You may know of their largest fundraiser of the year; the Polar Plunge North Avenue Beach. Every winter, thousands of people jump into the freezing waters of Lake Michigan, raising millions of dollars to support the programs provided by Special Olympics Chicago.
But there are others who instead of jumping into frigid waters in the middle of winter, decide to train for months to run 26.2 miles to raise money for those same programs.
Special Olympics Chicago, according to its website, “provides year-round athletic sports training and athletic competition for children and adults in Chicago with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
They are a household name in the region, and the city really comes together to make sure all of its residents have a field to play on.
Hear from family members of Special Olympics athletes, the people who make the programs happen, and of course, a multi-medalist who has dominated in a variety of sports.
In This Episode:
Mary Slowik, Executive Director, Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children’s Charities
Emily Smith, Former Development Director, Special Olympics Chicago
Eileen Guinane, Special Olympics Administrator, Chicago Park District
Nicole Richmond, Runner (Click to check out her fundraising page)
Linda Padilla, SOC Family Member
Stephanie Padilla, SOC Athlete 🥇
A big thank you to the folks at the Chicago Park District who let us sit down in a classroom at one of the parks to record.
Also to 19th Ward Alderman Matt O’Shea for making these connections happen.
https://milesforchange.substack.com/p/episode-07-special-olympics-chicago?sd=pf
Miles For Change, The Podcast 