Two athletes from this province are heading to Athens, Greece this week to compete in the Special Olympics.

"It's their Stanley Cup. To do that, it's been a lot of work. For my athlete here — Michael — it's been three years training," said Dr. Carmel Casey who coaches sprinter Michael Harris.

Harris, 21, has been training for the event despite the fact that there is no track in his hometown of Gander.

Harris has had to make do with a dirt road near the Canadian Forces Base where he hammered a pair of starting blocks into a patch of grass off the side of the road.

He said he hopes he won't be thrown off his game when he competes on a proper track.

"My fear there is, am I going to be able to perform my absolute best because I'm not used to running on a track like that?" he said.

Despite all the hurdles he's faced, Harris beat nearly 200 other runners to land a spot on the national team.

Fellow Newfoundlander, Jackie Barrett of Corner Brook, will also be competing in Greece.

Barrett will be competing in the power-lifting event and he's set his sights on establishing a new world record.

A Special Olympics World Summer Games torch lighting ceremony was held in Athens on Thursday June 9, 2011 at the ancient Pnyx site with the Parthenon temple in the background.

The June 25-July 4 games will host 7,000 athletes with disabilities from nearly 180 countries