Special Olympics Pa. athlete breaks personal record during Fall Festival at Villanova
RADNOR TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) -- Hundreds of athletes are taking over Villanova University for Special Olympics Pennsylvania's Fall Festival this weekend.
For A.J. Knight, powerlifting is more than a sport.
"I did a really good job," he said.
A job well done that's given him a sense of purpose ever since he started lifting at 15 years old.
But on Saturday, the now 21-year-old proudly beat his personal best record. Bench pressing nearly 145 kilograms, that's 319 pounds, in front of a very supportive crowd.
"Warms my heart and I think the best part about it, he's so proud of himself," mother Jody Knight said.
He's just one of over a thousand athletes representing 39 Pennsylvania counties in various sports.
"We prepared a lot," Knight said. "Practices so much."
It's a weekend full of events that Knight's mom says gives her son a chance to break away from the stigma surrounding those with special needs.
"Not only is he deaf in both ears, he's also autistic and of course has an intellectual disability," Jody Knight said. "It gives them no boundaries. They can do whatever they can do within their means."
Aside from powerlifting, a newer sport in the Special Olympics is flag football. A freshman CBS News Philadelphia talked to said volunteering is incredibly special to her.
"Because of my brother, I've definitely seen firsthand a lot of discrimination against people with special needs," Kate Bogdan, Villanova freshman, said. So, I know when people like me come out here to support athletes, it just means so much to them."
"It's a family within a family," Jody Knight said.
Support that can be seen and felt both on and off the field.
The competition continues Sunday and that's when all of the athletes find out how they did in their category. There will also be a closing ceremony, featuring the Philadelphia Insurance Award of Valor.
