Team USA
New Jersey Representatives Official Media Guide
Special Olympics New Jersey Special Olympics New Jersey is a statewide program of sports training and athletic competition that provides year-round opportunities to children and adults with intellectual disabilities, completely free of charge. Special Olympics New Jersey provides sports training to athletes through local school, agency and community programs that compete on the Area (county), Sectional and Chapter (statewide) levels in any, or all, of four sports seasons. All competitions are conducted by certified sports officials in compliance with the Special Olympics Sports Rules and sports rules of the National Governing Bodies.
Special Olympics New Jersey Year-Round Sports FALL: Cycling, Equestrian, Flag Football, Golf, Soccer, Volleyball WINTER: Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Figure Skating,
Floor Hockey, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing, Speed Skating
SPRING: Basketball, Bowling, Motor Activity Training Program (MATP) SUMMER: Aquatics, Bocce, Gymnastics, Powerlifting, Sailing, Softball,
Tennis, Track & Field
Created by the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation Authorized and Accredited by Special Olympics, Inc. for the Benefit of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities
World Winter Games PyeongChang 2013
WHAT: Special Olympics is holding the next Special Olympics World Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, in January 2013. These games will unite the world through sports and celebrate the talents and abilities of people with intellectual disabilities, forming a new global vision of acceptance. WHEN: January 29 - February 5, 2013 WHO: 3,300 athletes and coaches representing 112 countries Over 15,000 family, friends, volunteers and spectators WHERE: PyeongChang, South Korea SPORTS: Special Olympics athletes from every corner of the globe will travel to Korea to compete in 8 Olympic-type sports: Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Snow Boarding, Snow Shoeing, Short Track Speed Skating, Figure Skating, Floor Hockey and Floor Ball demonstration.
www.2013sopoc.org
INTRODUCING
TEAM USA NEW JERSEY REPRESENTATIVES
Team USA New Jersey Representatives
Maureen Larson DOB: 12/8/87 SPORT: Alpine Skiing HOMETOWN: Sea Isle City AGE: 24 YEARS INVOLVED: 13
What does Special Olympics and attending World Games mean to you?
“I am very proud of my accomplishments and Special Olympics has played a very big part of it. They have helped me to become more independent and make me realize all that I am capable of. I am very honored to have been selected to Team USA. I want everyone to know that I will do my best to represent the United States of America.�
FAST FACTS: 2012 Winter Games qualifying results: Intermediate Slalom - Gold Intermediate Super G - Gold Also competes in Track & Field (800M, 1500M, 4x100 & 4x400) and Cycling (10K & 5K) Competed at the 2003 World Summer Games in Ireland where she competed in Track & Field Global Messenger and member of Athlete Congress
Team USA New Jersey Representatives
Becky Scheick DOB: 5/9/89 SPORT: Snowshoeing HOMETOWN: Ewing AGE: 23 YEARS INVOLVED: 15
What does Special Olympics and attending World Games mean to you? “Special Olympics keeps me healthy by staying active; I learned about the hard work it takes to accomplish a goal. I like the friends I make and being able to compete with other athletes. I feel special to be picked for Team USA.”
FAST FACTS: 2012 Winter Games qualifying results 100M - Gold 200M - Gold Also competes in Aquatics (50M Back, 50M Free, 4x25 Med Relay, 4x40 Free Relay & 4x50 Med Relay), Bowling and Soccer Competed in the 2009 World Winter Games in Idaho in Cross Country Skiing. Switched to Snowshoeing in 2012 Global Messenger
Team USA New Jersey Representatives
Junichi Kusakawa DOB: 1/27/85 SPORT: Cross Country Skiing HOMETOWN: West Windsor AGE: 27 YEARS INVOLVED: 15
What does Special Olympics and attending World Games mean to you? “Special Olympics allows me to challenge myself. The World Games is a new experience and challenge. I will get to meet athletes from all over the world.”
FAST FACTS: 2012 Winter Games qualifying results 1K - Gold Competes in Bowling at the area and state level Competed in Cross Country at the 2009 World Winter Games in Idaho Employed at Wawa and Trader Joe’s
Winter Games Special Events
Law Enforcement Torch Run® Final Leg
Global Youth Activation Summit
An international team of about 140 members which includes approximately 100 Law Enforcement Officer runners, 10 Special Olympics athletes, and support personnel, will serve as Guardians of the Flame® as they receive the “Flame of Hope” in Seoul, South Korea following the Flame Lighting Ceremony in Athens, Greece. To symbolize the significant contribution of law enforcement and the inclusion of Special Olympics athletes in this unified Torch Run, the Final Leg Team w ill co nduc t ex t ens ive ru n s a n d ceremo nies for eight days in all of the Host Town Program communities and in many other towns throughout South Korea to heighten awareness of Special Olympics and the World Games. The Final Leg Team will safely deliver the “Flame of Hope” to the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics World Winter Games PyeongChang 2013.
A youth-led assembly bringing youth with and without intellectual disabilities together for inspiring and educational discussion, including a Global Youth Rally engaging thousands of young people from Korea and around the world in a celebration of unity.
Opening Ceremony An exciting and entertaining show with pageantry to open the World Games, held on January 29, 2013. Closing Ceremony An event to celebrate the accomplishments of the athletes and official close the World Games on February 5, 2013. Host Town Delegations from around the world will be hosted throughout South Korea prior to their arrival to PyeongChang for the Games. The Host Town experiences give the Special Olympics athletes a chance to learn more about the Korean Culture, get acclimated to a new environment, and time zone , and helps citizens of Korea to learn more about people with intellectual disabilities.
Global Development Summit Ending the Cycle of Poverty and Exclusion for People with Intellectual Disabilities – For the first time, more than 300 of the world’s leaders - from government, business and industry, education, economic and social development, media, and more – will meet to examine the urgent needs of people with intellectual disabilities throughout the developing world. Taking place the day after Opening Ceremony on January 30, 2013, the full-day Summit will focus on the unmet health and social needs of people with intellectual disabilities; build awareness of their gifts and potential contributions to society; and identify necessary actions, and integrate those actions into national and international development strategies. Healthy Athletes Volunteer medical professionals will provide competing athletes a variety of free health assessments including vision, dental, audiology and physical therapy. Past Healthy Athletes screenings have changed the lives of many athletes, disclosing neglect and untreated health issues.
Special Olympics Style Guide Words matter. Words can open doors to cultivate the understanding and respect that enable people with disabilities to lead fuller, more independent lives. Words can also create barriers or stereotypes that are not only demeaning to people with disabilities, but also rob them of their individuality. The following language guidelines have been developed by experts for use by anyone writing or speaking about people with intellectual disabilities to ensure that all people are portrayed with individuality and dignity. Appropriate Terminology: • Refer to participants in Special Olympics as “Special Olympics athletes” rather than “Special Olympians” or “Special Olympic athletes.” • Refer to individuals, persons or people with intellectual disabilities, rather than “intellectually disabled people” or “the intellectually disabled.” • A person has intellectual disabilities, rather than is ‘”suffering from,” is “afflicted with” or is “a victim of” mental retardation/intellectual disabilities. • Distinguish between adults and children with intellectual disabilities. Use adults or children, or older or younger athletes. • A person “uses” a wheelchair, rather than is “confined” or “restricted to” a wheelchair. • “Down syndrome” has replaced “Down’s Syndrome” and “mongoloid.” • Refer to participants in Special Olympics as athletes. In no case should the word athletes appear in quotation marks. • When writing, refer to persons with a disability in the same style as persons without a disability: full name on first reference and last name on subsequent references. Do not refer to an individual with intellectual disabilities as “Bill” rather than the journalistically correct “Bill Smith” or “Smith.” • A person has a physical disability rather than crippled. • Use the words “Special Olympics” when referring to the worldwide Special Olympics movement. Terminology to Avoid • Do not use the word “the” in front of Special Olympics unless describing a specific Special Olympics event. Correct example: “We are proud to support Special Olympics.” Correct example: “We are proud to be a part of the Special Olympics STATE NAME State Summer Games.” • Do not place an “of” between “Special Olympics” and the Program affiliation. Correct example: “We are proud to support Special Olympics STATE NAME.” Incorrect example: “We are proud to support the Special Olympics of STATE NAME.” • Do not use the label “kids” when referring to Special Olympics athletes. Adult athletes are an integral part of the movement. • Do not use the adjective “unfortunate” when talking about persons with an intellectual disability. Disabling conditions do not have to be life-defining in a negative way. • Do not sensationalize the accomplishments of persons with disabilities. While these accomplishments should be recognized and applauded, people in the disability rights movement have tried to make the public aware of the negative impact of referring to the achievements of people with physical or intellectual disabilities with excessive hyperbole. • Use the word “special” with extreme care when talking about persons with intellectual disabilities. The term, if used excessively in references to Special Olympics athletes and activities, can become a cliché.
www.sonj.org www.2013sopoc.org www.specialolympics.org Media Contacts: Doreen L. Pustizzi Special Olympics New Jersey 609-896-8000, ext. 274 dlp@sonj.org
Kimberly Purdy Team USA 800-644-6404 kimberly.purdy@cmich.edu