Col. Falls Special Olympian headed to world games
Powerlifter Sylvester Vermillion is spotted by coach Mark Kuhr during a workout at The Wave Aquatic & Fitness Center in Whitefish on Tuesday, June 26. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Special Olympics athlete Sylvester Vermillion does a deadlift during a practice session at The Wave in Whitefish last week as he prepares for the Special Olympic Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle. (Heidi Desch/Whitefish Pilot)
Columbia Falls powerlifter Sylvester Vermillion II will represent Montana in the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi next year.
The lone athlete chosen from Montana, Vermillion, 44, will join the 315-member delegation from the United States that includes 218 athletes, 63 coaches and 34 team support members from across the country, in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in March 2019.
Vermillion competed in the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle in July for some heavy lifting on the national stage, where he won silver medals in the benching and squatting events, gold in the dead-lift and gold overall.
Challenged by a combination of disorders, including autism, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder, Vermillion fought his way to the top in his sport over the last six years with some guidance from his powerlifting coach, Mark Kuhr, of Whitefish.
“He has the desire and the heart that most athletes only dream about,” Kuhr said in an earlier interview with the Inter Lake. “Maybe some of our professional athletes could take a page out of his playbook.”
The single dad of two started his powerlifting career with the Kalispell Krushers Special Olympics team in 2012 before transitioning to the Whitefish Thunder team in 2014.
“After the first practice, I saw what I could do and I kind of surprised myself,” Vermillion previously told the Inter Lake.
According to his coach, Vermillion aims to bench 275 pounds, squat around 500 pounds and dead-lift 525 pounds by next March, and Kuhr thinks he’ll do it.
“Going to worlds now I think he’s going to do quite well,” Kuhr said. “The key is going to be the focus, and he’s going to be in a part of the world that’s going to be completely foreign to him.”
Traveling to Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be Vermillion’s first time leaving the country, according to Kuhr.
“For a person like Sylvester this is pretty daunting,” he said.
But that has not curbed Vermillion’s excitement and drive as he continues his training and preparation, both physically and mentally, for the big-time, Kuhr added.
Special Olympics USA will compete in 17 of the 24 sports offered: athletics, basketball, bocce, bowling, cycling, equestrian, golf, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, powerlifting, sailing, soccer, swimming, table tennis, tennis, triathlon and volleyball.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these athletes to demonstrate their athletic abilities, competing at the highest level on the world stage, and to have life and cultural experiences that will stay with them for the rest of their lives,” said Chris Hahn, head of delegation for Special Olympics USA. “I encourage every American to cheer on these inspiring athletes, to share in their triumphs and to take pride in knowing that they will represent our country with excellence and honor.”
One of eight powerlifters competing for the Special Olympics USA team, Vermillion will be the first in his sport to ever represent Montana in the world competition, according to Kuhr.
Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi will be the largest sports and humanitarian event in the world in 2019, with a total of 7,500 athletes and 3,000 coaches representing more than 176 nations in events taking place March 14-21.
To follow Special Olympics USA, visit www.specialolympicsusa.org, and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.