The Delegation Prepares to Compete While Making New Friends and Enjoying the Opening Ceremonies
By Lily Goodfellow
The Illinois delegation arrived in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Friday, June 19 for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. Everyone agreed that they were excited, especially Tina Mango, who is competing in bocce. “I am very excited. I can’t wait to have fun and try my best.”
Matthew Friedman is also happy and excited. “I was nervous when I first found out, but it’s a big honor because not everyone gets this honor. It’s special.” He is representing Team Illinois in athletics, running the 400 meter run, the 4×4 relay, and the 3,000 meter run.
All of the athletes had time to get settled in the dorms and learn their way around the University of Minnesota campus and the different venues where they will compete this week. And everyone had the opportunity to go to Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday evening, June 20, for the Opening Ceremony.
It was amazing to see all the athletes from each state parade into stadium, especially to see the different uniforms each delegation was wearing. My favorites were the hockey-type jerseys on Team Nebraska and the colors of Team Northern California that looked like the sunset we all saw at the end of the ceremony.
Demi Lovato sang inspirational songs that both Christy Sovereign, Chief Executive Officer for the 2026 Games, and Tim Shriver, Chairman, Special Olympics Board of Directors, tied to their speeches, because there is “nothing wrong with being confident,” and all Special Olympics athletes are “skyscrapers.”
There was also a cultural program with amazing singers and dancers, and Jon Batiste performed at the end, causing the athletes from many states to form a conga line and dance around the stadium floor.
The entire event was awesome! It was so fun to see the athletes from all over the country dancing together and, as Tim Shriver said, these athletes are “the best of the USA.”
Scott Maess, who competes in bowling for Team Illinois, said his favorite part of the Opening Ceremony was parading in to the stadium, “because it’s huge and I never got to do it at this level before.” Unified Volleyball team member David Mathews-Dedmond added, “Obviously, my favorite part was Demi Lovato.”
Now that the oaths have been said by the officials, coaches, and athletes, the Flame of Hope (all the way from Illinois) has lit the cauldron, and the games have officially been declared open, it’s time for the athletes to compete.
The excitement is still there, but there are also nerves. Anthony Boyce from Team Illinois Unified basketball is feeling “really nervous, because this is going to be live – in front of a lot of people. But I’m really excited, too. I’m going to be pumped when I walk on that court.”
Follow along with all the Team Illinois sports as they compete in the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games at soill.org/usa-games.