00:00 - Often children and adults with disabilities get the answer no.

00:04 - So often you can't do this. You're not eligible to do that.

00:07 - You're not qualified to do this in special in books

00:09 - where the organization says, what do you want to do?

00:12 - And we're going to figure out how to make it happen for you and our coaches.

00:14 - Our volunteers are dedicated to the success of our athletes.

00:17 - I'm Nick Garland, chief operating

00:19 - officer of Special Inexpensively in the Special Olympics.

00:21 - Pennsylvania Summer games is the state's largest event here at State College.

00:26 - Brought to you by Sheetz.

00:27 - We've got over 1700 athletes from all around the state

00:30 - converging on State College this weekend for an amazing sports competition.

00:35 - But in addition to that, our athletes get, life

00:38 - changing opportunities in the areas of health, leadership,

00:42 - education and, and probably have, some of the most incredible friendships.

00:47 - This is almost like a reunion for so many of our athletes.

00:50 - Just a really special weekend on the calendar. I got to.

00:54 - So do a lot of athletes carry this on year over year?

00:56 - Not everyone.

00:57 - this is a, true sports competition.

00:59 - So athletes have been competing this

01:01 - spring and many, all of them had to qualify to get here.

01:05 - their, their teams, whether you're playing softball

01:07 - or you're swimming or running track, you had to win a gold medal to get here.

01:11 - But a lot of these athletes,

01:12 - are, are fiercely competitive and have been participating for years.

01:16 - And we see a lot of the same faces on an annual basis.

01:20 - I think the best thing about all of

01:23 - this is hanging out with the teammates,

01:27 - hanging out with the athletes, and hanging out with just the people.

01:30 - The people of Special Olympics is awesome.

01:34 - Once you get to know them, you become friends.

01:37 - How did they get involved with Special Olympics?

01:39 - We're probably the state's largest sports organization.

01:42 - When you really think about it, this is a grassroots movement.

01:44 - It's in every community in the state of Pennsylvania.

01:47 - athletes are signing up, playing 21, Olympic style sports here.

01:51 - We've got every sport this year in the spring, we've got equestrian, golf,

01:56 - softball, aquatics, gymnastics, track and field, tennis.

02:01 - I'm not sure if I'm missing one here this, this spring,

02:03 - but our athletes are competing, this spring in every community,

02:07 - across the state of Pennsylvania.

02:09 - those who really want to get to summer games have to compete in a number

02:13 - of competitions in their community, qualify to go to a regional competition.

02:18 - and if they're lucky enough and have a good enough season,

02:20 - they find their way here to State College.

02:21 - How competitive is it out there?

02:23 - I mean, it's it's competitive.

02:25 - And I heard that if you win gold,

02:28 - you will put your name into the national level.

02:31 - I am competing in baseball,

02:32 - which is actually one of the one of the fun, fun events

02:37 - that Special Olympics Pennsylvania is offering during the summer.

02:40 - It teaches me how teamwork is all about, how leadership is

02:44 - is being made into things.

02:46 - And it means that this is actually year five.

02:50 - If we're doing basketball at for this sport

02:52 - and my seventh and Special Olympics overall, it's my passion.

02:56 - I'm really good at it and I hope I can get better tonight.

03:00 - This weekend. What do you like about basketball?

03:04 - Well, it's a team sport.

03:05 - It's it's all about teamwork at all.

03:08 - It's really gives you. You might.

03:10 - And it clears my mind off of things.

03:12 - I really know how to go for the gold for this one.

03:15 - Nice job. There you go. There you are.

03:18 - Which we'll talk a little bit more about the atmosphere.

03:21 - What's it like in one of the competitions?

03:22 - You I know you said they're competitive,

03:24 - but what's it like with the fans and everybody there?

03:26 - Well we like to use the word joy.

03:28 - but that doesn't that doesn't diminish, the pride in the,

03:33 - fierce competitors that are athletes. Are they want to win, right?

03:36 - They want gold medals.

03:37 - They want silver medals. They want bronze medals.

03:39 - This competition this weekend actually is a qualifying event

03:42 - for the 2026 US National Games in Minnesota.

03:46 - So, the amplification of competition will be a little more fierce this year

03:50 - because there's a lot of athletes

03:51 - who want to be on Team Par and go to, Minneapolis of 2026.

03:56 - I'm really happy that Pennsylvania has opportunities

04:00 - that that really not not just Pennsylvania, but all of all of,

04:05 - the nation have

04:06 - for all these amazing athletes that would like to do something like this day.

04:11 - All right, everyone, other than come on, come on.

04:14 - I really like the

04:16 - opening ceremonies that I'm honored to do the emcee thing.

04:20 - This is going to be awesome.

04:24 - But, but we mentioned some of the sports that are featured here, but I know there's

04:28 - a lot of other activities, events and pageantry involved with all this.

04:31 - So tell us about some of the things around the sports.

04:34 - Yeah. Well, we're kicking off here tonight.

04:35 - We're a beautiful medlar field.

04:37 - you can see the beautiful baseball field in the backdrop here.

04:40 - we've got opening ceremonies tonight, which will highlight

04:43 - all 1650 of our athletes parading into the stadium.

04:47 - They'll be accompanied by our law enforcement torch from partners.

04:50 - one of our biggest partnerships statewide.

04:52 - Law enforcement will be carrying the flame of Hope

04:54 - lighting, the cauldron here to kick off the games tonight.

04:58 - and it really just kicks off a celebration.

05:00 - We talked about sports, for sure.

05:02 - but they get access to health, options.

05:05 - we've got health screening going on over at our Healthy Athletes Village.

05:08 - There's an Olympic, town park where there's food and fun and dancing and

05:13 - and lots of things for our athletes to buy and interact with each other.

05:17 - there's just so much going on here.

05:20 - And, of course, the community is super involved here.

05:22 - We're anticipating about 1500 volunteers, coming out, throughout the weekend here,

05:28 - the Penn State, campus, leadership.

05:31 - But the Penn State community really has embraced

05:33 - this event and are fully, involved in every aspect of it.

05:40 - up to bat.

05:41 - David, talk more

05:42 - about your volunteer force and the staff that helped put this on.

05:45 - What does it take to do an event like this?

05:46 - Well, this is this is a pretty major, event here.

05:50 - We've got a dedicated volunteer committee who works year round.

05:54 - I mean, we'll celebrate a little bit, when we're done here,

05:58 - and enjoy the summer.

05:59 - But the committee is back at it, late summer,

06:02 - early September, and start planning for next year.

06:04 - There's about 60 committee members strong here for every sport, competition,

06:08 - every element of the event.

06:09 - There's a opening ceremonies committee, really

06:13 - dedicated, community members here that are committed to this.

06:16 - but we're at our core, we're a grassroots movement.

06:19 - So it's not just the volunteers here, it's the volunteers

06:22 - who will come out this weekend and hold a stopwatch at a track or a pool.

06:26 - Or maybe they're helping a scorekeeper at a softball game of basketball, a game.

06:30 - So many volunteer opportunities.

06:32 - And then, filling these stands with our athletes, our volunteer coaches

06:36 - who are coming around the state.

06:37 - We are probably the largest grassroots sports organization in the state.

06:40 - We couldn't do it without our incredible volunteers.

06:43 - What would you say to somebody who's thinking about doing Special Olympics?

06:46 - what advice would you give them?

06:47 - For those of you watching at home, if you want to participate, Special Olympics,

06:52 - do not give up.

06:53 - When is it possible?

06:54 - Ever stopped you? Never, I would say.

06:57 - I would say to all the athletes that, you know,

07:00 - they think that nothing is possible.

07:02 - It is possible.

07:04 - Back in 2018, I didn't know if Special Olympics was,

07:08 - my Special Olympics was a thing.

07:12 - you know, I didn't I didn't realize how special it was,

07:16 - how great it was to be a part of something great.

07:20 - And now, two years later, I became a social media ambassador,

07:25 - a youth ambassador, unifying and all these awesome things that they gave me.

07:29 - I think for all the athletes that really want to do this, you can.

07:33 - I did it 11 years ago and it's just an amazing sports.

07:37 - It changed my life forever.

07:38 - Never give up, never give in.

07:41 - Show your grit, show your guts.

07:43 - I'd be the leader.

07:45 - You would fall well.

07:47 - But if you cannot wed be brave in the attempt.

07:50 - No. Hey, this.

07:53 - Sports is transformational.

07:55 - certainly.

07:56 - We want all of our athletes to run faster, jump higher, score more baskets.

08:01 - You know, all those personal bests.

08:03 - but it's really, sports.

08:05 - It gives these athletes and their families the opportunities to demonstrate

08:08 - skills to the community, to themselves, to build confidence.

08:12 - that really kind of transforms their lives, right?

08:15 - We're building communities of dignity,

08:16 - respect, through these the transformational power of sports.

08:20 - and, you know, we hear so, often from so many of our family members

08:25 - and our athletes that special voices change your life.

08:29 - While we're celebrating the 650 athletes

08:32 - who are going to be in the stands here today,

08:33 - and we have so many other competitions year round for everyone.

08:36 - Athlete.

08:37 - There's still 27 on the sidelines

08:39 - and we have such an opportunity to get more athletes involved.

08:42 - so we're constantly looking to to make sure people understand who we are,

08:46 - what we do, the impact we're making

08:48 - and let people know

08:48 - that our programs are free in charge to our athletes and families.

08:52 - and, you know, check us out at the

08:55 - special links.

08:56 - Walk around more, don't get more time.

09:02 - And. Hey.

09:03 - Oh, that's all right.

09:05 - I hear Claire.

09:07 - Actually, I have

09:10 - so many more valuable, by the way.

09:13 - By the way.

09:14 - Oh, okay. I,

09:18 - I'm grateful I had already.