Tanner Flowers sprinted forward at the whistle, leaving the rest of the pack in his dust.
He glanced back for a split second at the other runners barreling after him, and as he picked up the pace, Tanner stumbled. He tumbled head first into the track, scraping a chunk of skin off the left side of his face.
Tanner remembers hearing the large crowd take a collective gasp. Then, one of the runners past him as he picked himself up off the ground.
“I didn't care if I hurt or not,” he said. “I just started going. Everybody was yelling, saying, “Go Tanner!”
Tears welled in his eyes, and blood dribbled down his face as Tanner darted over the finish line. Jerry Flowers said his son's face lit up when he learned he won first place.
As Tanner grinned from ear-to-ear, Flowers said he knew his son was a champion. Those moments are why the Special Olympics are so important.
“This was just a real special, touching thing that happened,” Flowers said. “I am sure there are hundreds of them. This one really drove home. I think that it is real important that the people in this community hear what really goes on at the Special Olympics. It's more than just a track meet.”
Tanner, 27, trains year round to compete with the Mustang Broncos special athletes. Mustang took about 35 youth and young adults to the Oklahoma Special Olympics May 11 through May 13 in Stillwater. Athletes must train and qualify at other competitions to be eligible for the state meet.
“For these three days, there are no handicaps there,” Flowers said. “They are all equal. They feel a part of the community and feel a part of participation, like everyday kids out here in our society feel. That is so important.”
This is Tanner's fourth year to compete with the Broncos, and he specializes in shot put and 100-meter dash. Flowers said they practice throwing the shot put at home, and Tanner trains for the dash by running at Wild Horse Park.
Tanner won first place at a qualifier in Weatherford and was ready for the state meet. Flowers said his son looks forward to competing all year.
“These special athletes are such special, special kids,” he said. “This is their place.”
That doesn't mean competition is free of disappointment. In his past outings, Tanner has won first place in the shot put for his age division, but this time he faced stiff competition. While his throw matched his personal best, three others inched him out of the medals, leaving Tanner with the fourth-place ribbon.
After his first event, Tanner felt down. With everyone competing, Flowers said he told his son fourth place is still good and to look forward to his race.
That evening, Flowers remembers overhearing Tanner's prayer to God, “Please let me win.”
Tanner had to wait almost all day May 13 because his race was among the last. As he left his parents for the warm-up tent before the race, Tanner said he felt scared. He later told his father he prayed again, “Please let me win.”
Flowers told his son, “Tanner, God answers Special Olympic prayers.”