OSU Unified finishes school year with Special Olympics Summer Games

there is so much joy amidst a lot of friendly, but fierce competition. The difference this year is that our OSU Unified athletes and partners felt so connected because they’ve had the opportunity to compete all year long. OSU feels like home and everyone loves to get to play big games on their home turf.”

Last week, almost 4,000 Oklahoma athletes traveled to Stillwater for the 2023 Special Olympics State Summer Games. Oklahoma State University has served as host for the event for a long time, but this year’s games featured something different: A team of athletes and partners representing the university as OSU Unified.

Jennifer Jones, director of the OSU Center for Developmental Disabilities, said for athletes and their families the competition in the State Summer Games was the climax of a journey that began about a year ago.

“Having done Special Olympics for 21 years, Summer Games at OSU are my favorite three days of the year to be on campus,” Jones said. “The air is lighter,

The OSU Unified delegation included 12, two-person bocce teams (one Special Olympics athlete and one partner), two 3v3 basketball teams (each with three athletes and one partner) and four coaches.

In July, OSU became the Special Olympics Unified College Program in the state after broadening its partnership with Special Olympics Oklahoma. A collaboration between the OSU Department of Wellness and the Center for Developmental Disabilities launched unified intramural sports opportunities, allowing OSU students, faculty and staff to compete alongside Special Olympics athletes throughout the school year in bowling, bocce and cornhole tournaments, 6v6 volleyball, 5v5 flag football leagues and more.

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