First installment in the SONC “Carrying North Carolina With Me” series
“Carrying North Carolina With Me” celebrates the deep pride our Special Olympics athletes feel as they represent North Carolina on the national stage. It reflects the countless hours of training, the commitment shown in their local programs, and the determination that has brought them to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. This series will follow athletes whose journeys embody the spirit of North Carolina—showing how their connection to home fuels them in competition and how our programming supports them every step of the way, both on and off the field.
Before the lights of a national court, before the cheers, before the opening march into the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, Kara Diachenko of Charlotte is working quietly.
Three days a week, often before or after a full shift at work, the 34-year-old steps onto the court with the same steady routine she’s had for years. She stretches. She takes a breath. She adjusts her grip. And then, without fanfare, she begins serve after serve, point after point, a rhythm that has carried her farther than she ever imagined.
“It’s all about practice. Continuing lessons with my coaches and playing as much as I can,” she says.
It comes out simply, without drama, as if the consistency of her training is something anyone would do. But the quiet work is what built her path long before USA Games entered the conversation.
Diachenko first picked up a racket at 8-years-old. Her mother, Barbara Diachenko, had her and her siblings in clinics early. Kara loved it. She wanted to play, compete, to be part of it. But at that age, opportunities weren’teasy to find.
“When she turned 10, there weren’t many places for her to compete, so she stopped for a while,” Barbara says. “We didn’t really know about Special Olympics until she was 16.”
Everything changed when Kara attended the Spring Games hosted by her local program Special Olympics Mecklenburg County. She felt something click in a way she hadn’t in years. Soon, she learned tennis was available and when she stepped onto the court again, she didn’t look back.
Saturday practices turned into weekly lessons. Lessons turned into local competitions. Local competitions turned into state competitions, and eventually, an invitation to the 2026 USA Games. From the outside, it looks like an ascent. To Kara and her family, it looks like persistence.
But the work isn’t just physical. Tennis demands a kind of internal steadiness that Kara has learned to cultivate. When pressure rises during a match, she has a grounding ritual.
“I tell myself, ‘Kara, calm down. Do your best. Just focus on the next point,” she says. She turns to the fence, takes a breath, resets her mind and her muscles.
Outside the lines, the biggest challenge is time. She works. She trains. She loves group fitness classes like Zumba, but strength training requires extra motivation.
“Between work, fitness, and court time, it’s a lot,” Barbara says. Kara nods in agreement.
Balancing it all is its own kind of competition.
The discipline has carried her somewhere extraordinary. Out of the thousands of athletes involved with Special Olympics North Carolina, just three tennis players were selected for the USA Games. Diachenko is one of them.
The 2026 USA Games will bring more than 3,000 athletes from all 50 states to Minnesota from June 20–26, making it one of the largest sporting events in the country this year. Athletes will compete in 16 Olympic-stylesports, including tennis, at world-class venues, such as the University of Minnesota and the National Sports Center in Blaine. The event’s mission is to celebrate ability, elevate athlete experiences and leave a legacy of inclusion across Minnesota and beyond.
When she found out she would get to attend the USA Games, she cried.
“Really happy. Tears of joy,” she says, smiling at the memory.
Barbara remembers being “blown away,” not because she doubted Diachenko’s ability, but because the moment felt bigger than anything they had imagined when Diachenko first picked up a racket two decades ago.
Representing North Carolina brings a sense of pride that Diachenko carries gently but sincerely.
“It’s exciting. It’s a huge honor,” she says.
Her mom mentions how thrilled Kara became hearing about the team gear, the suitcase and the idea of walking through the airport with her teammates. It isn’t just a competition; it’s a shared identity.
That sense of belonging is something Special Olympics has given her from the beginning.
“It gave Kara a comfortable place to compete when traditional leagues weren’t accessible,” Barbara says. “It’s about community, fun, sportsmanship, and belonging. It’s been life-changing for her.”
Kara wants her presence at the Games to send a simple message.
“Have fun. Do your best. Be a good sport. Believe in yourself,” she says.
And while she would love to play well, to prove to herself that she’s ready for this moment, she’s also looking forward to something more personal.
“It’s my first time going to Minnesota. I want to have fun and meet new friends.”
Before Minnesota, though, there are more practices. More serves. More moments where she turns toward the fence and breathes. More of the quiet work that no one sees, but everyone will feel when she steps onto that national court.
Before the lights, before the crowds, before the first serve, this is the work that got her here.
