Hitting the Ground Running

In sport, there are usually seasoned athletes who serve as mentors to new athletes who are just learning to become acquainted with the new strategies and techniques that are involved.Over time, the mentor will share his or her knowledge of the sport with the newcomer. The newcomer will soon blossom into an ambassador of the sport and an organic and heartfelt relationship between the two develops. For Special Olympian Matt Klemets, he has been able to inspire and teach the sport of running to his current unified partner, Will Hammond, on the Connecticut Unified Running team.

The Connecticut Unified Running team was established in 1991by Kevin and Yvonne Grimes as a way to allow Special Olympics athletes to participate in races and train alongside unified partners (athletes without intellectual disabilities). Yvonne Grimes was the head coach for the Special Olympics Connecticut track and field delegation at the 1991 World Games in Minneapolis. Upon arrival back to Connecticut, she noted the lack of events and participation in long distance running events and knew that many athletes were capable of achieving so much more. As a result, the Unified Running team was formed. Currently, the team has practice sites in Wilton, Cheshire, New London and Trumbull. Participants come from surrounding towns. The season runs from early August to around Halloween.

Matt Klemets, who grew up in Wilton, has been on the Connecticut Unified Running team since 1991.Since then, he has participated in countless races including 5k and 10k races, half and full marathons, and team competitions.Running has become a passion for Klemets as he embarks on yet another season of running.

“I like working hard,” Klemets said. “It can get hot sometimes, but I enjoy it. I keep myself going on it.”

Of the many races Klemets has participated in, he has run in the 1994 Marine Corp Marathon, the 1995 Special Olympics World Games half marathon in New Haven, and the 2005 Reach the Beach Relay race from Mount Washington to the New Hampshire coast (a 200 mile team race).

With all of this running experience under his belt, Klemets has been able to offer advice for his unified partner, Will Hammond. Hammond, who lives in Bethel, joined the Unified Running team in 2008 with essentially no past running experience. He was interning with Kevin Grimes’ company, Louis
Dreyfus Commodities, when Yvonne Grimes suggested that he join the Unified Running team.

“I looked at it as an opportunity to do it as some kind of extracurricular activity now that school was over,” Hammond said. “I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect. But once I met Matt, everything went smoothly from there. It was a very easy transition to work with them. They are very understanding and accepting. I think we’ve grown a lot closer over the past years too.”

In the beginning, Hammond used Klemets as he pacer in races because they were of similar physical ability.

“In the first two years I kept pace with him until I got used to the workouts,” Hammond said.

During the running season, Klemets and Hammond practice every Tuesday night together at Wilton High School. This year, Hammond is currently training to compete in his first ever marathon in October at the ING Hartford Marathon. Although he knows it will be a challenge, he has found confidence and inspiration from his running partner who has run marathons in the past. Unfortunately, Klemets will not be running in the marathon, but that has not stopped him from helping Hammond train.

“Matt’s always been here since started,” Hammond said. “He’s definitely the veteran and I’m still the rookie.”

For Klemets, the relationship with Hammond has been nothing more than beneficial as theycontinue to grow both as athletic partners and more importantly, close friends.

“Will’s a nice guy and he’s very good,” Klemets said.  “He’s so understanding.”

When he’s not running, Klemets serves as a Special Olympics Global Messenger. Global Messengers are athletes who spread the message and vision of Special Olympics at community events. They strive to convey the powerful messages of hope, acceptance, dignity, and courage that Special Olympics demonstrates on a daily basis. Klemets has been a Global Messenger since 2006. 

“I like traveling a lot and meeting people,” Klemets. “We even get to go up to Massachusetts and meet people.”

Klemets also works in Westport at Earthplace, The Nature Discovery Center, where he is a handyman and helps keep the facility well maintained and clean.

When Will Hammond is not running, he is either working full time in the accounting department at Louis Dreyfus Commodities or studying for his MBA at UConn which he hopes to complete within the next year. For both, however, running will always be an outlet for them to escape the world just for a little bit.

“It gives me a chance to get away from everything I’m worried about,” Hammond said. “I get away from work and school. For an hour or two I get to free my mind. It seems weird saying it, but that’s my relaxation period.”

For anyone interested in joining the Connecticut Unified Running team, please contact Rebecca Brookshire at 203-267-6566 or at rebeccab@soct.org.