The Alameda Islanders [1] competed in the Special Olympics Northern California (SONC) Regional Spring Games on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at Freedom High School in Oakley. Many counties sponsored swim clubs, including some from great distances. The meet was a joint event featuring both swimming and track and field. Lunch was furnished by SONC for athletes, coaches, and volunteers.
[2]Opening ceremonies featured the Special Olympics Athlete Oath, pledged by the participants: “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
Coach Susan Tremain led the Islanders swimmers. As head swim coach, she has marked 50 years of continuous service to the Islanders Special Olympics swim program. Serving as a Swim-To-Live instructor at the Encinal Swim Center in 1976, she was asked by Jack Capon, then-coordinator of Alameda Special Olympics, to coach swimming.
Capon had already started a track and field program and wanted to add swimming. Tremain started the swim program and over the years, recruited assistant coaches to guide athletes in the pool. She assumed head coach duties on weekends, in addition to teaching first grade at George P. Miller Elementary School for 25 years, and second grade at Washington School for another five years.
[3]Tyler Cobb, grandson of Jack Capon, has carried his grandfather’s mantle as head organizer of Alameda Islanders sports and events. The team’s heats were organized by track coaches Richard Wright, Cliff Owyoung, and Gary Mueller, along with swim coaches Susan Tremain, Pat Bowen, Steffanie Grissom, Elizabeth Chavez, and April Adkins.
In a spirit of competition and sportsmanship, Special Olympians competed in a variety of swimming skills and stroke events—assisted and unassisted swim, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, and freestyle. Islanders Sara Alexander, Lauren Dare, Danny Dodson, Bruck Fitsum, Dania Leyva, Hassan Mahmoud, Ben Renaud, and Danny Thach earned gold or silver medals in their heats.
In track and field, Special Olympians competed in various contests—sprints, walks, and softball throw. Islanders Paul Archuletta, Robbie Erion, Erica Jacob, Logan Mueller, Kingston Pham, Jesus Ramos, and Pablo Ramos earned gold, silver, and/or bronze medals in their events.
The Islanders practice many sports in six-week cycles, including bowling, bocce ball, soccer, softball, swimming, and track and field. The culmination of each sport is a regional event such as the May 16 meet at Freedom High School in Oakley. We are very proud of our Special Olympics athletes!