Before heading on stage to emcee the Closing Ceremony of the 2017 Summer Games, Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) athlete Rachel Osterbach was nervous. The Global Messenger often gets nervous before speaking in front of big crowds. It is a fear she has battled for a long time. But just as she has done her […]
Joe Hreish was back in the city that re-ignited his passion for Special Olympics, and he couldn’t help but smile about it. The Orange County athlete was among nearly 50 Special Olympics Southern California athletes competing in the Nike 3-on-3 basketball tournament in downtown Los Angeles. It was two years ago, during the 2015 Special
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Dustin Plunkett is no stranger to the ESPN cameras – but on Wednesday he was among those celebrated as Special Olympics took center stage at the 25th annual ESPY Awards in Los Angeles. Plunkett, a Special Olympics Southern California athlete and headquarters staff member, was among 25 Special Olympics athletes from around the country who
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Special Olympics Southern California coaches, regardless of sport, often come away with similar thoughts when they reflect upon their experience and interactions with the athletes. To paraphrase: You get back what you put in – and more. Lauren Clarke, who helped lead a USC group of coaches in the Los Angeles area, noted the affection
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Last week we began a new series on www.sosctest.com/ called #SundaySpotlight. Fittingly, our spotlight was the Special Olympics Southern California athletes, specifically their competitive spirit at the 2017 Summer Games. This week we stay focused on our athletes, but our #SundaySpotlight turns to the Athlete Leadership Programs that allow athletes to
Several athletes at Special Olympics Southern California can pinpoint a variety of aspects they enjoy most about competing. A solid number of responses will tie back to the atmosphere and encouragement they receive from a supportive group of engaged spectators. Many will tell you that the roar of a crowd can result in a significant
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By Naomi Cahill UC Santa Barbara alumna Jordan Franey brought her A-game to the basketball court for this year’s Summer Games – not as an athlete, but as a referee. The former Division I women’s basketball player was running up and down the court, blowing her whistle and guiding the players to ensure a fair
For 27 years, Eric Ledesma has been a police officer and in each of those years, he has been involved with Special Olympics through the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Now a Lieutenant for the Long Beach Police Department, the LETR Final Leg brings everything full circle for Lt. Ledesma. His participation in the 2017 Torch
Breakfast With Champions Steve Alford, the UCLA men’s basketball coach and keynote speaker of the event, recounted a story about how he didn’t have the 1984 Summer Olympic Games on his radar when he was a 19-year-old growing up in Indiana. Little did he know that it would be the start of something much greater,
Editor’s note: Michael Amormino and his wife, Thann, attended Summer Games as volunteers. They collected stories and photos and this is their first-hand account. This was our first time volunteering at the Special Olympics. My wife and I signed up with the Special Olympics Southern California communications team for Summer Games. The experience we received
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Bart Simpson hopes you enjoy the new website!