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<p>DORRANCE TWP. &#8212; Aaron Keller never walked until he was 2.</p><p>In March, he will compete as a runner in the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in the United Arab Emirates.</p><p>The youngest of six children and the only son of Donna and Richard Keller, Aaron will celebrate his 21st birthday March 6, the day he leaves for the competition.</p><p>&#8220;This is nothing short of amazing,&#8221; Donna Keller said of the moment she learned her son would compete. &#8220;It is very hard to get selected for the World Games.&#8221;</p><p>The 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games is a multi-sport event for athletes with intellectual disabilities in the tradition of the Special Olympics movement. They will be held in Abu Dhabi from March 14 to 21.</p><p>Aaron got into distance walking in Special Olympics when he was 8, and when a middle school teacher in the Crestwood School District suggested he join the track team, he did just that. As a cross country runner, he finished last more often than not, but was always cheered on not only by his own teammates but by runners from other school districts.</p><p>By his senior year, Aaron was voted &#8220;Most Improved Runner.&#8221;</p><p><strong>&#8216;Heartwarming&#8217; progress</strong></p><p>&#8220;It was heartwarming to see,&#8221; Donna Keller said of her son&#8217;s cross country career. &#8220;Special Olympics did exactly what it was designed to do for Aaron. It instilled teamwork, social skills, cheering on others, paying attention to direction.</p><p>&#8220;Special Olympics was a bridge into the typical world for Aaron. He&#8217;s now got an &#8216;I can do this&#8217; attitude,&#8221; she continued.</p><p>Donna was at work when she got a call about her son participating in the World Games.</p><p>&#8220;My initial response was, &#8216;Are you kidding me?&#8217;&#8221; she said.</p><p>Aaron had won a gold medal at state Special Olympics competition in 2016 at Villanova University. There, his name went into a pool of athletes eligible for the World Games.</p><p>The 2019 World Games &#8211; the largest in history with 7,000 athletes and 20,000 volunteers &#8211; will be held March 14-21 under the theme &#8220;Inclusion Revolution.&#8221; The Games will be televised by ESPN. Aaron will compete in the 10K, 1500 and 4 x 100M relay races.</p><p><strong>Aaron&#8217;s diagnosis</strong></p><p>Aaron was diagnosed with global development delay, the general term used to describe a condition that occurs during the developmental period of a child between birth and 18 years. It is usually defined by the child being diagnosed with having a lower intellectual functioning than what is perceived as &#8220;normal.&#8221;</p><p>Aaron received physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy throughout his entire school career. A 2017 graduate of Crestwood High School, he is currently a student at Luzerne County Community College through a Luzerne Intermediate Unit program and serves as a volunteer assistant cross country and track coach for the Crestwood High School track team.</p><p>The Pennsylvania World Games team will meet in Williamsport before traveling to New York. From there, the team will proceed with a police escort to the Newark International Airport for the first leg of its trip to Abu Dhabi.</p><p>The flight to Abu Dhabi won&#8217;t be Aaron&#8217;s first; however, as he has traveled to Alaska on a mission trip with the Mountain Top Family Church.</p><p>&#8220;I am nervous,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This is my first time going out of the country. But I&#8217;m excited at the same time.&#8221;</p><p>Helping to organize games for young children at his church every Sunday and working this past summer as a counselor at Camp Orchard Hill, Aaron hopes to be a pastor one day.</p><p>&#8220;It took a village to raise a kid like this and there are so many people in his village,&#8221; Donna said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Aaron Keller, of Dorrance Township, will participate in the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi in March, soon after he turns 21. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Games2.CMYK_-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Aaron Keller, of Dorrance Township, will participate in the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi in March, soon after he turns 21. </caption0><photoCredit0>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Games1.CMYK_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Crestwood High School track coaching staff runs with 20-year-old Aaron Keller, of Dorrance Township, who will participate in the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi in March. From left, are Amy Viti, Keller, Keith Junas, Rob Molton. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Games1.CMYK_.jpg</photo1><caption1>The Crestwood High School track coaching staff runs with 20-year-old Aaron Keller, of Dorrance Township, who will participate in the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi in March. From left, are Amy Viti, Keller, Keith Junas, Rob Molton. </caption1><photoCredit1>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Games4.CMYK_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Crestwood High School assistant track coach Keith Junas, right, trains beside Aaron Keller, of Dorrance Township, for Keller&#8217;s trip to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in March for the Special Olympics World Summer Games. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Games4.CMYK_.jpg</photo2><caption2>Crestwood High School assistant track coach Keith Junas, right, trains beside Aaron Keller, of Dorrance Township, for Keller&#8217;s trip to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in March for the Special Olympics World Summer Games. </caption2><photoCredit2>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Games5.CMYK_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Crestwood High School track coaching staff chats with 20-year-old Aaron Keller, of Dorrance Township, who will compete in the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi in March. From left, are Rob Molton, Keller, Keith Junas, Amy Viti. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Games5.CMYK_.jpg</photo3><caption3>The Crestwood High School track coaching staff chats with 20-year-old Aaron Keller, of Dorrance Township, who will compete in the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi in March. From left, are Rob Molton, Keller, Keith Junas, Amy Viti. </caption3><photoCredit3>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Games3.CMYK_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Rob Molton, Crestwood High School track head coach, right, runs with Aaron Keller, who was chosen to participate in the Special Olympics World Summer Games in the Middle East nation of United Arab Emirates in March. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_Games3.CMYK_.jpg</photo4><caption4>Rob Molton, Crestwood High School track head coach, right, runs with Aaron Keller, who was chosen to participate in the Special Olympics World Summer Games in the Middle East nation of United Arab Emirates in March. </caption4><photoCredit4>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Dorrance youth bound for Special Olympics world games </subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dotty Martin</p><p>dmartin@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Wish Aaron well &#8230;</strong></p><p>An Open House sendoff for Aaron Keller will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at Grotto Pizza, 337 Wyoming Valley Mall, Wilkes-Barre Township.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Dotty Martin is the Community News Editor for the Times Leader Media Group. Reach her at 570-991-6405.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Dorrance youth to run in Special Olympics World Summer Games