SPECIAL Olympics Jamaica (SOJ) Executive Director Coleridge “Roy” Howell says it’s all systems go despite yesterday’s travel setback which means Jamaica’s athletes competing at the 2022 USA Games in Orlando, Florida are to arrive a day later than originally planned.

The delegation’s flight from Kingston to Miami early on Saturday was cancelled due to bad weather associated with the passage of a storm system over parts of Florida. The Jamaicans are expected to make the trip on Sunday but are set to miss the opening ceremony that morning.

According to forecasters the weather system was on track to reach tropical storm strength off the east coast of Florida late on Saturday and is to strengthen even further as it moves away from the state and into the Atlantic Ocean.

“We were all ready to depart but then the flight was cancelled because of the weather. It can be hard to predict weather patterns so we just have to hope for the best. All being well we’ll be there to participate in the Games starting on Monday,” Howell told the Jamaica Observer on Saturday.

He said the team is pumped for action at the USA Games which is scheduled to end June 12.

“I had a discussion with the athletes this morning and they understand that we have no control. Plus, safety comes first. They are in high spirits, they are eager to go, and [are] motivated to participate at the Games. They are focused and the cancellation hasn’t dampened their spirits.

“The kind of excitement I’m getting from them gives me confidence they are going to do well, bearing in mind they’ve been putting in a lot of effort in training. They want to achieve, they want to do the best they can, and they want to win these medals,” the SOJ executive director said.

The Jamaican team is among 11 from the Caribbean down to compete at the USA Games, a first ever for the region. The others are Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Dominica, Guyana, Haiti, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.

The Jamaicans are to down to compete in bocce, track and field, and aquatics — including pool and open water swimming.

The Special Olympics movement provides year-round sports training and competition in a variety of sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

People involved in the movement get the opportunity to develop physical fitness, maintain healthy lives, and participate in the sharing of skills and tightening of bonds with their families and other athletes.

Intellectual disabilities can either be acquired or genetic and can include cases of autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome and traumatic brain injury.

SOJ delegation: Head of delegation — Gladstone Sealy; assistant head of delegation — Coleridge Howell; athlete support — Ann Marie Fearon Anderson; team physician — Dr Tameka Stephenson Harris; coaches — Hugh McDonald, Lori-Ann Scott-Moore, Akeem Clark, Alecia Newman Walsh, Marissa Hayman; athlete/coach — Sherene Gordon; athletes — Kella Smith, Kadian Ingleton, Dantasia Fisher, Monique Johnson, Rochelle Douglas, Sheneel Williams, Allan Gordon, Kyle Chin, Anthoney Williams, Richard Smikle; unified partners — Arianna Smith, Chevaun Warren.

— Sanjay Myers