TAMPA, Fla. — This weekend 200 athletes will compete in the countywide Special Olympics in Tampa.

“I’m ready,” said athlete Trevor Stevens. “I was born ready.”

For months, Stevens and his teammates have been working out to get ready for the games. 

“I like it,” said athlete Brooke Knotek. “It’s awesome. It’s phenomenal.”

But with the pandemic, it has not been easy to train. The delegation from the Specially Fit Foundation had to scramble to find a new training facility after COVID-19 shut down their initial location.

“It was hard for us,” said Specially Fit CEO Mark Oliver. “A lot of our athletes, this is what they look forward to.”

After repeatedly being turned down by other facilities, BayCare stepped in to help out the team.

“Partnering with Specially Fit was a no-brainer,” said Manthan Thaker, General Manager of Baycare’s Bloomingdale Fitness Center. “What Mark is doing is amazing and it’s an honor to be a part of that.”

Now, partnering with BayCare, the athletes are pumped about the competition.

“You got to put in the work,” said athlete Chad Richards. “You don’t put in the work, you won't win. That’s all there is to it.”

The athletes will compete on Saturday at two locations. Track and Field, cycling, bocce and soccer skills will be held at Jesuit High School. Tennis will be held at Hillsborough Community College. The opening ceremony starts at 9 a.m.