High school teams from around the state competed from May 19 to 22 in Lakewood at the Colorado State Track and Field Championships. Paralympics and Special Olympics were held in conjunction with the meet for other individual athletes. After its conclusion, Coach Ben Woo Ching shared his thoughts about one of the competitors:

“Being a coach is an amazing profession for a number of reasons, but the major one that it always comes back to is the kids. Being able to work with student-athletes in a space that promotes competition, getting out of their comfort zone, and working through obstacles is what makes high school athletics so special. While coaching, there are times when an athlete enters your life that is able to hit the reset button on your perspective on what sports are all about. For me, that athlete was senior Trey Corbitt. Trey is a member of our track team at Erie High School who just happens to also compete in the Special Olympics. For the past two seasons, I have had the opportunity to get to know Trey and coach him in both shot put and discus and it has been one of the highlights of my time at Erie.

Trey is one of three triplets (brothers Dustin and Kyle). He was the team manager for football this past fall, our prom king this spring, and recently competed in the Colorado State Track Meet where he defended his Paralympic/ Special Olympic state shot put title throwing a 33-0” bomb that beat his previous best (30-10”) by over two feet! That throw however was not by mistake. Though Trey qualifies for the Special Olympics, he trains just as hard if not harder than the other athletes on the team.

Whether it be in the weight room or in the rings, Trey’s commitment to getting better is an inspiration to us all and was the reason why he was able to win Shot Put back-to-back years as well as come in first in the Discus last year and come in second this year (68-7”). Trey Corbitt is a one-of-a-kind athlete that Erie High School will miss seeing out there next season.”

Special Olympics Colorado serves over 15,000 athletes and can transform lives through the joy of sport, each and every day. To make a donation to Special Olympics Colorado, go to www.specialolympicsco.org.