News & Media

Denise, an athlete from Manchester, Connecticut, describes herself before joining Special Olympics Connecticut as shy and inactive, spending her days on the couch eating junk food. She was struggling with her weight and confidence and felt disconnected. Everything began to change when Denise took a brave step and joined Special Olympics. “I used to be really shy, but now I love talking to people. I’ve gotten comfortable being around others.” Through the program, she found much more than just activity: she found her confidence along with a community of people that support and motivate her to be healthy and strong.

Denise participates in bocce, curling, and bowling. She is getting older, so she is slightly drifting away from the more active sports that she initially played and moving towards sports like bowling and bocce, as well as walking through the Unified Fitness program.  Within Special Olympics, Unified Fitness is a program that focuses on improving physical fitness and overall well-being for people with intellectual disabilities. The idea is to bring together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to train and compete as a team, promoting inclusion, teamwork, and mutual respect. The program isn’t just about physical exercise, like strength training and cardio—it also teaches participants about healthy eating and how to live a balanced, active lifestyle.  

The guidance Denise received through Unified Fitness has assisted her in one of her proudest accomplishments: losing 83 pounds through Weight Watchers. “I was 236 pounds, and now I’m 152,” she proudly explained. “Losing weight taught me how to stay active and healthy and get me off the couch. I have so much more energy now.” This accomplishment truly highlights the transformation that Special Olympics strives to bring to its athletes’ lives. Her participation in Unified Fitness includes her motivation to improve her health through walking.

Her favorite part of Special Olympics is, “being around people,” Denise said with a smile. “It helped me open up.” She especially looks up to Johnathon Husky Dog, which is the mascot that comes around and she finds him funny and inspiring. “He’s a role model, and I feel really comfortable around him.” The Unified Fitness program has also motivated her to walk through her neighborhood on a regular basis, which has supported her weight loss journey. Finally, when asked about what she would advise someone who was thinking about joining, she was confident that they should join as it helped her in so many ways physically, socially, and mentally. Through her journey, she not only discovered the benefits of being active but also the joy of connections with the people she surrounds herself with. Denise’s story is a testament to the power of a supportive environment on the path to making meaningful lifestyle changes.