Join us as we celebrate “12 Days of SOWI” this holiday season!
For the second straight year we highlight our talented athletes and the many other wonderful people who help make our tight-knit SOWI community so incredible. Before we look to a very important 2022, join us as we revisit stories from this past calendar year, and know that your support is more important than ever!
On the first day of SOWI…
…we highlight longtime Special Olympics Wisconsin athlete Cindy Bentley, who helped kick off a new initiative as the inaugural reader for Young Athletes story time back in January. “It gets harder as you get older with sports, but that doesn’t mean that I should quit Special Olympics,” Cindy said. “I just go in a different role. I think this is a win-win situation, not only for the kids but for the athletes.”
On the second day of SOWI…
…we showcase a fun new way to compete in different fitness competitions to get bodies moving! “Providing an opportunity for our athletes and Unified partners to stay active regardless of the state of the world is extremely valuable,” said Brittany Hoegh, Special Olympics Wisconsin’s Director of Training. “The value of fitness goes well beyond this moment in time.”
On the third day of SOWI…
…we revisit Brookfield’s own outstanding young author Keira Thompson. “I’m proud to have my first book on Amazon and that I got to bring this character to life.” Keira said. “I want to teach people to never give up and to believe in themselves.”
On the fourth day of SOWI…
…twins Nick & Steve Power of Elkhorn took to the snowshoe course in Wausau for the Winter Games—a welcome return to activities after a very long time off. “This has been the hardest thing I’ve been through in my life,” Nick said. “I’m happy to be moving on from this (pandemic) and be back. This is just a start!”
On the fifth day of SOWI…
…we celebrate the statewide Spread the Word >> Inclusion campaign over the whole month of March. Several students from Milton Middle School’s Unified Champion School program discussed the importance of inclusion. “We are the future. It’s as simple as that,” Tyler J. said. “We should include people because others may not know how or how to do so in our lifetime. We need to do it ourselves.”
On the sixth day of SOWI…
…we highlight Kenosha’s Gabriela Moffett, who flourished in her national powerlifting debut at a national competition in late February. While she won first place in five different events, Gabriela continues to be a leader for SOWI. “Anyone can do it. If somebody is in Special Olympics, they can do it,” Moffett said. “Check it out first and see what you can do.”
On the seventh day of SOWI…
…we showcase the Healthy Relationships Pilot Project that SOWI community members participated in. The cutting-edge program was created to inform and empower self-advocates by equipping them with the tools to engage in healthy relationships and communicate about boundaries and safety. SOWI athlete leaders Lucas Smith of Manitowoc and Brittany Wilson of Milwaukee co-facilitated the virtual event. “The athletes that Luke and I taught, they were really happy about it,” Brittany said. “Some people might not know what a healthy relationship is or how to find help if someone is mistreating them.”
On the eighth day of SOWI…
…seven-year-old Young Athlete Ken Vroman of Eau Claire participated in the first virtual Fit 5 program. The program educates and empowers young athletes with and without ID to live a healthy lifestyle through three simple goals: 5 days of physical activity, 5 fruits and vegetables per day, and 5 bottles of water per day. “He now views fitness and activity as an important part of his life. This no doubt is largely due to this Special Olympics program providing entry-level, child-friendly activities that he could do, and yet were challenging enough and unstructured enough that he could find motivation in himself and start by himself,” said Ken’s mom, Shino Iwashita.
On the ninth day of SOWI…
…we recognize that the only way to end exclusion is to have people who face these challenges daily help create the solution. The Special Olympics Health Messenger program was born out of this notion of participation. In order to create more effective public health programs, improve health systems, and engage communities to support the health of people with ID, those with ID must have leadership roles in the health system.
On the tenth day of SOWI…
…Athlete Lucas Smith of Manitowoc recaps the 2021 State Outdoor Sports Tournament. “For me, it was almost surreal to hear the announcers over the loudspeakers, the cheers and chatter from the crowds, almost like I forgot how they sounded,” Lucas said. “It means the world to us athletes to have sports competitions because it allows us to make connections and do the things we love.”
On the eleventh day of SOWI…
…we highlight Riley Schmitz of De Pere who, with Wisconsin State Patrol Superintendent Tony Burrell, carried the Flame of Hope at the opening ceremony of the 2021 Athlete Convoy. A whopping 22 trucks participated in the 17th version of the annual event, led by the rig of Riley’s dad, Danny.
On the twelfth day of SOWI…
…we end the 12 Days of SOWI with the announcement of Team Wisconsin, which will represent our Badger State at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games on Orlando. Travis Stuckart of Manitowoc will represent Team Wisconsin as a coach at this year’s games, bringing not only experience, but also the embodiment of what these games mean to people with ID. “In all my life, I have never felt so respected for exactly who I am. A lifetime of Special Olympics opportunities has led me to this moment,” Travis said. “Special Olympics has opened the door to the whole world for me and I walked—no, I ran through it.”
