Special Olympian Gurney is bocce team’s Mr. Sunshine

Mike Gurney
Mike Gurney

Mike Gurney is one of those athletes who can brighten your day.

Gurney was honored as the Special Olympics Athlete of the Month at Monday’s Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon.

Gurney plays bocce ball and last summer he helped his Santa Barbara team win the gold medal at the Long Beach Games.

Coach Jaime Rutiga said Gurney is not only a good bocce player, he also has a way of inspiring the other members of the team.

“Every week we have practice, Mike brings a ray of sunshine when there is no sunshine,” Rutiga said. “Bocce seems like an easy sport until you play it and figure out how difficult it is. Mike consistently puts the bocce ball in the right place.”