{"id":4705,"date":"2026-06-19T19:05:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T19:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=4705"},"modified":"2026-06-19T19:05:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T19:05:17","slug":"special-olympics-florida-athletes-head-out-from-orlando-to-compete-in-usa-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=4705","title":{"rendered":"Special Olympics Florida athletes head out from Orlando to compete in USA Games"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<p>With their hearts set on gold, Special Olympics Florida athletes are bracing for tough competition as they advance to this year\u2019s national games.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=4703\">Leafs acquire Darren Raddysh from Lightning and sign him to an 8-year contract<\/a><\/p>\n<p>More than 200 Team Florida athletes, unified partners and coaches took off from Orlando International Airport on Friday for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minneapolis, Minn. Over 3,000 athletes from across the nation will compete in 16 different sports, including volleyball, swimming, gymnastics and bowling.<\/p>\n<p>Clad in neon pink, the sports teams paraded into the airport while a group of Special Olympics Florida volunteers, family members and fans cheered their arrival, touting signs that read, \u201cGo for the gold!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a lot of our athletes,\u201d said Meghan McLean, president and CEO of Special Olympics Florida. \u201cIt\u2019s really a celebration of what people with intellectual disabilities can do when given the opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Special Olympics, founded to give athletes with intellectual disabilities an opportunity to compete, became a global sports movement in the late 1960s. USA games take place every four years, the last of which was hosted in Orlando in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>The teams include unified partners, or people without intellectual disabilities, who are joined up with athletes in what are called Unified Sports.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGoing to USA games and representing Team Florida is one of the biggest accomplishments I think I could have, because it\u2019s an honor to represent your state and go out there and showcase your skills,\u201d said athlete Maryann Gonzalez, who will compete in golf with her unified partner.<\/p>\n<p>The 61-year-old Lake County resident has been involved in competitive sports for more than five decades. She was the first athlete to be inducted into the Special Olympics Florida Hall of Fame and helped jumpstart the USA Games in the early 2000s, she said.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=4701\">Former FHP troopers accused of faking off-duty shifts in ChampionsGate<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <!--Ad-Slot: outstream_video--><\/p>\n<p>Beyond athletics, Gonzalez is also a Special Olympics Florida coach, staff member and health messenger. She emphasized the importance of the program\u2019s health services, which helped her resolve foot pain on the golf course.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat just shows what Special Olympics offers to the athletes outside of playing sports,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Athletes ran through the crowd, greeted with high fives. Logan Walters, a member of Team Florida\u2019s unified soccer team, said competing on a national stage is a \u201ccool moment\u201d \u2014 but also a lot of pressure.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA few of us were nominated to be here, and I was fortunate to be one of them,\u201d the 19-year-old said. \u201cMy goal is to bring back gold for not just my team but the whole state of Florida.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <!--Ad-Slot: cube_article--><\/p>\n<p>Justin Layne, a 28-year-old Lee County resident, waved a shimmery blue pom-pom and cheered the passing teams. Having friends and family with special needs motivated him to attend the send-off, he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know these athletes work hard,\u201d Layne said. \u201cI\u2019m just happy to be here and show my support, put a smile on their face.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=4699\">The Savings Game: Ratio of equities to bonds in your portfolio<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The USA Games will be held from June 20 to 26.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More than 200 Team Florida athletes, unified partners and coaches took off from Orlando International Airport on Friday for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minneapolis, Minn.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4704,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-florida-news","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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