Four Special Olympics North Carolina (SONC) bowling athletes and four Unified partners competed in the Special Olympics North America (SONA) 2023 National Unified Bowling Championship at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada. The event was held Feb. 28 – March 2, 2023. This was the 31st anniversary of the event.
Special Olympics Mecklenburg County and Special Olympics Wayne County athletes and Unified partners represented SONC, led by head coach Chuck Dellinger and assistant coach Catherine “Tappie” Dellinger of Special Olympics Mecklenburg County.
A field of more than 300 athletes and Unified partners representing 14 Special Olympics Programs from across the United States competed in Unified doubles and Unified team competition. Unified competition allows individuals with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics athletes, and individuals without intellectual disabilities, Unified partners, to train and compete together.
The results of the 31st SONA 2023 National Unified Bowling Championship are as follows:
Mecklenburg County:
- Annemarie Glover (Unified Partner) and Charles Glover, Doubles – Fourth Place
- Brady Foster and Sabine Skelton (Unified Partner), Doubles – Sixth Place
- Annemarie Glover, Charles Glover, Brady Foster and Sabine Skelton, Teams – Fourth Place
Wayne County:
- Donna Countryman (Unified Partner) and Heather Pardue, Doubles – Silver Medal
- Tyler Edmundson and Emani McDuffie (Unified Partner), Doubles – Fifth Place
- Donna Countryman, Tyler Edmundson, Emani McDuffie and Heather Pardue, Teams – Sixth Place
A field of more than 300 athletes and Unified partners representing 14 Special Olympics Programs from across the United States competed in Unified doubles and Unified team competition. Unified doubles competition allows individuals with intellectual disabilities (Special Olympics athletes) and individuals without intellectual disabilities (Unified partners) to train and compete together.
About Special Olympics North Carolina
Since 1968, the organization has used the transformative power of sports to improve the lives of children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Nearly 40,000 athletes in North Carolina inspire thousands of coaches, sports officials, local program committee members and event organizers involved in Special Olympics statewide. SONC offers year-round training and competition in 20 Olympic-type sports on local and state levels as well as health and wellness initiatives to improve the health status and increase access to community health resources for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Youth become agents of change through Unified Champion Schools, an education and sports-based program created by Special Olympics to build an inclusive environment among youth with and without intellectual disabilities as well as empower them to become youth leaders and create change in their community. Engage with us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
