By: Tyler Lagasse The winner of the 2023 PGA Championship may have been Brooks Koepka, who has won this event for the 3rd time since 2018. But the winner of the day belongs to 46 year old Michael Block, a PGA of America Professional from Mission Viejo, California. On the par-3 15th hole at Oak Hill Country Country Club, Michael Block made a hole in one; a slam dunk in fact to the delight of his playing partner Rory McIlroy. Three holes later on 18, Block had to go up and down to save par to finish in a…

Written by: Amanda Church “Take YOUR Mark.” Splash! First-time Living Independently Forever (LIFE) Special Olympics athlete swimmer Matt Oremland did just that as he competed in his first Special Olympics Swimming Qualifier at Bridgewater State University. Matt not only swam at the qualifier; but competed in the 50-yard backstroke for the first time. While a new sport might seem intimidating to some, Matt has never been one to shy away from his fears. Matt has overcome some obstacles in his life. One of Matt’s biggest obstacles is that he has a fear of heights; but Matt overcame this obstacle…

By: Mike Kelley There is a saying that if something in the world comes to you, you often have that choice during the process. The option is either to take it and run with it or just do it for one time and see if it opens doors to other possibilities. When it comes to the “Play Unified Podcast”, Michael Kelley, Charles Hirsch, Erin Fish, Lumene Montissol, and Ali Phaneuf have had a passion for it in the last four years. Today, they celebrate their 50th episode together and got a chance to reflect on their experience together and…

Written by: Ali Phaneuf With both a passion for soccer and the dream of becoming a sports broadcaster, Radley Theolien went into MLS All-Star week as not only an athlete representing the New England Revolution Unified Team, but as a man-on-the-ground reporter.   After waking up at 3:00 AM on Monday, August 8th to catch the 5:45 AM flight to Minneapolis, Radley had just 30 minutes upon arrival to drop off his suitcase, change, and be on the road to the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota. He joined a myriad of reporters at the 2022 MLS All-Star Press Conference,…

Team Massachusetts walked away from the 2022 USA Games in Orlando, Fl. with a total of 29 medals. Here’s how they break down, by sport. Bocce Joel Goodrow: Came in 4th for singles bocce on 6/7. Carolyn Wojcik: Took home the gold in singles bocce on 6/7. Joel and Carolyn took home the silver medal for doubles bocce on 6/9. Bowling Kevin Auger: Took home the gold in singles bowling on 6/7. Chris Charest: Took home the silver in singles bowling on 6/7. Katie Meunier: Took home the silver in singles bowling on 6/7. Jenna Thomas: Took home the gold in singles bowling on 6/7. Jenna Thomas & Katie…

Written by: Erin Fish In for five seconds, out for seven.   This is the breathing exercise Team Massachusetts USA Games athlete, Lumene Montissol uses when she is feeling overwhelmed.  Starting her week with a surprise from Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts and winning over the hearts of the world, Lumene has been in the spotlight a lot this week. While all of it has been exciting, she wishes she could be sharing these moments with her number one fan and support system, her father Emmanuel.  Emmanuel had to change his plans to attend the USA Games at the last minute to…

The Play Unified Podcast is back. The show features co-hosts, Mike Kelley and Charles Hirsch with assistance provided by Amanda Robson. New this year, Special Olympics athlete, Lumene “Lightning” Montissol brings us the Lightning Round. Join us every other week as we discuss Special Olympics sports, our regional professional sports teams, including the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots and the New England Revolution, along with pop culture and news of the moment. Each episode will feature a guest who will share a bit about themselves and dive into one of the most important moments…

10 athletes and 3 Unified partners represented Special Olympics Massachusetts at the Special Olympics North America Tennis Championship October 17-19, 2019. The athletes, partners and their coaches traveled to Hilton Head Isle, South Carolina to compete alongside 160 Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners, representing 11 U.S. and Latin American programs. The weekend began with a Unified experience and Opening Ceremony. Athletes then competed in singles matches and in Unified doubles on Friday and Saturday. Unified means that athletes with an intellectual disability and a Unified partner without a disability compete together. In the case of Unified doubles, one…

TABOR ACADEMY STUDENT-ATHLETE AWARDS SPECIAL OLYMPICS MASSACHUSETTS GRANT THROUGH GATORADE Hingham, Mass. native and Massachusetts Girls Soccer Gatorade State Player of the Year, Cat Barry awarded Special Olympics Massachusetts with a $1,000 grant to help accomplish our mission of providing inclusive sports competition and leadership opportunities throughout the state. Barry is a rising senior at Tabor Academy in Marion, and plays for the NEFC in the Development Academy. Going into her senior year, she already has 61 goals and 32 assists during her NEPSAC career, including several en route to the Seawolves’ Class A championship win over Thayer Academy…

Last week, the Handi Racket Tennis team from Massachusetts competed in the 2018 Special Olympics North America Tennis Championship. The athletes representing Massachusetts competed in the highest level of Special Olympics tennis competition. The Special Olympics North America Tennis Championship took place at Hilton Head Island October 18-21. Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) and Special Olympics South Carolina hosted the 19th annual competition at the Van Der Meer Racquet Club at Shipyard Plantation. Athletes from 11 states competed in singles, doubles and Special Olympics Unified Sports® competition. The team from Massachusetts included athletes Sidharth Datar, Nicolas Desmond, Liz Fossum, Chris…