• Athletics (track and field)
• Basketball (team and skills)
• Bowling
• Cheerleading
• Gymnastics
• Powerlifting
• Swimming
• Unified Basketball at NC State (18+)
• Volleyball

• Bocce
• Cycling
• Golf and Unified Golf (course play and skills)
• Unified Pickleball
• Roller Skating
• Soccer (team and skills)
• Softball (team and skills)
• Tennis and Unified Tennis (match play and skills)
• Unified Football at NC State (18+)

• Alpine Skiing
• Speed Skating
• Snowboarding

Spring and Fall Games are by invitation and registration only

Event dates:

• 2026 Fall Games: Wednesday, November 4
• 2027 Spring Games: Tuesday, April 13
• 2027 Spring Games: Wednesday, April 21

Are you interested in having a Special Olympics athlete at your event or meeting? There are two Athlete Leadership roles that you can request!

Global Messengers

Global Messengers are Special Olympics athletes who have been trained in public speaking to serve as ambassadors for the organization.  They can recruit potential athletes, volunteers and sponsors through public presentations.

Athlete Ambassadors

Athlete Ambassadors are representatives for Special Olympics North Carolina at functions that often have businesses or individuals that have donated money, food, etc. to Special Olympics NC and this is a way to thank them. Ambassadors are able to say thank you and show our appreciation while at events.

To schedule a Global Messenger or Athlete Ambassador appearance, please contact the local coordinator.

Since athletes never pay a fee to participate in Special Olympics, donations and sponsorships allow our program to purchase seasonal sport equipment, pay facility rental fees, purchase uniforms, and pay for travel (hotels, competition registration fees, etc.).

You can view the sponsorship package here! If you are interested in being a sponsor of our program, please contact us. We would love your support!

Unified Champion Schools
Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools bring youth with and without intellectual disabilities together through sports and education to create school communities of acceptance and respect. Unified Champion Schools are seen through every level of education (Pre-K/Head Start through college) and are driven by youth and staff leaders. Get your school involved as a Unified Champion School!

Unified Sports
Special Olympics Wake County offers the following school-based Unified sports opportunities. Unified sports brings together people with intellectual disabilities and people without intellectual disabilities to play, train and compete in sports together. For more information on bringing these Unified sports opportunities to your school contact Gracie Dunn, Inclusive Scholls Specialist – Wake County at gdunn@sonc.net

Interscholastic Unified Track & Field (High Schools Only)

• Unified Sports Experiences
• Unified Physical Education
• Young Athletes (Elementary Schools Only)

Campus Recreation Unified Sports at NC State University
Special Olympics Wake County offers Unified sports opportunities to Special Olympics athletes aged 18-38 as of August 1, 2025, through a partnership with NC State University. All sport offerings take place on the campus of NC State University.

For more information contact Abbey DeFeo, Special Olympics Wake County Director, at wake@sonc.net.

Fall Season

• Unified Flag Football

Spring Season

• Unified Basketball

Parks and Recreation Opportunities
Special Olympics North Carolina has partnered with local parks and recreation departments to offer various Unified league opportunities in Wake County. Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners 18 years or older are welcome to register.

• Monday and Wednesday games

• View photos from the 2019 Special Olympics Wake County Polar Plunge
• Wake County athletes will attend 2022 USA Games in Orlando
• Special Olympics North Carolina names new director for Special Olympics Wake County