Vermont will be represented at the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games by 19 athletes, Unified partners, and coaches competing in athletics (track and field events), Unified basketball, and swimming. Every four years, Special Olympics presents the USA Games where athletes from across the country compete in 14 team and individual sports. Over 4000 Special Olympic athletes are expected to participate in the USA Games this July in Seattle, Washington.
The Team Vermont delegation was recognized at the Vermont State House today, first in a meeting with Vermont Governor Phil Scott, followed by an introduction and reading of a Joint Resolution on the floor of the House.
“We are very proud of the delegation representing Vermont at the USA Games,” says Sue Minter, President and CEO of Special Olympics Vermont. “These athletes, partners, and coaches, have been training hard – many of them for several years – to prepare to compete on the national stage. We are honored to be recognized for their efforts at the State House today.”
Basketball events at the 2018 USA Games will be held at the University of Washington and Seattle University. Vermont’s Unified basketball team includes ten students and two coaches from Champlain Valley Union High School: Graham Walker of Hinesburg, Wayne Elias of Huntington, Coach Peter Booth from Jericho, Paul Keene and Coach Anthony Spagnolo of Shelburne, and Haley Clos, Kevin Conger, Shannon Loiseau, Gary Whalon, and Erin Watson of Williston.
Special Olympics Unified Sports bring people with and without intellectual disabilities together to compete on the same team. CVU has a long history of supporting inclusion through Unified Sports, and their basketball team won the first state championship of the Interscholastic Unified Basketball league sanctioned by the Vermont Principals’ Association in 2016. The CVU community has also rallied around Special Olympics Vermont through the annual Penguin Plunge event, with over 200 plungers raising more than $50,000 for the organization in each of the last two years.
“I’m incredibly excited that our kids are going to have this opportunity at the USA Games,” says Peter Booth, math instructor, head coach of CVU’s Unified basketball team, and organizer of their Penguin Plunge efforts. “Our school has done so much work around inclusion and recognizing all of our students regardless of ability. The way that Unified Sports shines a light on students who are often on the periphery of the community has really had an impact throughout our entire building.”
Team Vermont also includes two track athletes – Michelle Olden of Brownington and Aaron Sanville of Greensboro Bend, along with their coach, Selina Hunger of Newport Center – and two swimmers: Zada Anderson of Jericho and Christopher Mitchell of Sudbury, along with their coach, Chad Phalon of Burlington. Track events will take place at the University of Washington while swimming events will be hosted by the King County Aquatic Center.
About USA Games
The 2018 Special Olympics USA Games will be held in Seattle, Washington July 1-6, 2018. More than 4,000 athletes and coaches representing 50 state Programs and the District of Columbia, along with the support of tens of thousands of volunteers and spectators, will compete in 14 Olympic-type team and individual sports.
The 2018 Special Olympics USA Games will showcase the abilities of athletes with intellectual disabilities, promote the ideals of acceptance and inclusion through sport, and celebrate the transformative power of Special Olympics.
About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. We empower people with intellectual disabilities to become included and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all. Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 5.7 million athletes and Unified partners in 172 countries. With the support of more than 1 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and over 108,000 games and competitions throughout the year. Special Olympics is supported by individuals, foundations and partners. Click here for a full list of partners. Engage with us on: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and our blog on Medium.