Plunge like a penguin

COEUR d’ALENE — Crystal Teeters of Coeur d'Alene tried to get warm in the 43-degree weather Saturday morning at City Beach.

She wore her Coeur d'Alene Eagles Special Olympics jacket and a pair of bunny ears. As the 11 a.m. hour drew near, Teeters and the eight other Penguin Plungers got ready to enter the 40-degree water of Lake Coeur d'Alene. Teeters stripped down to her bathing suit, and a couple of the men wore shorts, but several planned to take the dip fully dressed.

Makenzie Brock, 10, and her brother Titan, 8, of Coeur d'Alene decided at the last minute to join the plunge.

"I'm taking my jacket off and going to zoom in and zoom out," Makenzie said.

The Penguin Plunge is an annual event to raise funds for the Coeur d'Alene Eagles Special Olympics team and the Law Enforcement Torch Run, where law enforcement in each state around the nation volunteer to carry the

Flame of Hope throughout the state leading up to the Special Olympics Summer Games. Penguin Plunge is a trademarked name of Special Olympics International.

Gregory Quinn, local program coordinator for Special Olympics Idaho, said the Coeur d'Alene Eagles team is made up of more than 230 athletes and 130 volunteers.

"We cover almost every sport that is covered at the Olympic level that can be done by an athlete," Quinn said.

Quinn said the team adheres to international Special Olympics rules, and it is "very serious competition." Track and field, swimming and basketball are just a few of the Special Olympics sports. Teeters is a skier, another sport in which the Eagles take part. Quinn also said they have some new sports, which include flag football and bocce, which he said is kind of like lawn bowling and "it's a blast."

"Needless to say we are always fundraising, we are always promoting, there is always something to do," he said after naming several other sports included in the Special Olympics. "And the best part is, this is at no cost to our athletes."

Regional games run from Bonners Ferry to Lewiston, and the winner of those games go to state. Each year the state games are held in a different location and this summer they will be in Twin Falls. Quinn said Coeur d'Alene should be about due to host the state games, but probably not for a couple years.

"The community at large, throughout the entire state of Idaho, is a huge supporter of Special Olympics and special needs at any level," he said.

He said fire personnel and law enforcement, such as Kootenai County Sheriff deputies Alana Hunt and Harvey Ballman, are extremely supportive of the team and fundraisers and the Eagles "couldn't do it without them."

Practice for the summer games begins next week for the Eagles team.

The excitement coming from the nine people who signed up to take the plunge on Easter weekend was contagious. Several family members and friends were there to cheer them on. Jan Kinnard wore a penguin costume, although she wasn't there to take the plunge.

"I'm just the mascot," she said.

She was there with her son, Jim, a 15-year-old freshman at Lake City High School and an athlete on the local Special Olympics team. Jim's dad, Jeff, was there to take the plunge for him for the second year in a row. Jim said he would take the plunge, but he said his legs freeze too easily because, as a runner, his legs are fairly skinny. Jan added that Jeff is "part polar bear."

The brave nine entered the water at a quick pace, most came back out at just as quick of a pace, except Ray Ward of Post Falls who stayed in the lake, a Go-Pro camera strapped to his forehead.

Somebody in the crowd hollered, "round two."

"OK," Jeff Kinnard said, and ran back into the lake with a few others close behind. By that time, some of the plungers hung out in the water for several minutes.

"Cold," was all Teeters could say, drying off after she had spent a couple minutes in the water. After a moment she added they should have had a bonfire. It was her third year taking the plunge, and she said it has been colder in the past.

Makenzie and Titan had ran out of the water quickly, not returning for round two.

"It was fun," Makenzie said, but quickly shook her head no when she was asked if she was going to do it again next year.