Feature Story and photos by Larry H. Oskin
This June 5-12, 2022, Florida will host the 50th Anniversary Special Olympics USA Games in Central Florida, bringing more than 5,000 athletes along with around 125,000 families and fans from across the USA and the Caribbean. Dozens of sporting activities are planned for the local Orlando and Central Florida areas. Clermont will host the national triathlon competition!
https://www.2022specialolympicsusagames.org/media/news
Special Olympics Florida President and CEO Sherry Wheelock shares, “We are very proud that we won the bid to host the largest humanitarian event ever to be held in Florida and one of the largest to ever be held in the United States! There will be so many exciting new opportunities, programs and competitions for our athletes.
Florida athletes are training locally and regionally for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games. The most recent Clermont triathlon race was hosted at the Clermont Waterfront Park by SommerSports. John Robles, the Special Olympics Florida Director of Community Engagement for the region serving Lake County, led their team of triathlon athletes with Triathlon Head Coach Hector Torres plus all of their volunteers and Unified partners.
One of the top award-winning local South Lake County athletes competing was Kyle Krekeler.
From Tavares, Krekeler has been competing for 20 years and often winning first place honors with loving support from his grandmother and guardian Anne Osborne.
His Special Olympics unified partner Gustavo Costa helped guide Kyle through the entire triathlon. Krekeler works at Bountiful Farms, plays guitar and piano. He was the Florida State Triathlon Champion two years ago. Andrew Ahern placed first in the race held recently. The race was one in a series of four races held June through September.
Kim Bennett is the Head Coach for the local swim team. Miriam Ortiz has been a local award-winning athlete, swimming the 25-meter freestyle. Chris Nikic of Florida has earned national and international awards competing in triathlon and ironman events. There are many other local and Florida success stories.
Special Olympics Florida is headquartered in Clermont. The organization works to spread compassion, inclusion and acceptance for the athletes and their families to help unite the world. Their goal remains to awaken everyone and every community with successful common humanity.
There are many unique values, benefits and advantages provided by Special Olympics Florida. It provides an amazing platform for athletes to hone their skills, practice, build confidence and showcase their talents. Through strategic leadership, training and competitions, they are always working to reveal the champion within each of their athletes.
Sherry Wheelock notes, “We are always trying to promote new next-level opportunities for each sport. One of our best-kept secrets is that we also are a leader in providing healthcare to people with disabilities.” They provide in-person and virtual health exams to over 13,000 athletes inclusive of eye, dental and hearing examination checkups with prescription eyeglasses, orthodontics, hearing aids and more with no cost to their athletes. There are absolutely no fees to the athletes for full participation with uniforms, equipment, training and comprehensive healthcare.
Athletes can participate in training programs for swimming, running, cycling, triathlons, bowling, softball, football, flag football, golf, powerlifting, surfing, standup paddle, equestrian, ironman, leadership, technologies with over 20 different sports including practice sessions, leagues and competitions. They diligently work to add a unified concept for those with and without disabilities. The Florida High School Athletic Association allows for inclusion of Special Olympic Florida athletes to compete and earn letters in regular school activities. The National Training Center in Clermont allows local Special Olympics athletes to train there.
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One Team & One Mission: The Special Olympics Florida team works together to deliver its mission to provide year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people with disabilities who wish to participate, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and to experience joy while participating in the sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. There are currently over 60,000 athletes participating in Florida, up dramatically from 20,000 in 2012. Volunteerism, sponsorships and donations make it all possible. Wheelock adds, “There are currently over 38,000 volunteers in Florida, yet we will need 10,000 more for the USA Games.” Eighty-five cents of every dollar donated goes directly into programming.
Sherry Wheelock: Before being named President and CEO of Special Olympics Florida, Sherry Wheelock served on their Board of Directors for 5 years and was named Board Chairwoman in 2011. She was always active in fundraising and participated as an assistant coach of swimming and golf with Special Olympics Florida in Orange County. With more than 20 years in finance and over 15 years in executive leadership, Wheelock brings a strategic focus and proven team success to Special Olympics Florida with the emphasis on One Team and One Mission. In her role as President and CEO of Special Olympics Florida, Wheelock has expanded their program from $8 million in 2012 to $19 million in 2018 and she has introduced unprecedented competitive opportunities across the state. Under her leadership, Special Olympics Florida has now more than doubled and successfully serves about 60,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities across the state.
Since 1968, Special Olympics has built a movement to break down many barriers on and off the field in health and education through the power of sport. Their unified movement is rooted in the spirit of its founder, Eunice Kennedy Shriver who took a stand against the challenges faced by people with intellectual disabilities. Today’s fight for inclusion is more relevant than ever. People of all ages, races, genders, cultures, backgrounds and abilities continue to face discrimination and challenge.
Special Olympics programming and actively engages people to create positive social change. There are about 250 million people with disabilities around the world. The ultimate objective of Special Olympics Florida is to help all people with disabilities participate as productive and respected members of society at large, by offering them a fair opportunity to develop and demonstrate their skills and talents through sports training and competition and by increasing the public’s awareness of their capabilities and needs. Special Olympics Florida, Inc. is a 501-C3 charitable organization.
For More Information, contact Florida Special Olympics at 915 Don Wickham Drive in Clermont, Florida 34711 near South Lake Hospital, phone: 352-243-9536, email SherryWheelock@SOFL.org. Visit: http://www.specialolympicsusa.org and https://www.facebook.com/specialolympicsflorida.
