Only a handful of Special Olympics athletes have had the opportunity to meet the founder of Special Olympics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Even fewer athletes had the opportunity to compete in her backyard the year before Special Olympics even began. Luckily, for Tim Gowen, he was able to do both.
When speaking with Gowen, you may have to lean close to hear. He’s soft spoken but confident. Friendly but professional. When speaking about his experience in Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s backyard, Gowen became more expressive. It’s a memory that has clearly stuck with him and his family.“Tim getting his first gold in Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s pool is a day that has thrilled our family for years.” Gowen’s younger sister, Kathy Breckenridge, shared.
Gowen was born in 1948 and grew up with seven brothers and sisters in Silver Springs, Maryland. Early on, Gowen struggled in aspects of life that seemed easier for other people, including school. Gowen shared that while in school, “My teacher said I wasn’t trying hard enough and slapped my hand. That’s when she sent me to a school for bad boys.”
While at this school, Gowen was bullied and told his parents he didn’t want to go back. Gowen’s parents had heard of the Kennedy School and enrolled him there, where he attended for three years and graduated in 1967. At graduation, Eunice Kennedy Shriver invited the students to her home to participate in Camp Shriver that summer. That’s where Gowen competed in swimming and won his first gold medal in Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s backyard pool, a year before Soldier Field hosted the first Special Olympics competition.
After graduation, Gowen worked as a mail clerk for the U.S. Weather Bureau, now known as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and retired after 22 years. Later, Gowen moved to be with family in Florida where he remained active in sports. Now back in Maryland for the past ten years, Gowen is an active member of Special Olympics Maryland, where he has competed in swimming, bocce, and his current favorite, bowling.
For the past three years, Gowen has attended the Special Olympics North America Unified Bowling Championship, competing against athletes from the US, Canada and the Caribbean. But he had his sights set on another competition stage: the Special Olympics USA Games. That dream came true when he was selected to be part of Team Maryland for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. In June, Gowen will travel to Minnesota to compete in bowling on the national stage. “My goal for USA Games is to win gold in bowling,” Gowen shared. When asked what Special Olympics means to him, Gowen shared, “It means more opportunities to make new friends and participate in sports.”
When not competing, Gowen brings that same focus and dedication to activities off the bowling lanes. Gowen is an Athlete Leader, Athlete Council Member for his local program, a Global Messenger, Fitness Captain, supporter of the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics Maryland and has given several public speeches about Special Olympics. “I want to become a public speaker so I can tell my story and tell everyone about Special Olympics,” Gowen stated.
Gowen also participates in the Special Olympics Maryland Polar Plunge. Last year, Gowen was paired with Tim Shriver Jr., Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s grandson, to be a Super Plunger, someone who plunges 24 times in 24 hours. It was a meaningful moment for someone who has been so significantly impacted by the organization.
Breckenridge shared that since being involved with Special Olympics Maryland, Gowen expresses himself and his emotions more easily. “Tim couldn’t cry. He couldn’t laugh out loud. Now, he has been laughing with tears in his eyes and his siblings cry while laughing with him now. We have so much joy in our hearts to see these changes in him.”
If you have the opportunity to meet Gowen, you may be lucky enough to receive one of his signature trading cards. On it, Gowen stands smiling with a bowling ball and the quote, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” At 77 years old, the oldest athlete competing at the USA Games, Gowen is determined to prove the quote from C.S. Lewis true as he heads to Minnesota to compete in bowling and hopefully achieve his goal of winning a gold medal, making a little more history of his own.
