Jackson County athletes compete in Special Olympics USA Games

Published on June 14, 2022

Jackson County’s Special Population Services, a division of Jackson County Parks + Rec, is going for the gold! 15 athletes from the program are a part of the Special Olympics Missouri delegation headed to the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games June 5-12, 2022, in Orlando, Florida. For over 50 years, Special Olympics has been empowering athletes and encouraging a more inclusive world for those with intellectual disabilities. The 2022 Games will unite more than 5,500 athletes and coaches from all 50 states and the Caribbean.  

Our Jackson County athletes have been training for the past year in preparation for participating in the USA Games. 15 athletes, both male and female along with 10 coaches, are representing Jackson County Parks + Rec in sporting events such as athletics, bocce, bowling, golf, powerlifting, swimming and tennis.

The athletes, coaches and unified partners who are participating are listed below. Special Olympics Unified Sports® brings together athletes with intellectual disabilities and athletes without intellectual disabilities to train and compete on the same team. Volunteers improve their physical fitness, sharpen their skills, and learn acceptance and inclusion while participating in Unified Sports. A primary goal of Unified Sports is to equalize the ability level of Special Olympics athletes with their partners and to promote inclusion through team practice and competition. Unified partners and athletes form friendships and build community.

Athletes

Sean Agnew, Timothy Bray, Trevone Carter, Mark Harris, Cortez Jackson, Richard Scott and Andrew Shaffer - Flag Football 
Larin Bryant-McCanse and Antonio Vasquez - Bocce
Shaquana Hobbs and Shyanne Pyatt - Bowling
Michael Lunceford - Golf
Aaron Raines and Jennifer Neihouse - Swimming

Coaches and Unified Partners

Macy Elliott-Gray, Tammy Harrelson, Mike Lowry, and Austin Rippeto - Unified Partners
Nicole Mackay, Amy Roberts, Robin Roberts, Amy Wurst and Bea Webb - Coaches
Dianna Neihouse and Linda Wiederholt - Sport Managers

Jackson County Parks + Rec Special Population Services Division serves over 2,000 intellectually disabled adults annually. Their mission is to provide professional, multi-recreational services enabling the developmentally disabled of Jackson County to achieve independence, self-fulfillment, and physical fitness through athletic and social events. Jackson County is proud of the hard work and amazing accomplishments of our Special Populations teams, athletes, and volunteers, and is cheering them on this week at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games!