Meet Zach Leeker

By Chris Chavez and Keith Turner Jr.

“I have a story for you; I’m a ladies man.”

Meet Zach Leeker, a 25-year old member of the Sharks Special Olympics swim team from Saint Charles, Mo.

Saturday, Leeker earned a bronze medal in the men's 50-meter backstroke and a gold medal in the men's 50-meter freestyle at the Special Olympics Missouri State Summer Games.

He said he didn't want to just be known for his swimming ability but also as a “ladies man.”

On the MizzouRec Complex pool deck, he certainly made his presence known. With a smile for everyone, Leeker pumped up the crowd, shouting "c'mon," and “let’s go sharks.” Leeker insisted (nicely) that fans should cheer for him, and he was quick to urge on his teammates.

Ending the day with a gold medal around his neck, Leeker couldn’t help but lead the crowd in a jubilant victory dance.

What's that smell?

Columbia, Mo. _ When you walk into the MizzouRec Complex, the smell of chlorine stings your nostrils as soon as you get through the doors. 

One Special Olympics team, the Missouri Aquatics Team from Lone Jack, Mo., though, celebrates the pool's stench. Members, coaches and parents of MOAT wear purple T-shirts that say "Chlorine is our cologne" for boys and "Chlorine is our perfume" for girls. 

MOAT coach Cheryl Heltzel found the original "Chlorine is our cologne" slogan online, and the team decided to add the perfume idea for girls. 

"It helps us feel like a team," Heltzel said. Because swimming is traditionally thought of as an individual sport, the matching shirts help the team feel united, she added. 

The team even earned the shirts, as well as matching purple backpacks and embroidered towels, in a combined effort. Team fundraisers, such as the Miles for Medals Dice Run where participants paid to go on motorcycle rides, earned

money to issue the shirts to MOAT's members. 

So as MOAT's swimmers walked around the pool during the Special Olympics Missouri State Summer Games on Saturday, one thing was certain. 

That chlorine smell didn't bother them. 
-- Anne Dankelson