Making His Pitch for Special Olympics New York
Former Intern for Syracuse Mets Returns to Field as He Chases a Dream
Special Olympics New York Staff Report
Syracuse, N.Y. – Most of the young men who throw baseballs from the mound at Syracuse Mets minor league baseball games are chasing dreams of playing in the major leagues.
Santino Alcaras has other ideas. Alcaras has been involved with Special Olympics New York for more than a year, and he’s currently training to run in the New York City Marathon in November. Alcaras spent the past year dreaming of running 26.2 miles through the streets of New York City to not only fulfill a personal training goal but also to support the mission of Special Olympics New York.
“It’s been such a great journey for me since I’ve been a part of Special Olympics,” Alcaras said. “I’ve been able to meet such amazing athletes. They’ve inspired me to push myself to my fullest potential, to not overthink when training gets hard and most of all, to give back to an organization that makes it possible for them to realize their dreams as well.”
On a warm, muggy night on September 4, Alcaras jogged to the grass in front of the mound and zinged a fastball over the plate. Alcaras previously worked for the Syracuse Mets with their Fan Experience team, so he had been on the field before. This time instead of running around with the mascot and tossing T-shirts into the stands, he donned a bright red Special Olympics shirt as he stepped toward the mound.
After hearing his name announced and tossing that first pitch, Alcaras quickly put his focus back on running. The novice runner who felt winded on his first two-mile training run this spring already completed a 5K race in Syracuse earlier this summer. Alcaras also completed a 16-mile training run over Labor Day weekend and is on track to complete his first marathon on November 1 in New York City.
“Throughout this process, I’ve realized I can really put my mind to anything and succeed,” Alcaras said. “I’m not surprised how far I’ve come. I’m feeling pretty good.
You can help Santino cross the finish line and achieve his fund-raising goals by donating to Special Olympics New York today!
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