Greater Dallas and Fort Worth Area Athletes and Coaches Depart for the National Games
Team Texas Departs on July 17
In one week, 152 Texas athletes and 39 coaches will depart on the journey of a lifetime! Special Olympics Texas (SOTX) – Greater Dallas and Greater Fort Worth area athletes and coaches will travel on July 17 to Lincoln, Nebraska for the 2010 U.S.A. National Games!
The Games will be held on and near the University of Nebraska at the Lincoln campus, July 18-23. SOTX athletes will compete in aquatics, athletics, bocce, basketball, bowling, golf, gymnastics, powerlifting, soccer, softball, flag football, tennis and volleyball.
Among the more than 3,000 competitors from throughout the nation are 152 Special Olympics Texas athletes, including 38 Greater Dallas and 11 Greater Fort Worth area athletes who will represent Team Texas. Eight Greater Dallas area coaches and four Greater Fort Worth area coaches will lead the athletes as they compete at the Games. (See page two for a list of participating athletes and coaches.) Athlete bios are available upon request. Updates and results on the Texas athletes will be available online at www.specialolympicstexas.org.
Travel Details
- Twenty-nine Greater Dallas and Fort Worth area athletes and coaches will travel by Cessna airplanes. The Cessnas will leave from Textar Aviation at 3232 Love Field Drive from 12:30 p.m. to 1:10 p.m. on July 17. The Cessna flights will return to Textar on July 24 starting at 2:10 p.m., with the last flight arriving by 2:50 p.m.
- The athletes and coaches traveling on a commercial flight will meet outside of the American Airlines ticketing area on July 17 at 6:50 a.m. at DFW Airport. The group will return to Dallas at 10:05 a.m. on July 24.
Nationwide, more than 160 private jets have been donated, with many of the planes making multiple trips to bring athletes and take them home. The jets will be landing approximately every two minutes for a 9-hour period on Saturday, July 17.
* MEDIA NOTE: Media planning to cover the send off at the airports should notify the Media Contacts listed above in advance
GREATER DALLAS AREA ATHLETES
| NAME |
SPORT |
HOMETOWN |
| Thomas Candelas |
Unified Softball |
Lewisville |
| Natalie Carr |
Unified Softball |
Highland Village |
| Allen Domer |
Unified Softball |
Lewisville |
| Jim Domer |
Unified Softball |
Lewisville |
| Brandon Donner |
Unified Softball |
Flower Mound |
| Adam Eck |
Unified Volleyball |
Fairview |
| Brantley Grantham |
Unified Volleyball |
Allen |
| Lisa Grantham |
Unified Volleyball |
Allen |
| Ken Griffin |
Unified Softball |
Highland Village |
| Les Griffin |
Unified Softball |
Highland Village |
| Blaine Hardin |
Golf |
McKinney |
| Joseph Hawkins |
Unified Softball |
Lewisville |
| Daniel Hettinger |
Aquatics |
Heath |
| Paul Holland |
Athletics |
Shady Shores |
| Ralph Holt |
Unified Softball |
Lewisville |
| Tim Holt |
Unified Softball |
Lewisville |
| Sarah Hunter |
Aquatics |
Carrollton |
| Michael Jackson |
Unified Volleyball |
Allen |
| Thomas Jaconette |
Unified Volleyball |
Carrollton |
| Erika Johnson |
Golf |
Murphy |
| Paul Landry |
Unified Volleyball |
McKinney |
| Ryan Landry |
Unified Volleyball |
McKinney |
| Michael Maples |
Unified Softball |
Lewisville |
| Tia McVey |
Unified Volleyball |
Allen |
| Dean Morris |
Golf |
McKinney |
| Schelly Porter |
Bowling |
Commerce |
| Nathan Purcell |
Athletics |
Trenton |
| Buddy Randall |
Golf |
Wylie |
| Patrick Rooney |
Bowling |
Highland Village |
| Samantha Russell |
Unified Softball |
Lewisville |
| Katie Shepherd |
Gymnastics |
Greenville |
| Katherine Taylor |
Unified Softball |
The Colony |
| Matthew Turner |
Unified Softball |
Lewisville |
| Robert Wells |
Golf |
Wylie |
| Wayne Wilbanks |
Golf |
Sachse |
| Jared Williamson |
Unified Volleyball |
Allen |
| Jennifer Wolf |
Unified Volleyball |
McKiney |
| Austin Youts |
Unified Softball |
Lewisville |
GREATER DALLAS AREA COACHES
| NAME |
SPORT |
HOMETOWN |
| Sandra Boggs |
Unified Volleyball |
Plano |
| Rhonda Call |
Athletics |
Trenton |
| Renae Carswell |
Unified Softball |
Lewisville |
| Gary Clemens |
Unified Softball |
Lewisville |
| Tracey Crouch |
Gymnastics |
Greenville |
| Bo Eck |
Unified Volleyball |
Fairview |
| Vicki Griffin |
Unified Softball |
Highland Village |
| Jane Morris |
Golf |
McKinney |
GREATER FORT WORTH AREA ATHLETES
| NAME |
SPORT |
HOMETOWN |
| Joshua Altman |
Bocce |
North Richland Hills |
| Brice Cleary |
Aquatics |
Mansfield |
| Kevin Collins |
Bocce |
Arlington |
| Chan Graves |
Aquatics |
Arlington |
| Derek Hawes |
Powerlifting |
Richland Hills |
| Miranda Key |
Bocce |
Ponder |
| Jamie Novak |
Bowling |
Mineral Wells |
| Jessily Rackel |
Bocce |
Denton |
| Wayne Rackel |
Bocce |
Lake Dallas |
| William Rackel |
Bocce |
Lake Dallas |
| Jonathan Richards |
Athletics |
Fort Worth |
GREATER FORT WORTH AREA COACHES
| NAME |
SPORT |
HOMETOWN |
| Gayla Altman |
Aquatics |
North Richland Hills |
| Daniel Hawes |
Powerlifting |
Richland Hills |
| Wayne Key |
Bocce |
Ponder |
| Vicki Novak |
Bowling |
Mineral Wells |
About Special Olympics Texas
Special Olympics Texas is a privately funded non-profit organization providing year-round sports training and athletic competition for 36,311 children and adults with intellectual disabilities in the Lone Star State. Be a part of the movement that is CHANGING LIVES in your community. For more information, visit www.specialolympicstexas.org.
About the 2010 Special Olympics USA National Games
The 2010 Special Olympics USA National Games in Lincoln, Nebraska will showcase and celebrate the Special Olympics movement and athletes from across the United States, while illustrating the power of sports to educate and inform about the true abilities and achievements of people with intellectual disabilities. From July 18-23, 2010, nearly 3,000 athletes will compete in 13 Olympic-style sports, with the support of 1,000 coaches, 8,000 volunteers and an estimated 15,000 family and friends. In addition to sports, the USA National Games will offer various programs in health, wellness and education. To learn more, visit www.2010specialolympics.org
Special Olympics Texas Official Partners:
Coca-Cola Bottling Companies of Texas, Food Town,
H-E-B Tournament of Champions Charitable Trust and the Law Enforcement Torch Run
###
Andi B. Kelly
Public Relations Coordinator
Special Olympics Texas
akelly@sotx.org
