, 'hey why not give it a try?' Give it a try. Always shoot for the hopes and dreams. You may win, or you may not. It doesn't matter. What I learned is it's not all about winning, but about having fun."

Ardizone and his partner, Wayne Hancock, won the Georgia state games last year earning their spot in the World games. Their coaches, Mark Keesee and Karen Cima, are also from Forsyth County.

"He enjoys winning medals, but believes showing good sportsmanship and having fun no matter the outcome is most important," the Special Olympics said. "Garrett's interests include amusement parks, scary movies and math. Garrett knows that his parents and sister are his biggest fans, and he appreciates that they have always encouraged him to be involved and to do his best. He considers being chosen for World Games an enormous honor."

The Special Olympics World Games 2019 were hosted in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in March for the first time in the Middle East North Africa since the movement’s founding over 50 years ago.

Special Olympics is the world’s largest humanitarian sporting event and a global movement which focuses on the empowerment of People of Determination with intellectual disabilities through the power of sport. Over 7,000 athletes from over 170 countries competed in a series of sports, as well as a variety of initiatives and activities held across the seven Emirates.