MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / November 23, 1998

LULING – Whenever an Olympics is held, viewers are often treated to the accomplishments of the athletes but most do not realize the work that went behind those accomplishments.

A local delegation of Special Olympic athletes are traveling to Camp Beauregard in Alexandria this week to put in that work at a training camp for the World Games. The Games will be held in Raleigh-Durham, NorthCarolina, June 20 to July 4, 1999.

Denise Louque from Paulina, Stephen St. Pierre from Destrehan, MauriceDeslatte from Hester and Tina Zeringue are from the River Region area.

The four left the West Bank Bridge Park Thursday morning along with 28 other athletes from the Mega City area.

The Mega City area consists of St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. James,Lafourche, Terrebonne, Assumption, Orleans, Jeffer-son, Plaquemine and St. Bernard parishes.Once they arrive in Alexandria, the athletes will practice their sports at different venues, including aquatics, bowling, gymnastics, skating, bocce and track and field. Theresa Theriot of the St. Charles Parish Depart-mentof Parks and Recreation said that the athletes have to make it through the camp to get to the World Games.

At night, the athletes will have the opportunity to get to know each other and their coaches. Maxine Doucet, a local coach, said the camp allows theathletes to meet those from other parts of the state while preparing for the World Games where they will compete with athletes from around the world.

Other athletes from the Bayouland area are Tammy Bellanger from Galliano, Gloria Bouziga from Golden Meadow, Todd Naquin from LaRose and Phillip Thibodaux from Cut Off.

Coaches are Paula Garza, Louis and Patsy Griffin and Betty Bob Robert from Cut Off.

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