News & Stories

Sometimes, athleticism is an inherited trait. Sometimes, you have a great teacher. Special Olympics USA cycling athlete Sean O’Rourke’s son is blessed with both. Sean has completed the IRONMAN Lake Placid in 14 hours, the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon, the Philadelphia Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon. Of all his accomplishments, he is most proud of becoming a father to his son, Sean.

Sometimes, athleticism is an inherited trait. Sometimes, you have a great teacher. Special Olympics USA cycling athlete Sean O’Rourke’s son is blessed with both. Sean has completed the IRONMAN Lake Placid in 14 hours, the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon, the Philadelphia Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon. Of all his accomplishments, he is most proud of becoming a father to his son, Sean.

Sometimes, athleticism is an inherited trait. Sometimes, you have a great teacher. Special Olympics USA cycling athlete Sean O’Rourke’s son is blessed with both. Sean has completed the IRONMAN Lake Placid in 14 hours, the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon, the Philadelphia Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon. Of all his accomplishments, he is most proud of becoming a father to his son, Sean.

Though he is miles from home, he is surrounded by many a proud moment as a role model, as a coach for the City Hawks Unified Training Club. Representing Special Olympics USA, the team competed in their first match of the Special Olympics World Games on Sunday, June 18, against Special Olympics Germany. Joe’s first Father’s Day was spent on the sidelines, helping to lead his team. June 18 also happens to be his birthday.

In the 87 years that have passed since the 1936 Summer Olympics, Berlin still resounds with the voices, the footsteps of history’s greatest. From the 2006 FIFA World Cup final to many a night with The Rolling Stones, the grounds are magnetic, attracting talent from across the world. The 1936 Summer Olympics saw the likes of Jesse Owens, who would become the first American track and field athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympic Games. Between the moments that would define the greatest athletes in the world, the crowd in attendance was entertained by performance troupes.

Special Olympics USA soccer athlete Robbie Wilson is traveling outside of the United States for the first time. Known for its distinct architecture, Special Olympics USA’s Host Town locations of Bremen and Bremerhaven are a world of novelty for the New York City native. Quite unlike the bustling streets of Manhattan, Bremen is a haven of recreational oases and bike paths. Bordering the North Sea, Robbie experienced a monumental first during the group’s visit to Bremerhaven, a boat ride.

Home is where the heart is. From the 1800s to 1915, at least seven million people journeyed from their homeland to the United States by way of Bremen, Germany. The great-grandfather of Special Olympics USA assistant athletics coach Bonnie Kahn was one of them. Immigrating to the New World, he sailed from the port of Bremen to settle his legacy in lands unknown.

Twelve years ago, Stephanie Price stood on a world stage, sporting the emblems of Special Olympics USA as a swimmer in the Special Olympics World Games Athens 2011. From a small town in western Arkansas, known for its Christmas traditions and Ozark artisans, she traveled to make a name for herself. Twelve years later, her sister, Amy Price, seeks to live up to that family name, as she prepares to compete in athletics at the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023.

At the ATS Butentor athletic club in Bremen, Germany, one of their foundational mottos is displayed prominently – “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” On these grounds, Special Olympics Bremen’s national bocce team gathers to practice, to embody the fairness and unity of sport. Scrimmaging against each other, the Special Olympics USA bocce athletes and Unified partners joined the Lebenshilfe Bremen team, which operates through a local social services organization for individuals with disabilities.

On the bocce court, Special Olympics USA athlete Abby Brennan and Unified partner Becky Brennan have an edge. Unified pairs rely on an intensified level of communication, knowing their partner’s move before they make it. Abby is deaf, so the two rely on sign language to communicate. More importantly, their relationship as mother and daughter is intrinsic to their dynamic in competition.