News

More than 230 Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners, representing 23 U.S. and Canadian Special Olympics Programs competed in the 2019 Special Olympics North America Golf Championship this past week. The tournament was held at Hermitage Golf Course in Nashville, Tennessee. Of those 230, Special Olympics Virginia sent 13 athletes and 5 Unified partners to compete this past week in Nashville.

The 27th Annual Dulles Day Plane Pull was a tremendous success bringing thousands out to the tarmac at Dulles International Airport More than 60 teams raised funds and tested their strength and attempted to pull an 82-ton FedEx Airbus A320 or a Boeing 757 for 12 feet.

Catherine and Claude Dayas-Tokoto emigrated from Cameroon to the United States to provide a better life for their children including their first-born Prince, who has autism. When Prince began his involvement in Special Olympics Unified Sports® at Kenmore Middle School, Catherine and Claude’s perceptions changed of what the future would hold for their son.

Congratulations to nine additional schools in Virginia who have earned National Banner School status as part of Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools program!

Special Olympics Virginia is now accepting applications for the Global Messenger Class of 2021. The Global Messenger’s role with Special Olympics Virginia is to promote, educate and inform about the mission, philosophy and benefits of Special Olympics through public speaking, networking, and advocacy. Responsibilities and commitment include:

For this first time ever, Special Olympics Virginia offered a Youth Leadership Experience (YLE) at the 2019 Summer Games. The program brought together high school students, with and without intellectual disabilities, from across Virginia for a weekend of volunteering and training on how to be agents of change within their schools and communities. Two programs participated in the event, Wakefield High School (Arlington) and Monacan High School (Chesterfield).

On Mother’s Day in 2018, Billy Duquette bowled a 299. The score of 299 in bowling is almost infamous, it means you bowl 11 straight strikes and then miss the final frame by 1-pin. It’s the equivalent to throwing a perfect game in baseball up until the 9th inning with 2-outs and then giving up a hit.

19-year-old Joe Salter isn’t actually 19 years old like he says he is. He’s also not the fastest runner in the world like he says he is. However, Joe Salter is exactly who he wants to be, all of the time. He’s unapologetically Joe and he’s proud of it.

It was a day that Kenmore Middle School in Arlington will never forget. Back in September, ESPN announced on the air, their Top 5 National Banner Schools. Kenmore received the honor as a result of having met national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy and respect. Kenmore was one of five schools to receive the distinction, being chosen specifically out of 131 other schools around the country. They were also the only middle school to receive the prestigious honor.