KODIAK, Alaska — Not many people get a chance to compete in an Olympic event in Athens, Greece.
Kodiak's Christopher Kavanaugh gets that opportunity.
Kavanaugh left June 17 for the place of the first Summer Olympics to take part in the 13th Special Olympics World Summer Games that begin on June 25.
Kavanaugh, a powerlifter, is one of three Alaska delegates on Team USA. The other two, Jan Pendleton of Anchorage and Melissa Adams of Wasilla, are competing in gymnastics and aquatics.
"It's going to be fun," Kavanaugh said.
Kavanaugh, 20, was selected more than a year ago by Special Olympics Alaska to compete in the games. His name was drawn randomly from a group of powerlifters who won gold medals at last year's state games.
To get ready for the games he has been training at the Kodiak Athletic Club with Lindsay Knight and Luis Mendez for the past year.
"Lindsay and Luis have been helping me out pretty darn good," he said. "I thank them very much for helping me out."
Knight said it has been fun working with Kavanaugh.
"It has been a real pleasure," he said. "He is just a happy-go-lucky kid and is always in a good mood. He is always on time and always tries with all his heart to work out with everything he has got."
Kavanaugh, a 2010 Kodiak High School graduate, is competing in the 148-pound class. His events are the squat, deadlift and bench press — the latter two he said are his favorites.
He squats 290 pounds, deadlifts 330 pounds and bench presses 154 pounds. His total lifts are up 150 pounds from last year.
"Just physique-wise he has really muscled up," Knight said. "He looks like a lifter."
The games unite 7,000 athletes from 180 nations and Kavanaugh hopes he can represent Alaska and Team USA well.
"I hope I can at least win one or two (medals) and that would be OK with me," he said.
Knight, who coached a team of powerlifters for the 1999 World Games in North Carolina, likes Kavanaugh's chances.
"If he gets all his lifts I think he will do really well," Knight said.
The trip to Athens is much more than competition, especially in the arena of the Special Olympics.
Kavanaugh is looking forward to meeting other athletes, trading pins and touring Athens. He stays with a host family for four days before the games. During the games he rooms with another powerlifter from Hawaii. He met his roommate, coach and teammates during a weeklong training trip to San Diego in March.
"It is an incredible opportunity for him," Christopher's mother Margaret Kavanaugh said. "I don't think we ever had any idea when he started Special Olympics that he would ever be at this place, for him to have an opportunity like this . We are pretty proud of him."
Just like the Olympics, the Special Olympics World Summer Games happen every four years.
Christopher has been involved in Special Olympics since the age of 8. His first sport was bowling. Since then he has added snowshoeing, swimming, basketball skills, floor hockey, equestrian and track to his resume.
He would like to add golf and bocce to the list.
Being on this year's floor hockey team was the first team sport he has done.
"That was kind of a major accomplishment, to be a part of a team . That was a milestone for us."
Over the years, Kavanaugh has won more medals than he can count. He also was fortunate enough to be a reporter as part of the Special Olympics National Summit at the first Special Olympics USA National games in Iowa in 2006.
What has Special Olympics taught Kavanaugh?
"If anyone can do it, you can do it," he said.
Information from: Kodiak Daily Mirror, http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com