RJ Nealon
RJ Nealon is a Special Olympics North America communications fellow and athlete reporter, alumni of the University of Alabama and former ESPN intern.
Content By This Author
Special Olympics Colorado Athlete Tania Wright Selected for USA Games in First Year Competing
Tania Wright was looking for activities to do with her best friend, Kimberly Henry, when she stumbled upon Special Olympics.
2 Min Read
What’s in a Name? For the Special Olympics North America Lifetime Achievement Award, It’s All About Longtime Coach Annette Lynch
A highly decorated Special Olympics coach, Annette Lynch has several favorite memories, but there is one in particular that stands out. Her Special Olympics Virginia Area 26 basketball team, the Dulles Cowboys, surprisingly qualified for the 1995 Special Olympics World Games in New Haven, Connecticut.
4 Min Read
Advocate Jennifer Wardlow Is Making the World a Better Place for Fellow Special Olympics Athletes
Jennifer Wardlow loved collecting pins at the 1995 Special Olympics World Games in New Haven, Connecticut. A staple of major Special Olympics competitions, the pins are designed to represent the athletes’ states and/or countries.
4 Min Read
Kayla Cornell Has a Message for Fellow Special Olympics Athletes: Let’s Get Healthy Together
Kayla Cornell is the head chef in her cooking class for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
4 Min Read
Athlete Finds Health, Motivation in Virtual Fitness
Amber Gertsch has a passion for everything she does—taking care of her red-tail hawk, sword-fighting, being an emergency medical technician—but some things stand out more than others.
2 Min Read
Thea Weinert Forms Bond with UNC Gymnastics Team, Gains a Newfound Level of Confidence
Thea Weinert loves to do backflips. The 12-year-old especially loves it when her teammates at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill help her. “I love to hang out with the girls,” Weinert says. “Gymnastics is one of my favorite sports because of the girls—and it just makes me happy seeing them.”
2 Min Read
The College Football Hall of Fame Honors Special Olympics Athlete Caden Cox
His No. 21 Hocking College football uniform—a nod to the 21st chromosome associated with Down syndrome—is folded neatly in a standalone display.
3 Min Read
Student-Athletes Make Impact on Campus Beyond SUNY New Paltz Athletics
When Olivia Ingalsbe arrived at SUNY New Paltz to play for the women’s soccer team, the foundation of Special Olympics was already cemented on campus.
2 Min Read
Special Olympics USA Games to Host Equestrian Competition for First Time in 2022
Ahead of the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, equestrian athletes from around the North America Region care for the horses at their home stables. Everything it takes to get a horse ready to ride, the athlete will do.
4 Min Read
Special Olympics and X Games Athlete Henry Meece Feels at Home on the Mountain
Henry Meece is among the 10 athletes competing in snowboarding but isn’t new to the competition.
3 Min Read