These athletes may not get the attention like ones in the WIAA or the NCAA, but hundreds of talented Special Olympics athletes took to the court and to the beam Saturday (3/13) in a tournament in Menomonie.

Teams from everywhere in the 18 county region competed to make it to the regional and then state competitions in basketball, basketball skills, and gymnastics. Many of the athletes participating in team basketball are also on the all-state team, which will represent Wisconsin at the national tournament this year in Nebraska.

One of the coaches from that team says being involved in Special Olympics has changed his life in part with their intensity.

"It's a pretty common misconception and the big thing is if you come and watch the tournaments, it's very, very, very competitive," says Brad Nelson.

Organizers say there are more than 25 different Special Olympic agencies in the Indianhead area and they're always looking for more volunteers to help coach or help at tournaments.