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Carolyn Phillips standing with 5 Special Olympics Athletes in a group photo.

Carolyn Phillips

Carolyn Phillips has been working in the Communications and Brand Department for over two years, where she has had the ability to attend some amazing events and meet so many awesome people. Before joining Special Olympics International, she was a volunteer at the Rio 2016 Olympics, the Austria 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games, and the Los Angeles 2015 Special Olympics World Games. She has coached Special Olympics swimming in Pennsylvania and worked in the Special Olympics New York and Special Olympics Southern California offices.
Content By This Author
Hassam, wearing a blue jacket, poses for a photo while holding a certificate from the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi.
Athletes

From Teammate to Official

How a Love of Football Helps Hassam Set Goals and Accomplish Them
1 Min Read
Kristine poses with her Special Olympics USA World Games trading card and smiles.
Athletes

My Journey in Athlete Leadership

On and off the field, Kristine Hughes is a champion of inclusion. She’s a Special Olympics athlete, an athlete leader, a certified coach, and an official. She is also the Athlete Leadership Manager and a Sargent Shriver Global Messenger for Special Olympics North Carolina.
3 Min Read
A man runs at the soccer ball. He is wearing a blue and red uniform. A player from a different team runs after the ball behind him. | A Special Olympics Great Britain stands on a football field showcasing his gold medal.
Athletes

Play to Win. Refuse to Lose.

Winning Gold at the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015
2 Min Read
Three people pose in front of a large white sign that has the Special Olympics World Games LA 2015 logo on it. They are smiling.
Community Impact

Volunteering at the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015

Since February 2015 when she first volunteered for Special Olympics at the Special Olympics New York State Winter Games, she has been committed to serving the athletes in the movement.
2 Min Read
Loretta Claiborne, Special Olympics Board of Directors Vice Chair and Chief Inspiration Officer
Athletes

Learn more about Loretta Claiborne: 50-year Special Olympics Athlete & Chief Inspiration Officer

Loretta Claiborne was born the middle of seven children in a poor, single-parent family in York, Pennsylvania. Partially blind and with intellectual disabilities, she was unable to walk or talk until four-years-old. Today, Claiborne is an accomplished athlete, motivational speaker, member of the Special Olympics International Board of Directors, and Chief Inspiration Officer for Special Olympics.
1 Min Read
World Games 2019, Track and Field - young man celebrating.
Athletes

Physical Distancing But Not Social Distancing: A Special Olympics Athlete’s Perspective

It's the most exciting time of year for all who are involved. Each year at the beginning of June, hundreds of Special Olympics Maryland athletes gather at Towson University just outside Baltimore City, ahead of the annual Summer Games.
3 Min Read
Five people stand at a podium at the U.S. Senate. They are framed by the U.S. flag on the left side and by the Senate flag on the right side.
Athletes

A Night at the Capitol: The Road to Abu Dhabi

On Thursday, 5 March 2020, Members of Congress, the UAE Embassy, and Special Olympics USA athletes from Southern California, Virginia, D.C., Maryland, Ohio, and Connecticut gathered for a screening of The Road to Abu Dhabi, a documentary about the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019.
1 Min Read
22 people pose in a group photo on the slopes after competing. All of them are wearing brightly colored snow clothes, goggles, and helmets. One of them holds a snowboard.
In the News

Athletes Compete in X-cellent Skiing and Snowboarding at the 2020 X Games

On 23 January, 10 pairs of Special Olympics athletes and professional snowboarders returned for the sixth annual Unified Snowboarding Competition at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado. For the first time ever, six teams of two, including one Special Olympics athlete and one professional skier, competed in the first-ever Unified Skiing Competition at the X Games.
2 Min Read
Sherrie and another runner hold the burning torch alongside side one another during the Final Leg.
Athletes

Sherrie Eadie, Final Leg Torch Runner

Over 100 law enforcement officers and Special Olympics athletes, the Guardians of the Flame, carried the Flame of Hope, throughout all seven of the United Arab Emirates before safely delivering it to the Opening Ceremony in Abu Dhabi.
1 Min Read
Nicholas Leong standing in front of a cement wall with a camera over either shoulder.
Community Impact

“It Wasn’t Just Special; It Was Extraordinary”: The World Games from a Volunteer’s Perspective

When I was asked if I was interested to volunteer as a photographer to cover the athletes from the Asia Pacific Region at the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi, the answer was a resounding yes.
3 Min Read
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