TULSA, Okla. — Families, veterans, Special Olympians and skating enthusiasts of all abilities gathered at the WeStreet Ice Center for a special all-abilities skating event that welcomed everyone to hit the ice, wobbles and all.
"A special purpose" event provided accommodations for participants with different needs, including noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, and story time books to ensure everyone could enjoy the experience comfortably.
Lori Schultz brought her daughter, who participates in Special Olympics. Schultz said her daughter enjoys watching ice skating, swimming, and diving.
"She likes to watch the ice skating and swimming, diving, and she's in Special Olympics herself, so yeah, yeah, she just got back from a swim meet and came back with a couple of medals," Schultz said.
Sean Novak, a father attending the event, praised Tulsa's supportive community for special needs families, "Tulsa has a wonderful community for special needs families. And just being able to have all abilities, activities, whether it be at a playground, whether it be here at the ice center, it's just wonderful and we're so thankful that the Tulsa community really supports us."
Young skater Gunner took a tumble but got back up with good humor, describing his fall and recovery to 2 News Oklahoma.
"I fell right there. I was trying to turn about this, and then I slipped, and then this piece right here, like it went right in my leg back here. Well, at least you got back up. Not bad. I didn't get a five-degree burn at least," Gunner said.
Veterans also participated in the event as part of the Tulsa Warriors, a group including disabled veterans and service members from various military branches.
Jared Piescheke, a volunteer and disabled veteran with the Tulsa Warriors, explained the group's involvement, "You see with the red and white jerseys, we're all part of the Tulsa Warriors. Some of them are disabled vets like myself. Some of them are just part of the team, but we're all veterans of some way, shape or form. We've got Marines, Navy. Coast Guard, Air Force, we've got everybody out here right now."
The event welcomed participants using wheelchairs, sleds, strollers, and traditional ice skates, creating an inclusive environment where falls were met with encouragement to get back up and keep skating.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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