Special Olympics Wisconsin (SOWI) selected Olivia Quigley of Elm Grove as one of 62 athletes to represent Team Wisconsin at the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games in Princeton, New Jersey on June 14-21, 2014. Wisconsin athletes will compete in athletics, aquatics, bocce, bowling, flag football, gymnastics, powerlifting and volleyball.
Quigley, who has been involved with SOWI for three years, participates in athletics, bowling and snowshoeing. Outside of Special Olympics, Quigley is an advocate for Best Buddies® and Spread the Word to End the Word®, which raises awareness about the hurtful effects of the R-word (“retard”). She has served as the keynote speaker at leadership conferences and traveled to schools throughout the state to share her experiences about the R-word.. When she is not training for Special Olympics, Quigley works at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
“If you work hard and believe in yourself, you can achieve your goals,” said Quigley. “Preparing for the USA Games will challenge me to be disciplined and focused, but it will also be a lot of fun.”
This will be Quigley’s first trip to the USA Games. She will compete in athletics and will be one of 86 delegates representing Team Wisconsin at the 2014 USA Games in New Jersey.
SOWI will host an official training camp for Team Wisconsin athletes on May 17-18, 2014 at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The 2014 USA Games will showcase the abilities of athletes with intellectual disabilities, promote the ideals of acceptance and inclusion through sport, and celebrate the transformative power of Special Olympics. A total of 3,500 athletes, 1,000 coaches and delegates, 10,000 volunteers and 70,000 spectators will attend.
Sports competition will be held at venues throughout Mercer County, New Jersey, including Princeton University, Rider University, The College of New Jersey, Mercer County Park and several area private schools. There will be ample opportunities for supporters across the state to show their spirit and join the team through volunteerism, donations and attendance. For more information or to learn more about how you can support a local athlete, visit www.SpecialOlympicsWisconsin.orgUSAGames.
