The Special Olympics Area 10 Unified golf team all received gold medals at the State Fall Games. Members of the team are (back row from left) coach Lynn Frisbey, Fran LaMere, Ron Kopacz, Doug Gorringe (front row from left) Josh Wimble and Michael Gorringe. Submitted photo
SANDUSKY – The Special Olympics Area 10 Unified golf team made its triumphant return this past fall to the Michigan Special Olympics State Fall Games, bringing home some hardware in the process.
The three unified teams of Josh and Harry Wimble, Fran LaMere and Ron Kopacz and Michael and Doug Gorringe represented Area 10 (Mid-Michigan Region, Huron, Tuscola, Sanilac and St. Clair) at Eagle Crest Golf Course in Ypsilanti for the annual State Fall Games.
All three teams earned gold medals at the competition.
“They loved it,” said Area 10 golf coach Lynn Frisbey. “Special Olympics golf has just been really important to all of these guys and other people along the way.”
Frisbey has been the coach of the Area 10 golf team for nearly 20 years.
He first got involved with the team while he was a community based mental health technician for Sanilac County Community Mental Health, where he began working in 1992.
After retiring from CMH in November of 2013, Frisbey continued to be involved with the Special Olympics program.
“CMH changed their programs and were not continuing,” he said. “I wanted to continue and I wanted these guys to continue with their special Olympics participation. There used to be more but gradually ones have dropped out or moved away. So, I continued as a volunteer.”
Since retiring over a decade ago, Frisbey and his group have met at least once a week to either go golfing or bowling.
The group also regularly competed in the State Fall Games, as well as the summer and winter Special Olympics events.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, that changed.
“Our former area coordinator, his name was Eddie Crosby,” Frisbey said. “He passed away during COVID and that threw us kind of into a confusion in this area because he was the link between us and the special Olympics organization.”
Crosby passed away in April of 2021, and the Area 10 unified golf team did not make its return to the State Fall Games until 2023.
A “unified” golf pair features one handicapped and one non-handicapped golfer, who play alternate strokes.
The three unified pairs made the most of their return to the State Fall Games this year, as they all won gold, and they look forward to returning to the competition next fall.
“It’s important to me because it is important to these guys,” Frisbey said. “It also gives me an outlet to be active and involved in the community.”
Michael (left) and Doug (right) Gorringe look on as a fellow Special Olympics golfer prepares to sink a putt at the State Fall Games. Photo courtesy of Michigan Special Olympics
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