The Unified Sports and Inclusion Center, located in Grand Rapids, is the largest Special Olympics facility in the world. And this month, they celebrated the completion of their outdoor sports complex, giving athletes throughout the state of Michigan a home to be able to train and compete at.
“Athletes. This is a building for us. I’ve been waiting for this for so long. This is a place for us to call home,” said Special Olympics athlete, Kayla Johnson.
The outdoor facility includes a track, football field, pickleball courts, soccer fields, and so much more. Giving Michigan athletes endless possibilities and opportunities to grow.
“Today we’re starting a new book and the sky’s the limit because we are here for the athletes. Every day you are our motivation. You are our inspiration, and you are why we are having a celebration. So, thank you. And this is our home,” said Juliet Dragos, Special Olympics Board of Directors.
This is a huge milestone for Special Olympics and the athletes. But the impact doesn’t just stop there.
“Our visionary, Tim Hileman said, we have this huge building. Why not share it with others who also serve people with disabilities and community. So, as you might have noticed, we have many other non-profits who also call this building home. So, we serve people of all abilities. So, this isn’t just the Special Olympics, Michigan. This is for everyone in our community,” Dragos said.
And it’s safe to say that the athletes are absolutely thrilled about this new addition to the facility.
“This morning, one of our athlete leaders, Max Hager, we had some new stations here this morning. And they asked him, what does this building mean to you? And he nailed it, right. Something I was struggling with. How do you do figure all of this out? And he nailed it. He just said, this is for everyone, and it changes lives,” said Timothy Hileman, President/CEO of Special Olympics Michigan.
“This last summer actually was my 15 years of the Special Olympics. So that’s a huge milestone for me. Coming into Special Olympics when it first started, I didn’t know what it was. You know, it was just I was so quiet like I didn’t know. And then once I got into it I was like, this is for me, this is my home, this is my family,” said Special Olympics Athlete Leader from Big Rapids, Amanda Davis.
The athletes worked directly with developers to design the facility and bring the space to life, which means it’s designed specifically for them. This is a new and exciting chapter for Special Olympics athletes throughout the state of Michigan.