Paul Marretti

Paul Marretti has never met a stranger. From an early age, he had a way of connecting with people, making them feel seen and heard. That gift, combined with his passion for sports and advocacy, has fueled an incredible journey spanning more than four decades with Special Olympics.

“Paul has been outgoing since he was a toddler,” said his dad, Michael. “As a parent you try to teach your children ‘don’t talk to strangers,’ but Paul would talk to anyone. Everyone is his friend.”

Paul grew up in New Jersey, and at age 8, started participating in a one-day track and field event with the state’s Special Olympics program. At 15, his family moved from New Jersey to Virginia. Though his mom (Jean) and dad were reluctant to leave, they now look back now on that move as a game-changer for Paul.

“Soon after we settled, we saw an ad in the local paper for a Special Olympics basketball practice,” Michael said. “From there, it exploded.” Paul started playing other sports, meeting more people and working with David Thomason, on staff at the time as a Region Director and now Virginia’s President and CEO, to hone his story-sharing and speaking abilities.

“Sometimes in the early days I was nervous,” Paul said, “but listening to other athletes speak helped calm my nerves.”

From 2002 to 2004, Paul served as a Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger—one of just 12 athletes worldwide chosen to represent and advocate for the Special Olympics movement on a global scale. His voice has been heard across the world, from speaking at the Latin America Leadership Conference in Peru to addressing a crowd of 75,000 at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland – that was his favorite experience to date, he added.

Paul’s commitment and advocacy have only deepened through the year. He’s served on the Special Olympics Virginia Board of Directors and its Program & Planning Committee, as well as two Global Athlete Task Forces. His dedication earned him the Virginia H. Foster Award in 2004—the highest honor Special Olympics Virginia bestows.

His story has even been immortalized in print. In 2006, Paul was featured alongside legends like Babe Ruth, John F. Kennedy, and Vince Lombardi in the book By Their Works, Profiles of Men of Faith Who Have Made a Difference. Two years later, he was named to the U.S. Leadership Council for Special Olympics. And in 2009, his hometown of Chesterfield honored him with the Bravo! Award, recognizing alumni who have made a significant impact on the world.

Beyond Special Olympics, Paul continues to be a force for inclusion and empowerment. He serves on the board of the Virginia Chapter of People First, is a Fourth Degree Knight with the Knights of Columbus, and has built an impressive 25-year career with Kroger Supermarkets. His hard work and dedication earned him Kroger’s Regional Customer Service Award, and now, he’s paying it forward by helping train new employees.

“The opportunities Paul has had are beyond anything we could have imagined,” Michael said. “From the beginning days with the basketball program to traveling the world as an International Global Messenger to meeting people like Mohammed Ali, Steven Spielberg and Jon Bon Jovi, we never envisioned this.”

Jean added: “We attribute Special Olympics to developing Paul into the person he is now. All of these experiences helped him to learn, to think, to grow, to become a better person.”

Today, as Paul approaches 50, he’s ready to help even more athletes change the game. Paul is one of three GameChangers, joining Frank Stephens and David Egan, as some of Virginia’s earliest athlete advocates, paving the way for the next generation.

“Anyone can do it as long as they have self-confidence,” Paul said. “I was nervous at first, but it gets easier. Just do your best, try your best, talk about what you’ve done, how people can change and believe in yourself.”