Eleven athletes from across North Carolina will represent the United States at the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, China. As part of Team USA, these athletes will compete against athletes from more than 160 countries around the world.

The 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games has drawn 7,000 athletes, 40,000 volunteers, 3,500 event officials and thousands of spectators, families, volunteers and journalists from every continent.

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Special Olympics Team USA-North Carolina Results

Aquatics
Cortney Quinn
400m Freestyle – Silver Medal
800m Freestyle – Silver Medal
1500m Freestyle - Silver Medal
4 x 100m Freestyle Relay - Silver Medal

Jonathan Wright
100m Freestyle – Fifth Place
100m Breaststroke - Gold Medal
4 x 50m Medley Relay - Gold Medal
200m Freestyle - Gold Medal

Bocce
Nancy Tester
Bocce Team - Bronze Medal
Bocce Doubles- Bronze Medal
Bocce Singles - Fourth Place

Kent Blue
Bocce Team - Fourth Place
Bocce Doubles – Fourth Place
Bocce Singles - Fifth Place

Cycling
Kerry Hagner
500m Time Trial – Seventh Place
1K Time Trial – Silver Medal
5K Time Trial - Gold Medal

Jason Philemon
500m Time Trial - DQ
1K Time Trial - Gold Medal

Equestrian
Delaney Hansen
Working Trails - Bronze Medal
Dressage - Gold Medal
English Equitation - Gold Medal

Powerlifting
Matt Jaekel
Bench Press – Gold Medal
Combinations All Lifts- Silver Medal
Dead Lift – Fourth Place
Squat - Silver Medal

Brian Carter
Bench Press – Silver Medal
Combination All Lifts – Silver Medal
Dead Lift – Silver Medal
Squat – Bronze Medal

Roller Skating
Kathryn Frye
100m - Fourth Place
300m - Fourth Place
500m - Fourth Place

Chris Richards
100m - Silver Medal
300m – Bronze Medal
500m – Silver Medal

Special Olympics Team USA - NC:

Other North Carolina representatives are:
Marissa Brzecinski and Cathy Hansen of Davie County, Equestrian coaches
Richard Frazier of Wake County, Powerlifting technical delegate
Tony Wayne of Wake County, Athletics official
Rick and Connie Laskey of Onslow County, Volleyball officials
Det. Tommy Newman of Raleigh Police Department, Torch Run -NC runner
Major Mike Teem of Raleigh Police Department, International Torch Run Final Leg Captain
Roy Forrest, SONC Vice Pres. of NC Law Enforcment Torch Run- Torch Run Final Leg Run Leader
Alice Lenihan of Wake County, Healthly Athletes- Health Promotions
Vicki Tilley of Wake County, Healthy Athletes -FUN Fitness
Amy Wurst, SONC Board of Directors member, General Volunteer
Jennifer Wardlow of Forsyth County, Special Olympics NC athlete and member of the USA Presidential Delegation

Meet your favorite Special Olympics Team USA-NC athlete:

Kenneth Blue of Wilmington www.firstgiving.com/bluek	Kent attended the first ever Special Olympics USA National Games in Iowa of July 2006 as a member of the Team NC Softball Team. Kent is always smiling and his biggest accomplishment is living on his own. He is a bit forgetful and there are many funny stories from the coaches in Wilmington about Kent forgetting his uniform or tennis shoes and not knowing until he is at a competition. Kent is 43 years old.
Brian Carter of Durham www.firstgiving.com/carterb	Brian is 22 years old, lives in a group home and is his own guardian. His mother is very, very ill. He is currently working with the Vocational Rehab center to find a job. His whole life revolves around powerlifting. He practices with his Special Olympics coach Dick Landerman on Tues. and Thurs. at the YMCA in Durham and on other days goes to a gym in Durham where all the Competitive Powerlifters train and works with them. He is an extraordinarily chiseled guy.
Kathryn Frye of Greenville www.firstgiving.com/frye Kathryn's Video Vignette	Kathryn is a very active 24 year old. She participate in roller skating, bowling, swimming, cheerleading and track & field. She is a member of the Sing for Joy singing group that performs for the community. she is also a charter member of the Kiwanis Aktion Club of Pitt County and was the first treasurer of the club. The Club is sponsored by area Kiwanis Clubs and composed of adults with special needs who perform community service and raise funds for needy projects such as Relay for Life. Kathryn stays with her Nana during the day and is actively looking for a new job. She has volunteered in Pitt County School Special Ed classes and worked in a furniture store. She enjoys music, dancing, helping in the kitchen, making birthday cards for her friends, typing on the computer and the Cheetah Girls.
Kerry Hagner of Chapel Hill www.firstgiving.com/hagner Kerry's Video Vignette	Kerry is 22 years old. She works three times a week at the Carol Woods Retirement Community in Chapel Hill. She re-stocks the salad bar and gives ice cream to residents. She also loves the theater. She sings and enjoys watching musicals. Her younger sister lives in NY City and is a burgeoning actress and singer. Kerry also loves to hang out at Southpoint Mall with friends.
Delaney Hansen of Statesville www.firstgiving.com/hansen Delaney's Video Vignette	Delany is 18 years old. She is a Spec Ed student at Statesville High. She is deaf. She is into girly things-jewelry, parties etc. She loves to ride horses, swim, ski and bowl. In China, Delany will be competing in English Equitation, English Trails, Pre-Caprilli (dressage pattern with jumps). Delany is learning to jump specifically for China. Marissa Brzescinski (Delaney's coach) and Delaney's mom Kathy have been chosen as Special Olympics Team USA Equestrian Coaches!!!
Matthew Jaekel of Maiden www.firstgiving.com/jaekel Matt's Video Vignette	Matthew is 29 years old. He is originally from Anchorage, Alaska and moved to Maiden, NC in July 2004. He earned two silver and two bronze medals in powerlifting at the 2003 Special Olympics World Games in Dublin, Ireland. Matt, the only powerlifter in Catawba County, won a gold medal in every event in his weight class at the 2006 SONC Summer Games. He squatted 248 pounds, benched 253 pounds, deadlifted 319 pounds and won in the deadlift/bench combination (572 pounds) and the combo (820 pounds).
Jason Philemon of Trinity www.firstgiving.com/philemon Jason's Video Vignette	Jason is 29 years old. He works with his father at Lodging by Liberty in Liberty, NC. They make furniture for hotels. He is into motorcycles (his parents have them) and NASCAR. He is the 2006 Guilford/High Point Athlete of the Year. Also a swimmer and is very motivated and positive at practice. He will often work for eight hours and head to Special Olympics practice for two hours immediately after and never complain.
Cortney Quinn of Jacksonville www.firstgiving.com/quinnc Cortney's Video Vignette	Cortney has been involved in Special Olympics for 12 years. She is the 26 year old adopted daughter of Laura and Paul Quinn. Cortney is deaf and her mom will serve as her interpreter in China. Cortney swims three times a week at Camp Lejeune pool and on Dec. 8, 2006 was awarded a medal, certificate and embroidered jacket for completing 500 miles in the Camp Lejeune Swim club. They began keeping her track of her laps in 2000 and Camp Lejeune can't remember the last person to eclipse that mark it was soooo long ago. She is now working on be awarded her own lane -1,000 miles.
Christopher Richards of Grifton www.firstgiving.com/richardsc Chris' Video Vignette	Chris goes to Eastern Carolina Vocational Center everyday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. His main job at the Center is to fill orders for Double A batteries for the military. They re-box the batteries and ship them out. He is a big country music fan. He loves NASCAR- Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Gordon. He belongs to the Kiwannis Aktion Club and does community service projects with them. He bowls each Wed. in a league. He also loves the color purple and is a big ECU Pirates fan. Chris is 36 years old.
Nancy Tester of Waynesville Nancy's Video Vignette	Nancy works as a foster grandparent at Haywood Community College's daycare program. She is also working on her GED at Haywood Community College, taking classes two nights a week. Haywood County offered bocce for the first time in 2005 and Nancy made it to the 2005 SONC Fall Games and medaled. Now she will compete on the International level in the sport and she is thrilled! Her favorite thing to do is take care of her two-year-old cat, Misty. Nancy is 61 years old.
Jonathan Wright of Morganton Jonathan's Video Vignette	Jonathan is 24 years old and works as a bus boy at the Sterling Street Bar & Grill in Morganton. He says his employer is very supportive and excited about his opportunity to compete at World Games. He likes to play golf in his free time and may start competing in golf for Special Olympics when he returns from China. He is concentrating on swimming now though since that is the sport he will compete in during the World Games. He says he is excited about seeing the city of Shanghai and visiting the sights.

Special Olympics Team USA - NC Sponsors:

McMillan Pate & Company

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