Special Olympics Florida Athletes Shine on the World Stage
At the Special Olympics World Games last month, Special Olympics Florida athletes showed once again they can compete with the best!
Our 15 athletes and Unified partners competed with Special Olympics USA in Berlin and made memories that will last a lifetime. They immersed themselves in the World Games experience, spending time with their German hosts in the towns of Bremen and Bremerhaven. They attended a spectacular and inspiring opening and closing ceremonies, cheered on by thousands of raucous fans.
And when the Games opened, they played hard and fair, displaying the skill and heart that earned them a place in Berlin.
- Athlete Gina Grant, of Broward County, won a gold and silver in two swimming events
- Athlete Mollie O’Connell, of Sarasota County, won gold in cycling
- Athlete Max Verduin, of Orange County, won silver and fifth place in two cycling events
- Athlete Brandon Mailly of Osceola County, earned bronze in tennis singles and fifth place in Unified doubles with his Unified partner Gerard Mailly
- Alachua County/University of Florida Unified Basketball Team took home a fourth-place finish, competing against teams from across the globe, including Chinese Taipei, Guadeloupe, and the United Arab Emirates.
Check out some media coverage of the event here and here. And view our Florida delegation World Games photos too!