News & Stories

Attending a Special Olympics USA Team Trials is a milestone moment for Special Olympics athletes, and for many, arriving in Pittsburgh meant experiencing the Steel City for the very first time. But for Special Olympics Kentucky athlete Chris Revay, Team Trials felt more like a homecoming.

For Ida Chiodi, gymnastics isn’t just a sport, it’s a family passion. Ida is an accomplished Special Olympics Minnesota gymnast, and her older brother, Solen, is on the men's gymnastics team at the University of Michigan. Together, Ida and Solen motivate, coach, and encourage one another. According to her mom, Kristin, Ida loves following in Solen's footsteps. “They both find so much joy in watching each other chase their dreams and goals!"

Let’s set the scene. It’s Christmas Eve and you’re living your life, perhaps getting ready to celebrate the holiday. Suddenly, you get a call from your local Special Olympics program that there has been a last-minute drop on the Special Olympics USA (SO USA) Unified floorball team heading to Torino, Italy in a few months, all leading to a big question: would you like to be a part of the team?

“Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

With Special Olympics, everything is possible. Skiing on snow in Coral Springs, Florida, is not one of those things. Despite the complete absence of snow, the stifling heat, Special Olympics USA athlete Kellie Matthew became a skier. And in the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025, she became a gold-medal skier. Watching her fly down the run, one would never know – Kellie had never competed on snow.

Ask any accomplished athlete how they got their start, and the answer is usually a version of “in the backyard” or “in the driveway.” Across the country, kids of all ages play out Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the final inning of the World Series, or the final play of the SuperBowl, fantasizing about the day they can make those dreams a reality. The Bub brothers were no exception as they grew up in Shrub Oak, New York, turning driveway dreams into a trip to the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025.

A first love can be life-altering. Suddenly every waking thought revolves around it, heart beating faster. The all-consuming nature of a first love may be too much for some people. But for others, it becomes a part of their soul, their identity.

For Cori Piels, inclusive health isn’t just about ensuring she sees a doctor. It’s about feeling heard, understood.

Chris Furches has a need for speed.