For the athletes participating in Tuesday’s 35th annual Cahaba Center Special Olympics, the anticipation for the event started the moment last year’s Olympics ended.

“They look forward to this all through the year,” said Floyd Sanders, day programs coordinator at the Cahaba Center for Mental Health. “This is the highlight of their year right here, and it’s the culmination of all their training. It’s a very special to be able to see them participate in a day like this a compete like any body else would.”

For anyone in attendance, athlete, parent, government official or journalist, it was obvious that this day was special.

Tuesday marked my second chance to experience a Cahaba Center Special Olympics event in person — I had the pleasure of covering their basketball tourament — and both were assignments I won’t soon forget.

Events like the Special Olympics are what sports are all about; fun and friendship. For me, the highlight of the day was seeing the look of pure joy on the faces of the runners after they crossed the finish line — regardless of the position they finished — or the same look on their faces after competing in the softball through or shot put.

It didn’t matter how they compared to those around them, what matter was that they were there.

There are three talented athletes who took part in Tuesday’s games — Shariline Norfleet, John  Shepard and Tonya Pitts — that will also being traveling to New Jersey to take part in the National Special Olympics in June.

While she joked about winning gold medals in all of the events she will compete in in June, Norfleet said she was most excited to meet new and interesting people during the journey.

“I will be trying to bring a lot of gold home,” Norfleet said. “But, it’s a lot fun getting to travel and meet people and being friends with them.”

Sure there was heartfelt competition Tuesday — each athlete kept an eye on the runner beside them as the sped their way toward the finish line — but there were open arms just beyond that line, and again at the base of the winner’s podium.

Even those organizers, who were busy making sure the athletes, medals and officials were where they needed to be at the right time, couldn’t help but smile and laugh right along with the athletes.

I want top personally congratulate, and thank, the staff and participants from the Cahaba Center for Mental Health for a terrific event.

I know I’m not alone when I say I can’t wait to see what the 36th annual Cahaba Center Sepcial Olympics bring in 2015.