CIU and Special Olympics South Carolina partner to promote fast-growing sport

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — April is National Pickleball Month, To celebrate, one South Carolina nonprofit is working with the Special Olympics and a local university to promote the sport.

“Special Olympics South Carolina has Adaptive Pickleball going throughout the state introducing pickleball to their community,” said Sandy Halkett, founder of Adaptive Pickleball. “We’re going to grow this into a Special Olympic sport and take it as far as we can take it.”

Halkett has played the sport for several years. She also has worked for decades with Special Olympics athletes playing golf.

“So what I did is take what we developed in golf for the Special Olympics and I catered it to pickleball,” she said. “That’s how Adaptive Pickleball came into being.”

Adaptive Pickleball, Special Olympics South Carolina and Columbia International University partnered for a fun-filled event on CIU’s campus Thursday night.

“It’s one of the fastest growing sports in the country,” said Dr. James Whitaker, a sports management professor at Columbia International University. 

“The learning curve is very fast. Special Olympics athletes love this because there is immediate success on the court,” Halkett said. “We had fun and added some music. You can play with anybody.”

Columbia International University organized and hosted the event on campus at the Moore Fitness Center. 

“We’re just trying to find ways that our students in sports management can get involved with the Special Olympics,” Whitaker said. “What they do is so awesome and brings joy to everybody.”

“I actually enjoyed it too,” said CIU senior Lauren Baker. “I learned a lot of rules and it’s something I want to do going forward.”

Adaptive Pickleball plans to do more partnerships with Special Olympics South Carolina in the future. 

“If you’d like for us to come and start a Special Olympics program in your area of South Carolina, that’s what we’re here to do,” Halkett said. “Columbia is our first stop.”

Clemson and Rock Hill are the next two stops as Adaptive Pickleball continues to grow the sport.