As I reflect on my experience as a member of the first-ever Special Olympics North America Athlete Media Team at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, it occurred to me that I was a part of history. Special Olympics North America had never brought an athlete media team to the USA Games, having them highlight athlete experiences from a peer perspective. This unique opportunity showed everyone that people with disabilities deserve representation in the media.
In the spring of 2025, I learned about the Special Olympics North America (SONA) Athlete Storytelling Training Series, a course offered for athletes with an interest in journalism. The training series empowered athletes to learn basic journalistic techniques that would allow them to cover Special Olympics events. After submitting my application in April and going through the interview process, I was confirmed as a member of the 2025 cohort by June. The training series was led by RJ Nealon, a communications specialist for Special Olympics North America. He led monthly sessions for athletes across the North America Region. Toward the end of the training series, we learned about a pitch he made to his supervisor to create an Athlete Media Team for the upcoming Special Olympics USA Games. The team would include one journalist, one photographer and one social media storyteller. The application process was open to everyone in the class. After an extensive application and interview process, to my surprise, I was selected to be part of the first-ever SONA Athlete Media Team. It was time to pack my bags and get ready for an experience of a lifetime. The next stop was the 2026 USA Games.
From the first day in Minneapolis, we hit the ground running. There were lots of meetings and the energy was electric. My heart was pounding with excitement as I met people from all over the country. My first assignment was covering the Opening Ceremony. As I watched from the press box, seeing the delegates marching into Huntington Bank Stadium made the moment feel large. You could feel everyone's pure adrenaline and excitement.
The following day, we were told that Maria Shriver would join us to share her journalism experience. She told us about the Sunday Paper, a digital newspaper that she published and circulated around the country. I was already familiar with it since my mom and I read it from time to time. She told us, as a journalist, to look for stories hiding in plain sight. She told us to find a story that many of us can relate to and to tell it with all our heart because when we do that it makes the audience feel like they are not alone.
As the days followed, I covered multiple events, but nothing was more memorable than my interview with 3x Olympic gold medalist and ESPN Broadcaster, Rowdy Gaines. The day I was told I would be interviewing Rowdy, I was both excited and nervous. The day before the interview, I kept thinking of questions I should ask him. Then, when the moment finally came, it felt unreal. During the interview, I was extremely nervous, and I found myself fidgeting with my hands and struggling to get my questions out. However, even when I messed up, Rowdy reassured me. Everyone messes up in an interview. One thing I will never forget that Rowdy told me was, “Be true to yourself and just be you; there is no one else like you.” Having him say that reminded me that we are all just human. During my interview with Rowdy, I learned that he was cut from every sport except for swimming and despite him not knowing how to do a flip turn in the beginning, he kept going to practice. He showed up and continued practicing until he became an expert. The biggest takeaway from my interview with Rowdy was to never give up on something even when the pressure increases.
I learned a lot during my experience in Minnesota. I learned time management skills to meet deadlines, and I learned that sometimes it takes more than one interview to get the right information reported. I'm still learning to become a better storyteller and to overcome my personal fear and anxiety of talking to people. Overall, this experience has led me to believe I can do anything I set my mind to.
During the Closing Ceremony, the end of the USA Games, David Evangelista, Special Olympics President and CEO, invited RJ to join him on stage. RJ emphasized that “athletes covering athletes and disability belongs in journalism,” something my teammates and I proved all week long. It felt good to be part of a great inclusive organization that gave me an opportunity of a lifetime. It hit me that I belong here. The sense of belonging was unshakable after that night. Not only did it inspire me, but it also strengthened my commitment to my peers to motivate them to follow their dreams too.
I started my college journey at Sacramento State University with a major in journalism. I'm looking forward to using the techniques I learned from RJ’s storytelling training series and my experience working at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.
