By Emme Punches, Special Olympics Massachusetts Events Coordinator The athletes who run the Boston Marathon pull their inspiration from many different aspects of their lives. For Kalyn Tebbetts, inspiration comes from the core of Special Olympics-our athletes. In her work at Latham Center, Kalyn has watched her students participate in Special Olympics and has witnessed the positive impact it has had on their lives. “I have seen my students grow from their participation in Special Olympics. They have become more self-assure and their self-esteem increases when they participate. They take pride in representing our school and promoting the idea…

Building inclusive communities is the cornerstone of what Special Olympics is all about. This spirit of generosity, inclusion and volunteerism helps to connect the community as a whole. The work of Mike Allard and his son Ben is a perfect example of how creating an inclusive community raises awareness and brings people together. This weekend, March 4-5, 2017,  the greater Marlborough region will host two notable events – on Saturday, the second annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge for Special Olympics will take place at the Yawkey Sports Training Center in Marlborough followed up by Sunday’s Juniors/Player Development Basketball Tournament…

Running the 26.2 miles of the Boston Marathon will be a first for Reena Shah, Special Olympics Boston Marathon team member. But technically she’s been in training for the last seven year, having completed five half marathons and countless shorter races over those years. And like many of our team members it is something that’s been on her bucket list since she was a child growing up in the Framingham, MA. “I grew up watching the Boston Marathon runners on the route in Framingham. I also had the opportunity to volunteer in the medical tent as a physical therapy…

How many people can say “I’m a 2017 Special Olympics World Games athlete”? Out of the 12,000+  athletes in Massachusetts, only four can. And speed skater Patrick Adams is one of them. An experienced World Games athlete, Adams, previously competed in 2009 World Games in Idaho and the Special Olympics National Games in Iowa. But for Adams the 2017 World Games in Austria was different. Adams wanted to be a part of the 2017 games because “he loves to speed skate and enjoys competing with other athletes from different countries. It is a fun challenge and a great way…

“It means a lot to me to show America how hard I’ve worked to develop my skiing ability so that I can represent my country,” shared Rebecca Robinson, 2017 Special Olympics World Games athlete. Becky, as her teammates call her, is one of four Massachusetts athletes representing the United States at World Games in Austria in March. When told she was going, “I felt excited but it took a while for me to realize that I was really going and what an honor it was.” Receiving such an honor does not come without practice and preparation. Robinson’s serious training…

Welcome, to Allie Tearney one of our youngest members of the Special Olympics Boston Marathon team. Allie started her career in high school running short races. As a freshman at Vanderbilt University, she stepped it up by racing in half marathons. Last April, as a sophomore in college, she reached the pinnacle of her running career by finishing her first marathon, the Nashville Rock and Roll Marathon in Nashville, TN. But that was not enough. A native of the Boston area, Allie wanted to bring her talents home. “The Boston Marathon is something that has always been close to…

Champions for 50: John Hancock & Greg Schwartz John Hancock and Special Olympics athlete, Greg Schwartz are Champions for 50. Over the next two years, John Hancock has committed Boston Marathon bibs to Special Olympics Massachusetts. Greg Schwartz has committed to running the 2017 Boston Marathon – a feat he accomplished in 2015. Together, John Hancock and Schwartz will raise critical funds to expand access to athletic training and competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities while increasing public awareness through the most prestigious running event in New England. To run the Boston Marathon you need to have perseverance, an…

By Emme Punches, Special Olympics Massachusetts Events Coordinator Fe Ahrens is no stranger to the Boston Marathon. On April 17th she will start her strenuous 26.2 mile run from Hopkinton to the streets of Boston for the third time. Fe ran for Special Olympics Massachusetts in 2015 after getting to know us through her position in sponsorship marketing and work with the non-profit program at John Hancock. While her position affords Fe a bib for the marathon she knows running for SOMA is about so much more than a physical test, it is an admirable cause that deserves her…

By Emme Punches, Special Olympics Massachusetts Events Coordinator The number one thing on Jessica Colangelo’s bucket list is running a marathon. Not just any marathon but the one every Massachusetts native grew up watching, the one every aspiring runner dreams of taking part in one day, the one and only, Boston Marathon. During her college years, Jessica would stand on the sidelines watching the runners as they raced past thousands of onlookers cheering and offering kind words of encouragement. She knew the sense of accomplishment they must feel and decided she could no longer be a bystander, she had…

  By Emme Punches, Special Olympics Massachusetts Events Coordinator For Bennet Johnson, mile 21 of the Boston Marathon was where it all started. Right after the runners crest of Heartbreak Hill and looking toward the finish line with tired legs and sore feet, the runners are greeted by, quite possibly, the most enthusiastic group of spectators the race has to offer. The students of Boston College line this exact spot. Offering endless amounts of spirited well wishes as the runners push towards the finish line. Three years ago as Bennet cheered with his classmates for the first time, he set…