Local Special Olympics Athletes to Represent Team Nevada at the 2018 USA Games
Seventeen Las Vegas-area Special Olympics athletes have earned the honor of representing Special Olympics Nevada (SONV) at the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle.
The athletes, along with their coaches, will join a select group of other athletes and coaches from northern Nevada to compete as Team Nevada at the USA Games from July 1-6. The USA Games occurs once every four years and features more than 4,000 Special Olympics athletes and coaches from all 50 states competing in a variety of different sports.
Team Nevada will consist of 29 athletes and eight coaches who will go for gold in either basketball, bowling, swimming or track and field. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most of the athletes to represent their city, program area, state and family on a national level. Along with elite competition, the USA Games will include a star-studded Opening Ceremony (Charlie Puth, Marshmello and others), celebrations and much more.
Local Las Vegas-area athletes include:
- Paul Brooks Jr., Basketball
- Patrick Brown, Basketball
- Gerardo Cortez, Basketball
- Rob Doyle, Basketball
- Jesse Frankel, Basketball
- Quentin Kurz, Basketball
- Kelvin Rainey, Basketball
- Mahmood Sajjidi, Basketball
- Shautief Toenniges, Basketball
- James Stinson, Basketball
- Matt Fiscus, Bowling
- Jackie Jones, Bowling
- Stacy Mullins, Bowling
- Wesley Oana, Bowling
- Krystelle Rodriguez, Bowling
- Jolina “JoJo” Harris, Swimming
- Sandra Josephson, Track & Field
The athletes have been training for months for the USA Games and will depart on June 30. Special Olympics offers free year-round sports competition, educational programs and health resources to children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Meet the full team at www.SONV.org.