ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) What would you do if you got to meet one of your personal heroes? Well, that dream became a reality for one Rock Hill Special Olympics Athlete.
Tina Cook is a long-time Special Olympics athlete she’s competed both locally and nationally for nearly 30 years. She loves competition.
Tina hasn’t been able to compete through the pandemic, but she’s still watching and wresting is her favorite.
“She’s loved wrestling since she was just a small baby. Our father would watch wrestling on TV and Tina would go and watch it with him,” says Angie Harkey, Tina’s sister.
To keep Tina’s spirits up and motivated during quarantine she got an unexpected surprise from her favorite South Carolina native wrestler, The Big Show.
Tina says she was so excited to meet him and she had some valuable advice.
“I told him you had to be a good sport, and I told him that because that was my spirit when I get 4th place or 5th or 6th,” says Tina.
“I think someone like the big show and the support that he has for the special olympics…you know the inclusion that he teaches and all of the inspiration that he gives all of the athletes is just amazing and it shows the type of person he truly is,” says Angie.
In the video above, CN2’s Rachel Richardson is speaking with the athlete and her family about what the surprise meant.
