Justin Dunning of Special Olympics Illinois- Region J has been selected as one of ten honorees for the Illinois Jaycees Outstanding Young Persons awards program. The Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) program annually recognizes young people throughout Illinois who excel in their chosen fields, endeavors, and show a great commitment to their respective communities. “This award…
Category: Region J Stories
Saneatha Trice Breaks down Barriers Beyond Sport
Saneatha has been a participant with Special Olympics Illinois through PTOEC since 2014. She began in gymnastics and quickly added bowling, swimming, softball, volleyball, and basketball. We quickly realized how athletic she was and how sports became her passion. But her love of sports was not what caught our attention. Saneatha almost instantly became a…
The Revolution is Inclusion- both on & off the Playing Field
National recording artist, Allen Stone performed during the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games Opening Ceremonies, in Seattle Washington. There he put on an unbelievable performance for the athletes of Special Olympics. The opening ceremonies kicked off the week of competition for the Special Olympics athletes competing at USA Games. Saneatha Trice, a gymnast, began competing…
Special Olympics Illinois Unified Partners Attend Global Youth Leadership Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan
120 youth leaders with and without intellectual disabilities were selected to attend an inclusion-focused forum in Baku, Azerbaijan from September 24 to September 28, 2018. The Special Olympics Global Youth Leadership Forum was one of the flagship events to mark the 50th Anniversary of Special Olympics. Six delegations attended from North America- Illinois, Florida, North…
Just Give it a Try: A Lesson in Courage and Resiliency
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’” Saneatha Trice is a young woman that personifies Roosevelt’s words…