North America

I’ve been a Special Olympics North Dakota coach for 32 years. In that time, I’ve had the opportunity to coach athletes in snowshoe, cross-country skiing, bowling, basketball, volleyball, powerlifting, swimming, soccer (football) and athletics.

Sixteen hours and 46 minutes later, as the nighttime darkness settled in, Chris crossed the finish line and made history of as the first person with Down syndrome to finish a full IRONMAN race.

In 2004, 14-year old Ashley Adie experienced true inclusion for the first time. During a Special Olympics British Columbia Regional swim meet, Adie would enjoy the competition, but she found something much more than the ribbons and personal bests that day.

Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Abby Resnick could no longer participate in competitions, coach floor hockey, and teach drum and tone for people with special needs. She started to look for new activities to do at home.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to leave a majority of sports and events on hold, Special Olympics launched Call To Action, an initiative to encourage our athletes to remain active and lift their spirits by surprising them with a phone call from their heroes.

On 24 October, 2020, Special Olympics Unified pair and U.S. Youth Ambassadors, Steven Russel (athlete and student in Georgia) and Jordan Adeyemi (Unified partner from Georgia who attends boarding school in New Hampshire) appeared on The Weather Channel to discuss ways that students can incorporate physical movement into their days while learning remotely due the COVID-19 pandemic.

Born with Down syndrome, Reilly defies stereotypes every day through sport, leadership and employment, exemplifying the value people with intellectual disabilities bring to all facets of life.

The role of a coach comes down to being a strong and supportive leader. As Special Olympics New York coaches, we do this with and for the athletes. We're taking the sport that we love and sharing it because we want to make a change in this world for the better.

A month before Chris Nikic, Special Olympics Florida athlete, becomes the first person with Down syndrome to compete in a full IRONMAN race on 7 November 2020, he is taking the media by storm as a groundbreaking and high performance athlete.

When you talk to Coach Roberto about coaching for Special Olympics New Jersey now, he still has passion in his voice, the same passion he exudes when he talks about his family.