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Beyond the Finish Line
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May 25, 2023
Check out our 2023 Summer Games Photo Gallery! The 2023 Summer Games were a tremendous success! Held May 18-21, 2023 at Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio, Texas, thousands of athletes gathered to compete, forge friendships, and make memories that...
April 18, 2023
Yesterday was an incredible day for our East Region athletes, staff and volunteers with Jersey Mike's Subs at their leadership meeting! We got to hear from Tim Martin, our CEO, as well as athletes Shelby and Tank during the presentation! After that ...
March 09, 2023
Special Olympics Texas athletes and staff from across the state were invited to travel to the State Capitol in Austin on March 8th, 2023, to serve as advocates and visit with lawmakers and their staff about the significant consequences that arise...
February 24, 2023
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL OF OUR WINTER GAMES 2023 PHOTOS! Winter Games occurred on February 17-19, 2023, in the beautiful cities of Bee Cave and Lakeway, Texas. Special Olympics Texas returned for the second year and held competitions in five different ...
February 01, 2023
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL OUR 2023 STATE CHEERLEADING PHOTOS! The National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) High School Nationals were held on the weekend of January 21-22, 2023, in Dallas, Texas. Special Olympics Texas had eight teams perform on the stage...
December 14, 2022
Special Olympics Texas Winter Games 2023 Press Conference was held at Sonesta Bee Cave Hotel on Tuesday, December 13th, 2022, from 10:00-11:00 am. The event was emceed by Mark Calaway, better known as “the Undertaker,” and his wife, Michelle ...
November 14, 2022
The International Law Enforcement Torch Run Conference hosted by Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, Texas, was a HUGE success! The conference was held on November 3-5, 2022, and included: Opening Ceremonies, Directors and Liaisons Meetings, a T-shirt ...
October 31, 2022
Special Olympics Texas Coach Jeffery Brown (on the left) has been coaching our athletes for over 12 years. He serves as a head coach for the La Porte Bulldogs coaching bocce, softball, flag football, volleyball, bowling, basketball, track and ...
October 19, 2022
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL OF OUR FALL CLASSIC PHOTOS! Fall Classic 2022 occurred on October 6-8, 2022 in Bryan/College Station, Texas. Sports competitions in bocce, softball, golf, and swimming occurred throughout the weekend-long event. Fall Classic ...
September 19, 2022
Special Olympics is celebrating the 2022 Global Golisano Health Leadership Award Recipients on Monday, September 19th! In 2011, Paychex founder, Tom Golisano announced at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) that he would donate $12 million to help ...
September 07, 2022
Special Olympics Texas competition season is in full swing! On Saturday, September 3rd, Special Olympics Texas Area 13 Central Texas and Area 20 San Antonio hosted their 2022 Softball Tournament at Alva Jo Fischer Softball Complex in San Antonio, ...
August 02, 2022
Special Olympics Texas would like the highlight and feature Area 11 Program Director Everett King! Area 11 Program Director Everett King has been a Special Olympics Texas staff member for three and a half years and served as a coach for eight ...
July 20, 2022
On Tuesday, July 19th, 2022, the Dallas Wings WNBA team hosted a Unified Game consisting of athletes from Areas 10 and 11! The Dallas Wings players served as coaches and referees for each team, with the rest of the team serving as “cheerleaders” ...
June 22, 2022
Special Olympics Texas wanted to highlight LETR member and treasured friend, Officer Shane Jennings! We invite all of our followers to read more about Shane and his involvement with SOTX as he has been an incredible addition to the SOTX family over ...
June 15, 2022
Special Olympics Texas wanted to thank and highlight SOTX staff member, Chad Eason for his dedication to SOTX's athletes and mission. Chad Eason is Special Olympics Texas' Senior Director of Competitions and Games. He has been a part of the SOTX ...
May 23, 2022
“A trip of a lifetime for sure!” On May 13-18th, 2022, twenty-three delegations gathered in the beautiful country of Malta to compete in the 2022 Special Olympics Malta Invitational Games. This was the first time an international Special Olympics ...
May 20, 2022
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL OF OUR SUMMER GAMES PHOTOS. The 2022 Special Olympics Texas Summer Games took place on May 12-15th, 2022 at Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio, Texas. Sports competitions in track and field, cycling, soccer, and tennis occurred ...
April 06, 2022
Through Jersey Mike’s Month of Giving campaign, they have been able to raise $20 million in support of the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games and Special Olympics State Programs. Jersey Mike’s partnered with Special Olympics to help raise funds for ...
April 01, 2022
Special Olympics Texas was honored to be involved with the Retirement Celebration for officer Doug Sisk as he was recognized for his 35 years of service to the Duncanville Police Department. The City of Duncanville also declared Thursday, March 31st...
March 29, 2022
Special Olympics athlete Riane Deaton has become an official health messenger for SOTX Healthy Athletes. Riane serves as an advocate for other athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities on the importance of positive health ...
March 08, 2022
This past weekend, March 4-6, 2022, Special Olympics Team Texas held their Training Camp at Morgan’s Wonderland Camp in San Antonio, Texas. This was the first time for many athletes to experience camping while also interacting with their coaches ...
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February 24, 2022
Special Olympics Texas wanted to highlight some of our wonderful athletes from the Winter Games! We would like to introduce ten of our athletes from across Texas and share their inspiring stories. Brennan O’Donnell, Allen Setters Sweet Brennan ...
February 07, 2022
Special Olympics Texas hosted the 2022 Regional Bowling competition this past weekend in Texas City and Houston. The athletes were able to compete in a high-energy environment surrounded by their coaches and teammates. Although every team, ...
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January 25, 2022
Cheerleading coach and Special Olympic Texas employee Shauna Radke relives the emotional experience of watching three cheerleading teams compete under bright lights at the NCA High School Nationals competition. On the weekend of January 22-23rd,...
December 08, 2021
Welcoming the 2022 Winter Games to Lakeway and Bee Cave Special Olympics Texas’ (SOTX) 2022 Winter Games will be held February 18-20 and hosted for the first time in the cities of Bee Cave and Lakeway, officials and partners announced today at a ...
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October 20, 2021
Special Olympics Texas athletes were recently given the opportunity to apply and interview for United Service Ambassador positions IAH (George Bush Intercontinental Airport). Head to SOTX TV on YouTube to see how it went! Click Here to Watch Now
October 05, 2021
Wiley Middle School in Leander, Texas is showing the world what school sports can look like when ALL students are included. We recently got to meet their Unified Track and Unified Cheer teams to learn what Unified means to them. They spent the ...
August 27, 2021
Hendrickson High School lives and breathes Unified. From their sports teams, to their clubs, to their leadership, the Hendrickson community stands by their motto "I say yes". When you walk onto Hendrickson's campus, you will immediately feel the...
July 28, 2021
Special Olympics Texas athlete Tank Schottle brings joy and positive energy to everyone around him. You may have met him at a local event, a statewide competition, or you might even be one of his 100,000 followers on Twitter. He’s garnered a ...
July 14, 2021
At their City Council Meeting on Tuesday night, the Grand Prairie Police Department presented Special Olympics Texas with a generous donation. The department's 10th Annual Spring Classic Motorcycle Training and Skills competition brought in ...
June 29, 2021
We recently got the chance to sit down (virtually) with one of our sponsors, United Express, part of the United Family! Learn more about United Express and how they're using their impact for good >> What is your company’s philosophy on ...
June 16, 2021
On Tuesday morning athletes, families, and LETR officers met at Morgan's Wonderland to celebrate some exciting news: Special Olympics Texas’ (SOTX) 2021 Summer Games will be held Sept. 19-22 and hosted by Morgan’s Wonderland! The four-day ...
May 04, 2021
Name: Kirk Roberts Department: Bedford PD Total Years of Service: 38 total (35 Active Years Active Duty) SOTX NEWSLETTER FAMILY, meet Kirk Roberts! Kirk has served his country in the US Army, as well as the Bedford Police Department in law ...
April 12, 2021
"Our son, Benjamin, has always demonstrated a strong sportsman ability and a willingness to be engaged in any activity. At the early age of 5 he began to ride horses and after only 3 lessons, he was riding tall in the saddle. As he grew, we engaged...
April 06, 2021
Meet Arlington PD's new Chief!
March 30, 2021
Athlete Spotlight: Alexx Cristan Alexx is currently a Senior at Ball High school and is involved with the Hostility Program at Ball High. Has been a special Olympics athlete since the age of 12 and participates in javelin, shot-put and relay. His ...
March 29, 2021
Captain Allen tells his staff to, ”Bring joy to work and greet people with a smile. Smiles are contagious and infectious. Other people want to be a part of that. Inside you may be exhausted, but be warm. It takes work, but you do it because you value the person you’re interacting with”. This is why Keller PD’s visibility and involvement in LETR is so vital.
March 09, 2021
Name: Chief Frank Dixon Department: Denton PD Total Years of Service: 26 Chief Frank Dixon has served as a police officer for 26 years and counting. Chief Dixon serves as a co-chair for the Steak and Stetson event and has been active with LETR ...
March 08, 2021
Meet Samuel! Samuel “Sammy Sanchez” has been in PSJA Pathways Toward independence since 2018. Sammy comes to PSJA ISD from McAllen ISD. Since the initial day of having Sammy be part of our PTI family, he has brought light, joy and energy to our ...
March 05, 2021
Meet Wimberley High School Special Education Teacher Ryan Durkin! Ryan has been working in education for 19 years- 5 at Wimberley HS and with Special Olympics Texas. The staff and Unified programs at WHS have done a really great job at staying ...
March 02, 2021
Meet Mercedes! Above: Mercedes, center, pre-2020 Name: Mercedes Reyes Age: 31 years old How long have you been involved with Special Olympics Texas? Special Olympics since 2003. What have you competed in or do you currently compete in? I am now ...
February 16, 2021
Meet Celina! Above: Celina, far right, pre-2020 Name: Celina Carrillo Age: 33 years old How long have you been involved with Special Olympics Texas? In the Special Olympics since 2003, with the Irving Rockets. What have you competed in or do ...
February 16, 2021
Genuine bonds and interactions are what makes our partnership with Norma’s Cafe special. Pam explained it by saying, “I like it when they come out and we all interact, it’s just fun. We are a family.” Bill said, “All of the SOTX athletes are just a pleasure and it lingers with you. You can’t be down about anything after Mark (SOTX athlete and Norma’s employee) smiles at you.”
February 09, 2021
Have you met CJ?! He's been an athlete with Special Olympics since he was 10 years old!
February 09, 2021
Meet Mandy Holt and hear her story on how working with Texas Roadhouse and SOTX has shaped her life
February 03, 2021
Meet Liberty Middle School teacher Shelly Abel! Shelly has been working in Liberty ISD for over 10 years and with Special Olympics Texas for the last two. On a daily basis, Shelly and her colleagues work to be inclusive and supportive to all ...
February 02, 2021
Name: Billy Rudd Department: Fort Worth Police Department (Civilian Duty) Total Years of Service: 23 years Unlike our other interviews, Billy serves in law enforcement as a civilian. He started out in Crime Prevention 23 years ago and has enjoyed ...
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January 26, 2021
Name: Fred Walters Department: Tarrant County Sheriff's Department Total Years of Service: 32 Meet Fred! He is a 2020 LETR Hall of Fame candidate and long time friend of the Special Olympics. Fred began his law enforcement career at age 22. Even ...
January 14, 2021
Support Special Olympics Texas by participating in the Virtual Polar Plunge!
January 11, 2021
Name: Armando Department: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Total Years of Federal Service: 25 years Meet Armando! He is originally from Texas and currently works as a Special Agent for the DEA in Central and South Texas. Armando had a ...
January 05, 2021
Name: Rachel Roberts Department: Neighborhood Resource Officer, Lewisville Police Department Number of years: 11 years Which LETR events have your department been involved in the past? Rachel is originally from Portsmouth, New Hampshire and ...
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December 15, 2020
"We don’t do this to be recognized; we do this for the athletes like my son."
December 02, 2020
Safe walking and biking trails for athletes in the East Region
November 16, 2020
Name: Detective Loraine Franco Department: Galveston Police Department (GPD) Number of Years in Law Enforcement: 17 I was a patrol officer for fourteen years before being moved to the Crime Scene Unit where I processed crime scenes from ...
November 03, 2020
There's a new free neighborhood food pantry on the West Side of San Antonio, organized by 10-year-old SOTX Athlete Aeris McLeland.
November 03, 2020
Karina had positive interactions with the Student Resource Officers (SROs) and now, she is grateful for the opportunity to see them again and interact in a professional space because of her job. “My elementary, middle, and high school SROs are still here. School-wise, I was office aid. You see them on a different level and realize they are there to help the kids succeed. They’re cheering you on on the sidelines regardless of what you choose to do,” she said. Once she finishes nursing school, Karina wants to be an elementary school nurse.
October 26, 2020
Sergeant Ira Carter has known for a while that he needed to seek a career path that included service to others. “I always wanted to play sports and protect and serve. I wanted to give back to the community and show the community that there were any African American officers. Even though there’s a stigma about the job, we too can do it and do it well too... I love being able to bring awareness to things people don’t know about. My favorite is being able to help,” he said.
October 20, 2020
While dealing with people on a daily basis, Chance said he, “tries to see people as people and treat everyone as a person and not their physical appearance …. Treating others the way I would want to be treated. How would I want my wife, father, or sons to be treated? Being upfront and honest takes a lot of the variables out.” Chance said
October 13, 2020
Coach Allen sets a high bar for Dylan through attainable goals and encouragement and is always there to give him a high five and cheer him on.
October 13, 2020
“If I could give our athletes encouragement, I’d say, keep training and stay positive. We are going to get through this. Stay at it and stay healthy. We are looking forward to when we can have events again. I know so many athletes now, if I miss someone I’d be in trouble. I miss everyone: athletes, officers, coaches, and staff who help coordinate. I’ve been keeping up with some athletes online, it is good to still be able to interact with them virtually", said Senior Deputy Michelle Walter.
October 06, 2020
Officer Terry Qualls started his journey with SOTX 27 years ago with his daughter, Alex. Terry has coached soccer, softball, basketball, and track, and field.
September 29, 2020
Speaking on Summer Games, Joe said "My group and I ran into the stadium, packed with people. There were hundreds of athletes there waiting to compete. They’re my superheroes,” he said with a grin. This experience was his favorite of all!
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September 29, 2020
Pinch A Penny is truly committed to helping athletes of all walks of life enjoy the sport of swimming and are proud partners of SOTX!
September 22, 2020
“I love my community. There’s no secret there. I’m blessed to work side by side with the best department. I appreciate SOTX athletes and families for sticking with us side by side.” - Chief Scesney
September 15, 2020
Of working with SOTX, Adkins said, “Special Olympics has become so personal. My son participates, and it’s starting to become a generational thing. I get so much encouragement, it motivates me to do more.”
September 08, 2020
Athletes, “This is going to pass, and we are going to get back to normal. We all look forward to the day when we can get together. After a day of spending time with the you all, officers come back with smiles on their faces and more relaxed than before,” Salvaggio explains.
September 01, 2020
Office SIsk is heavily involved with LETR and the Special Olympics. “I have more LETR shirts than I know how to count. It’s kind of a tradition to wear the one with the big Texas flag when I go out to conferences. It’s a conversation starter. When I retire I’m going to learn how to sow and make a blanket out of them,” Sisk claimed.
August 24, 2020
We got a chance to catch up with Commander Mirabelle of the Pflugerville PD! According to Mirabelle, “The pairing between Special Olympics athletes and officers is special because we see so much negativity on a day to day basis, but when we hang out with our athletes, they make us smile, they see all of the good in the world, and they turn our day around."
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July 30, 2020
SOTX Boots and Hats Day was held on July 28, supporting the Paper Torch Campaign at Cavender's stores around the state of Texas.
July 15, 2020
Click here to see all the photo submissions from this event! It was incredible to see all the athlete photo and video submissions from our first ever Virtual Summer Games! While we would have loved to have been together in person, this was a really...
June 16, 2020
SOTX Gives Back is an initiative by which SOTX staff get out into their local communities and help those in need!
May 18, 2020
Area 19 LETR Robert Cardenas from El Paso, Texas, LETR Spotlight
May 07, 2020
Area 19, Coach/HOD, Rosa Loya, El Paso, Texas Coach/HOD Spotlight
May 05, 2020
The Special Olympics Texas tribute a fallen member of LETR.
May 05, 2020
Area 14, Coach, Kami Dodds, Brady, Texas, Coach Spotlight
April 30, 2020
Area 14, Joshua DeLuna from Abilene, Texas Athlete Spotlight
April 28, 2020
Area 16 LETR SGT. Carla Burr from Amarillo, Texas, LETR Spotlight
April 22, 2020
Today is National Administrative Appreciation Day. In honor of our administrators out here in the Wild West Region of Texas, we are taking this opportunity to thank our administrators for all the hard work they do! Without our awesome administrators we wouldn't be able to make all our goals a reality!
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April 21, 2020
Area 19 Athlete Giselle Cervantes from El Paso, Texas, Athlete Spotlight
April 16, 2020
Area 17 Athlete Mary Berry from Lubbock, Texas, Athlete Spotlight
April 14, 2020
Area 14 Athlete Jonathan Hyer from Abilene, Texas with the Abilene Mustangs, Athlete Spotlight
April 09, 2020
Area 18 Athlete Marcus Ruis from Odessa Texas Athlete Spotlight
March 26, 2020
Justin DuBose, a member of The Warriors of The Woodlands, has won 92 gold medals, 20 silver, and 11 bronze in SOTX competitions in the seven years that he has competed, mostly in athletics and aquatics. He swims the 400M freestyle, 200M backstroke, ...
March 25, 2020
Welcome to the Revolution. It's our all-new podcast - listen in!
March 13, 2020
On Monday March 9, 2020 Hendrickson High School was awarded with a banner of national recognition for their work in the inclusion revolution as well as placing in the top 5 on ESPN's national honor roll program. Photography credit: Mercedes Morgan Photography
March 09, 2020
Special Olympics Texas is suspending all sport training and competition activities and other activations involving our athletes through [updated] May 31st, 2020, at which time the situation will be reevaluated. This includes State Basketball. Select,...
January 24, 2020
Healthy LEAP (Lifestyle Education and Practice) is a series of health, nutrition, fitness, safety and injury prevention lessons and practical applications created specifically for youth and adults with and without intellectual disabilities.
December 23, 2019
Special thanks to Kit Flynn for the photography at this event!
November 25, 2019
The Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools program is expanding across the state of Texas in 2020!
September 10, 2019
ESPN recently reviewed the top 5 exemplary schools as part of the Special Olympics UNIFIED CHAMPION SCHOOLS® National Recognition Program.
August 26, 2019
Thank you to The Hunt Family and FC Dallas for supporting the Unified Sports® Soccer Program at Special Olympics Texas! We wrapped up a great season this past Sunday, August 25th.
We would like to thank the Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas for sponsoring both teams: And a thank-you to 76 for sponsoring Dynamo. Global Life and Advocare sponsored FC Dallas and the Hunt Family for their support of the MLS Unified Sports® Soccer team. We couldn't make all this happen without you.
We will see you on the field!
August 05, 2019
The Mapping Journey Begins Shaun Linsey, an athlete with Special Olympics Texas, has begun mapping out every team in each area of Texas. He has put in countless hours to make this project happen and each individual map is so unique and impressive....
July 25, 2019
"Give Yourself the Gift of Special Olympics" An Interview with Janet Holliday We had the wonderful honor of interviewing Janet Holliday on all things Special Olympics Texas. Janet was an enormous piece in growing Special Olympics Texas in the ...
July 25, 2019
Athlete Spotlights Part Two MEET PAUL Paul Dunn is a joy to be around and is encouraging to all. Being an athlete for over 25 years, Paul is proud to have competed in ten sports. He loves a good jam session and you will absolutely see him on the ...
July 15, 2019
Athlete Spotlights Meet Elena Elena is sweet, enthusiastic, and fun to be around. She has been competing in bowling, track, and golf since she was five and her favorite part of competing is the celebration after a game- win or lose! Elena is also ...
June 24, 2019
This report highlights the impact Special Olympics Texas has had on the Greater Houston, Golden Triangle and Gulf Coast areas.
June 14, 2019
Bradley Gwatney was named Area 18 Permian Basin/Big Bend Program Director as of June 13, 2019.
June 07, 2019
Today we are sharing an inspiring story on how the Unified Champion School program has transformed Creekview Elementary into a school that accepts and knows the children in the Special Education program by name. This program was given a head start ...
