LAPORTE — After the crowd of LaPorte students had finally started to subside, Noblesville senior Mitch Bonar stood with a wide smile still on his face.
Bonar, who was born with cerebral palsy, had just finished speaking to the school’s student body as part of the IHSAA’s Champions Together program.
Following his speech, which emphasized the importance of Unified Sports and inclusion of Special Olympics athletes, Bonar was greeted and thanked by hundreds of LaPorte students. While he appreciated the attention, it was something else that had him beaming.
“It’s not about getting fans, it’s about giving from the heart and caring for everybody,” Bonar said. “It makes such an impact in my heart, and I’m hoping to make an impact in their hearts as well. That’s what keeps me going, knowing that I made an impact on these kids and they’re going to continue to make an impact on other kids.”
During the speech, Bonar touched on the struggle he went through to learn how to tie his shoes and perform other everyday tasks. Special Olympics gave him a place where he could feel he belonged and face his fears.
“He’s a tremendous person with the obstacles that he’s faced in his life,” LaPorte tennis player Michael Varda said. “To be able to overcome them with such a simple program makes us question why we haven’t done this before. But now that we have, it’s changing lives.”
Varda was among the student-athletes who visited an IHSAA seminar at Hobart High School prior to Thursday’s event at LaPorte.
“We learned about the program and the qualifications,” he said. “As soon as we heard about the difference it is making in these kids’ lives, we knew we wanted to be part of it.”
The Slicers will have a unified track and field team, comprised of athletes without disabilities and those with disabilities, for the first time this spring.
LaPorte athlete Matt Otwinowski, one of 18 members on the IHSAA student advisory committee, also addressed the student body. Otwinowski believes the presentation was an effective way to get the message of inclusion across to students, a sentiment echoed by his fellow student-athletes.
“Everyone got a chance to see how it feels not being a part of a group,” softball player Bailey Severs said. “It’s nice seeing him talk and express how they feel. Students can make an impact by smiling at them and talking to them.”
When Bonar stepped to the microphone, he did so with a sense of determination. His goals were to make a lasting impact for future generations and to be remembered.
“I’m going to leave a 50-year legacy at every school that I go to,” Bonar said. “That has been my dream, just making a difference. I love working with all these people; my heart goes out to everybody.”
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Brandon Vickrey is a freelance writer.