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1,700 athletes converge for Special Olympics Florida at IMG Academy

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Published  March 30, 2025 4:20pm EDT
Bradenton
FOX 13 News

Special Olympics Regional Summer Games

About 1,700 athletes from 11 Florida counties gathered in Bradenton for the Special Olympics Florida West Coast Regional Summer Games. FOX 13’s Regina Gonzalez reports.

The Brief

    • 1,700 athletes converged for the Special Olympics Florida at IMG Academy on Sunday.
    • More than 600 volunteers helped run the show, and Special Olympics Florida coaches all volunteer their time as well.

BRADENTON, Fla. - The energy was electric at IMG Academy on Sunday as 1,700 athletes from 11 different counties competed in the Special Olympics Florida West Coast Regional Summer Games.

"When they're done here, they will advance potentially to our state level competition and that happens in May up at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando," explained Special Olympics Florida President & CEO, Sherry Wheelock.

At a heartwarming opening ceremony, Wheelock hopped on the microphone to express gratitude for this community that champions the principles of inclusion and acceptance.

1,700 athletes converge for Special Olympics Florida at IMG Academy

Teams then dispersed to fields and courts across IMG's campus, where they participated in seven different sports like basketball, bocce, tennis, and cheerleading.

"IMG Academy is just a game-changer for them and many of these athletes have been competing for several months now, training in their local counties and now coming to the big stage recently to have a great competition," Wheelock added. "So, I'm just so proud of everyone that makes it happen and proud of our athletes for the hard work they put in every day.

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More than 600 volunteers helped run the show Sunday, and Special Olympics Florida coaches all volunteer their time as well.

1,700 athletes converge for Special Olympics Florida at IMG Academy

But they say seeing these athletes interacting, working as a team, and taking shots is worth every minute. 

"I've been doing it for 23 years, I love competing and working with other athletes," said athlete William Corsi, as he got ready to compete on the tennis courts.

What you can do:

Special Olympics Florida is always looking for volunteer coaches. You can find more information on how to get involved here.

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The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Regina Gonzalez.

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