News

For the first time since founded in 1904, the Detroit Public School League (PSL) Basketball League will partner with Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) to host a Unified Championship Game. Following a full season of league play, Sunday, February 19, Cody High School and Central High School teams – comprised of athletes with and without intellectual disabilities – will go head-to-head for the Detroit PSL Unified Championship title. 

Sunday, January 29, the Wertz Warriors will take off on their annual week-long, 900-mile snowmobile endurance ride from Clinton Township to Mackinaw City, raising money and awareness for Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI). This year marks the 42nd ride of the Wertz Warriors.

Each day the athletes of Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) push themselves outside of their comfort zone, breaking down barriers in an effort to create a unified world. You’re invited to make a splash and join them as they pave the way in the Inclusion Revolution by taking the Polar Plunge.

“Try, try again, get back up, and make sure that you go for it.” 

As we enter a new year, these words shared by Special Olympics Michigan athlete, Jessica Martin, will be words I will live by moving forward. The 29-year-old uses her life philosophy daily to motivate herself and her peers. 

Join the excitement as Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) athletes and Unified partners from more than 60 counties across Michigan take part in the 2023 State Winter Games presented by Wertz Warriors. The celebration runs January 31 – February 3 at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa (GTRS), Schuss Mountain at Shanty Creek Resorts, and Howe Ice Arena at the Grand Traverse Civic Center. 

Tournament officials announced that the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational’s Special Olympics 3-Hole Challenge program will be returning to the 2023 tournament. Scheduled for Friday, July 21, this annual event will welcome twelve Special Olympics athletes from Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region. Athletes will compete in a three-hole, three-person scramble on holes 16, 17, and 18 at Midland Country Club. The Dow GLBI and the Special Olympics Michigan have teamed up for the Special Olympics 3-Hole Challenge since 2019.

Championship medals are being polished ahead of the Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) Poly Hockey and Unified Bowling finals next week. Nearly 500 athletes and Unified partners from across Michigan are expected to participate in the Lansing area events on Friday, Nov. 4.

After a two-year hiatus, the SOMI Awards & Appreciation Dinner returns! Below you will find our nomination forms for awards that will be given on Friday, Dec. 2, 202 to highlight the amazing work of our athletes, volunteers, coaches & supporters this past year. See the categories and nominate those who have gone above and beyond.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Police Chief Joe Morin list of professional accomplishments is long. However, his proudest is serving as a leader for the Michigan Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for more than a decade. 

Reporter: Mathew Thomas, Special Olympics Michigan Unified partner

“It’s happening slowly, but we need more awareness. Every day there is more opportunity,” said Dr. Mallika Nadda, Chairwoman, Special Olympics Bharat. “We have come a long way.” 

Unified Reporters: Kayla Helferinch, Mathew Thomas, Max Hinga, Kate Schemper, Lydia Deblecourt

The Special Olympics Unified Cup Detroit 2022 proved to be a week-long event aimed at ensuring there is a place for everyone on and off the playing field. Teams from around the world showcased their athletic ability, eliminating the stigma of those with intellectual disabilities playing on a team with Unified partners. While the teams are Unified – is the playing time?

Cornell was one of 500 attendees at the conference in our nation’s capital, hand-picked by Special Olympics International to represent an underserved population – those individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID).