Each athlete at Special Olympics Illinois has their own unique story. We recently received a letter written by twin sisters, Jean and Jan, from Region I about their experiences with Special Olympics that we wanted to share.
Jean and Jan are looking forward to getting back into Special Olympics. We started doing Special Olympics when we moved to Lincoln, IL from San Jose, IL when we were 22. We now are 57. We love it! When we were 24, [a Special Olympics competition] was on April 30, 1988. Our dad passed away that day. We still went to Special Olympics that day.
We live in Lincoln and we own our house. We are very involved with Special Olympics.
We compete in athletics (track & field), bowling and basketball! We have raised money online every year we did not have a Polar Plunge. Jean and Jan both raised over $1,200. We work very hard on raising money and we love it!
Jean likes to compete in the 4×100 meter relay, 50-meter run, and standing long jump. Jan likes to compete the 4×100 meter relay, 100-meter run and mini javelin.
We love to read Special Olympics books. We order them from Barnes & Noble.
We also did some Special Olympics in school in San Jose, IL. We love doing that too.
From,
Jean and Jan
As this year comes to a close, let us all remember the things that matter most – family, friendship, and togetherness. Thank you to every athlete, volunteer, coach and staff member who helped make 2021 an amazing year at Special Olympics Illinois! May 2022 continue to bring joy, inspiration, leadership and inclusion for all.
We invite any athletes who would like to share their Special Olympics story and photos with us to email marketing@soill.org*.
Happy New Year from your friends at Special Olympics Illinois.
*Please note that stories/photos sent to SOILL may be shared on our website and/or social media pages, however, it is possible that not every story received will be shared.