Summer Games Volunteer Spotlight: Linda Behm

Special Olympics Indiana athletes will earn nearly 15,000 medals and ribbons during the 2024 Summer Games on June 7-9 in Terre Haute.

Those awards signify excellence and serve as reminders of all the hard work and training that went into the past year. They will show in trophy cases, hang from walls and rest on bedside tables in order to inspire individuals to even greater heights in future years.

But first, they must pass through the careful planning and watchful eyes of Linda K. Behm, the 2024 Summer Games awards venue manager who has shared her time and talents at Summer Games for more than 35 years.

Behm works with the Volunteer Committee to oversee the seven awards venues and the teams that operate at bocce, bowling, cycling, powerlifting, swimming, track and field and volleyball.

The former St. Joseph County resident, now living in Ohio, also volunteers her time to help at the Special Olympics Indiana EKS Games in the fall.

We recently caught up with Behm to ask her why she sets aside a weekend every year to share her time with Special Olympics Indiana.

What do you enjoy about volunteering with Special Olympics Indiana?

There are so many things to enjoy about volunteering with Special Olympics Indiana. There are the people that I get to meet and work with. Most of all, it’s the athletes. The joy on their faces after receiving their medal or ribbon, the enthusiasm that they bring to the competition, the excitement of Opening Ceremonies, the way they let loose on the dance floor.

What would people get out of volunteering that they may not expect?

Joy, laughter, love.

Describe the feeling of being part of the Summer Games?

It is a long weekend, and I am on my feet a lot. I am very tired by the end of the day. But it is the best weekend of the year. My family knows that if they schedule something that weekend, I will not be there. It’s my weekend in Terre Haute. I love Special Olympics.

Do you have any interesting stories about interacting with athletes or other volunteers at Summer Games?

Sometimes when you don’t think you have enough volunteers to do what is needed, all you have to do is ask – even though they have worked their shifts already. In the past couple of years, the volunteers that have worked all day with the events stayed to help hand out the awards.

Several years ago, when the games were at the old track, there was a strong storm approaching, and they were trying to evacuate the track. Some athletes could not move quickly, so the volunteers came together to make sure that the athletes were able to  cross the street for shelter. I remember I was at the furthest point away and grabbed a young athlete and carried them across the field and into the building to safety, where we waited out the storm.

One of my former students volunteered for a couple of years at the Summer Games. One of those years he dressed up in a dog suit and walked around the campus and to the dance. The athletes loved it.

Anything else you would like to add about volunteering?

Volunteering with Special Olympics is a gratifying experience. When you do it long enough, the athletes remember you and you start looking forward to those hugs. It’s always a good time.