LOCAL NEWS

Two Utah teams in Orlando for the Special Olympics

Jun 5, 2022, 10:16 PM | Updated: Jun 7, 2022, 4:29 pm

Utah Special Olympic Team. (Credit: Alex Cabrero)...

Utah Special Olympic Team. (Credit: Alex Cabrero)

(Credit: Alex Cabrero)

ORLANDO, Fla. — They’ve been waiting a long time for this, and when that moment finally came for these Utah athletes, it was all smiles.

Just like the Olympics, the National Special Olympics USA Games is held every four years. This time it’s in Orlando, Florida.

Utah has always had individual athletes competing, but for the first time in a long time, we have teams competing this year as well.

But in order to get here, it took a lot of hard work and had to be done back home in Utah.

Wasatch High School Unified Basketball. (Alex Cabrero/KSL TV)

Wasatch High School’s Unified basketball team has been practicing for months after finding out last September that they would represent Utah in the National Games.

“I thought we’d be playing for the school,” said Noah Wright of Wasatch High School Unified Basketball. “I was a little nervous, but now that I know we are playing for the state? That’s the really nervous part.”

Even still, Noah Wright and his teammates couldn’t wait to go.

Knowing many people are cheering them on back home, well, the scoreboard doesn’t really matter.

“As long as I’m with my team, yeah,” Wright said.

That’s the same way Utah’s other team competing in these Games feels.

Tooele High School Unified Soccer (Alex Cabrero/KSL TV)

The soccer players for Tooele High School’s Unified team say all these practices have brought them even closer.

“We get along really well,” said Hanna Bowen with Tooele High School Unified Soccer.

“Yeah, like we’ve been doing things at each other’s houses every weekend hanging out. it’s so much fun,” said Kami Dahl, also with Tooele High School Unified Soccer

And that’s the word, fun. It’s what the Special Olympics is all about.

Sure, every athlete here would like to win Gold, but there are some things more important than winning.

“I think we’ve all become best friends here,” said Tooele High School Unified Soccer’s Sami Emett. “This is everyone’s happy place.”

The competition gets going tomorrow morning in Orlando as about 38 athletes represent Utah in the Olympics.

KSL 5 TV Live

Local News

[File] Utah Highway Patrol State Trooper car (Laura Seitz, Deseret News)...

Larry D. Curtis

Child struck, critically injured by tractor near Coalville

A tractor hit a 5-year-old boy who darted into the road, critically injuring the child.

11 months ago

(FILE) Police vehicles are parked outside the South Jordan Police Department on Friday, April 24, 2...

Michael Houck

Police: Three teens hospitalized after crashing into wall in South Jordan

Three teenagers were injured after crashing into a concrete wall Tuesday morning, police say.

11 months ago

Elephants Zuri and Christie will be transferred from Utah's Hogle Zoo to another accredited facilti...

Josh Ellis

Elephants leaving Utah’s Hogle Zoo after more than 100 years of care

Utah's Hogle Zoo elephants Christie and Zuri will be transferred to another accredited zoo, ending the zoo's continuous care of elephants after more than 100 years.

11 months ago

The town of Hideout wants to annex hundreds of acres from Summit County and Wasatch County, includi...

Michael Houck

Landowners in-between Hideout and Kamas file for township

A group of Summit County landowners filed to incorporate as a new town called West Hills Tuesday.

11 months ago

(Chopper 5)...

Debbie Worthen

Residents meet with Draper leaders to find out what’s next for neighborhood after landslide

Dozens of Suncrest residents met with Draper city leaders for a town hall-style meeting two weeks after the ground below two homes collapsed and sent them sliding down the mountainside.

11 months ago

Flooding temporarily closed state Route 39 in Ogden Canyon Tuesday morning. (Utah Department of Pub...

Josh Ellis

Utah roads, parks close due to flooding and high runoff levels

Several roads were closed due to flooding Tuesday morning, and warm temperatures will keep rivers and creeks running high throughout the day.

11 months ago

Sponsored Articles

Stack of old laptops with dark background...

PC Laptops

Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away

Get the most out of your investment. Try these old laptop upgrades before throwing it out to keep it running fast and efficient.

Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...

BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.

Close up of an offset printing machine during production...

Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.

vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...

Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.

Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...

Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.

notebook with password notes highlighted...

PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.

Two Utah teams in Orlando for the Special Olympics