Special Olympics Connecticut Delegates Going to Capitol Hill

Special Olympics athletes, organization leaders, Unified Sports® partners, and family members from across the United States and the District of Columbia will converge on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on February 13th-15 th for Special Olympics’ annual “Capitol Hill Day.” This is the 21st year Special Olympics has organized the event, which includes over 260 delegates representing 47 states and the District of Columbia.

Special Olympics athletes will lead more than 250 face-to-face meetings with Members of Congress in both the House and Senate, inviting their elected officials to partner with them to support inclusive education and health initiatives for people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® programming is in over 8,300 schools across the United States, with a goal of being in 10,000 schools by 2024. Special Olympics is out to erase health disparities for people with ID. Through free health screenings and training current and future healthcare providers, Special Olympics is ensuring that people with intellectual disabilities get follow-up care when and where they need it.

Special Olympics athletes, serving as self-advocates, will educate lawmakers and their staff about the stigma faced by people with ID, and how high-impact and cost-effective Special Olympics programming in sports, health, and education can reduce discrimination. The advocates will also request continued support from legislators for evidence-based programming that benefits all Americans, regardless of ability.

Connecticut Delegation
Special Olympics Unified Sports® teammates Shaelyn O'Farrell and Lily Bellucci and their Coach Armando Ramos - all from Enfield High School, Shaelyn's Mom Sara Levinthal and Lily's Uncle Harry Bellucci are all preparing to represent Connecticut as participants during this year's Capitol Hill Day.

Lily Bellucci is a senior at Enfield High School. She has been involved in the Unified Sports® Program as a partner for two years and has participated in soccer, football, volleyball, cornhole, basketball, and track and field. Lily was named the 2022 Enfield Unified Partner of The Year at the CIAC/Special Olympics Connecticut Michael’s Cup Unified Sports Award Banquet.

Shaelyn O'Farrell joined Special Olympics when she was still in elementary school in Windsor Locks where she participated in their track program and is currently a member of the Special Olympics Allied Stars Team in Enfield. Her sports include softball, bowling, and basketball. In middle school and high school, she also got involved the Unified Sports® and played soccer, basketball, track, and cornhole. She currently enjoys being part of the Enfield High School Unified program led by Coach Ramos.

"Special Olympics and Unified Sports is one of my favorite things to do... It is a place where everyone is nice, supportive and everyone belongs. I always feel good and accepted and can just be myself. I am proud of all I have accomplished. I have gotten a lot of medals over the years...Everyone tells me how much they like them. This makes me feel very happy," says O'Farrell.

Armando Ramos has been a Physical Education and Health Teacher at Enfield High School since 2000. In 2012, he became the school's adaptive PE Teacher and Unified Sports® Coach. During his time as a Unified Coach, the program has been named a National Champion Banner School in 2017, recognized for organizing student led leadership conferences and won a statewide pandemic “October Miles Challenge" in 2021. His program offers flag football, soccer, basketball, bowling, cornhole, volleyball and track and field.

"For me, high school sports were what motivated me, where I had friends, and how I was connected to the school. I feel that every kid should have the same opportunity. This is what I feel the Unified Program is all about. It's about creating a school that everyone can feel part of, where everyone feels accepted, where everyone can be themselves, and a place where you can be with your best friends," says Ramos.

“Special Olympics athletes and youth leaders continue to lead us in a worldwide revolution of inclusion, a collective fight to end discrimination for people with intellectual disabilities,” said Tim Shriver, Chairman of Special Olympics. Shriver added, “The U.S. government’s support is an essential part of this collaborative fight, not only to help fund critical programming but to also preserve laws guaranteeing the rights and full participation and integration of people with intellectual disabilities into our society.”

In more than 8,300 Unified Champion Schools across the country, Special Olympics has trained and mobilized youth leaders and educators to create more inclusive schools by including students with ID in all aspects of school life. Social inclusion is promoted by bringing together young people with and without ID on sports teams (Special Olympics Unified Sports®), through inclusive student clubs, and by fostering youth leadership. As many as 19.5 million young people are taking part in these experiences, which are increasing acceptance of people of all abilities while simultaneously reducing stigma and bullying.

Digitized records show that since 2016, Special Olympics has trained over 70,000 healthcare professionals and students, and completed over 200,000 health screenings. Globally, over the past 25 years, Special Olympics has conducted over two million health screenings, and trained over 300,000 health professionals.

The results are striking:

• Young adults with intellectual disabilities who participate in Special Olympics are half as likely to be diagnosed with depression as those who do not participate.
• Special Olympics athletes who participate in Special Olympics fitness programming experience improved blood pressure, with those at high-risk for cardiovascular disease seeing the greatest improvement.

In addition to federal U.S. government funding, Special Olympics also receives funds from private foundations, corporations, and individuals. Public and private support is critical for Special Olympics to offer education and health programming to participants at no cost.

About Special Olympics Connecticut
Special Olympics Connecticut provides year-round sports training and competitions for more than 10,000 athletes of all ages with intellectual disabilities and Unified Sports® partners - their teammates without disabilities. Through the joy of sport, the Special Olympics movement transforms lives and communities throughout the state and in 170 countries around the world by promoting good health and fitness and inspiring inclusion and respect for people of all abilities, on and off the playing field. (www.soct.org)

Partner Sponsors: Bozzuto's Inc., the Connecticut Elks Association, Enterprise, ESPN, Eversource, The Hometown Foundation, Law Enforcement Torch Run, NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut, Pratt & Whitney, Webster Bank and WWE. Year-Round Suppliers: Adams Hometown Markets/IGA Hometown Supermarkets, Bozzuto's Inc., Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, Foxwoods Resort Casino, Marcus Communications, N&D Sports, Pepperidge Farm, State of Connecticut Judicial Branch Community Service, WORX, Heart Connecticut Media Group, iHeart Radio Connecticut and NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut.