Special Olympics North Carolina (SONC) is proud to announce the selection of 49 athletes and Unified partners, 14 coaches and nine delegation support personnel to represent the state at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. Team SONC will compete in nine sports at the Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota, June 20-26, according to SONC President/CEO, Keith Fishburne.
Note: The Team SONC roster by county can be found at https://sonc.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026-Team-SONC-Roster.pdf
Athletes were selected for Team SONC based on their performances in state-level competition over the last year. The following 23 local programs have athlete delegates and coaches on the roster: Brunswick, Cabarrus, Cumberland, Davidson, Durham, Franklin, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Lake Norman, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Union, Wake and Wilkes.
Each athlete will compete in one of nine sports at USA Games: athletics, basketball, bocce, bowling, cheerleading, golf, powerlifting, swimming and tennis. Unified Sports allow individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to train and compete alongside each other.
“Team Special Olympics North Carolina embodies the determination, talent, and unity that define our state,” said Fishburne. “We are confident this delegation will shine at the USA Games and create moments of pride that will stay with them—and all of us—for years to come.”
Individuals can support Team SONC’s journey to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games by donating online.
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 53,000 athletes (individuals with intellectual disabilities) and Unified partners (individuals without intellectual disabilities) 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 Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
