The 2022 USA Games will unite more than 5,500 athletes and coaches from all 50 states and the Caribbean for one of the country's most cherished sporting events. The USA Games, which is hosted every four years, will mark the largest multi-sport sporting event in Florida history, offering 19 Olympic-style team and individual sports.
​Special Olympics Vermont Delegation
Mathew is from Beebe Plain, VT. He has been participating in Special Olympics for 20 years, competing in basketball, bowling, golf, soccer and track & field. During the golf season, Mathew works in outside operations at Newport Country Club. Mathew says that Special Olympics has allowed him to play sports on a team and gives him confidence to try out for different teams.
Mathew Benn
Golf
Pascal is from Danville, VT and is competing in track! He currently attends Danville High School. He has been participating in Special Olympics since third grade, starting with Unified snowshoeing and bocce, then got into skiing and basketball. Pascal picked up running quite recently, after his mom talked him into trying cross country in high school. He worked hard to become a better runner and by the summer of 2020 had trained for and run a 100K!
Pascal Deppisch
Track
Jennifer is from Hartland, VT. She has been participating in Special Olympics for over 18 years, competing in alpine skiing, basketball, bowling, floorball, golf and track & field. Jennifer also works at the Woodstock Inn four days a week. Through Special Olympics, Jennifer has learned to be part of a team and to help others, and has learned that practice helps her be a better athlete.
Jennifer Mayfield
Golf
Julia is from Hyde Park, VT. She has been a part of Special Olympics since she was 8 years old and competes in alpine skiing and swimming. Julia holds many jobs at farms and horse barns in Lamoille County. Julia says that being a Special Olympics athlete has changed her life by giving her more self-confidence and the initiative to help others in places where she may have struggled. It has given her the courage to try new challenging things and overcome any she faces in her everyday life.
Julia Bruner
Swimming
Marcus is from Vergennes, VT. He currently attends Bellcate School in Essex Junction, VT and works part time at Hannaford. Marcus has participated in many Special Olympics sports including Unified basketball, bocce, bowling, snowshoeing, swimming, and track & field. Marcus is grateful for Special Olympics because it has introduced him to some different sports that he normally would not have tried, and it has also allowed him to “unleash some energy”.
Marcus DeSmit
Swimming
Chelsea is from St. Johnsbury, VT. She has been involved in Special Olympics since she was 17. She works at Kingdom Crust Pizzeria in St. Johnsbury. In 8th grade, Chelsea was determined to become a St. Johnsbury Academy Hilltopper, so she joined a rec department running club and when she got to the Academy, she was able to join the cross-country running team!
Chelsea Waldner
Track