Meet the Inspired

In this episode, we dive into the excitement of two incredible Ducky Derby events that brought communities together in celebration, competition, and purpose! Tune in to hearinterviews with Athlete Leaders, and reflections on how these events continue to build stronger, more inclusive communities.

In this episode of Meet the Inspired, the team takes a look back at some of the biggest highlights from the first quarter of the year. They’re joined by Bryce [Last Name], a passionate referee who brings the excitement of the State Basketball Tournament to life, and Vanessa Campos, the powerhouse behind the 2025 Polar Plunge, who shares all the behind-the-scenes wins that made this year’s event a success. Don’t miss these inspiring conversations and stories that celebrate the spirit of Special Olympics Illinois!Did you enjoy this episode? Make sure to like and subscribe!Follow Special Olympics Illinois on social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpecialOlympicsIllinois Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specialolympicsillinois/ X: https://x.com/SO_Illinois

On this episode of Meet the Inspired, Co-Host and Athlete Leader Jose Moreno speaks with an Athlete Leader, athlete parents, and a Unified Pair. Through these conversations, Jose discusses the importance of athlete leadership training, having a strong support system for athletes, and how Unified programming empowers athletes and builds lasting relationships.

Daniel, Jose, and Lisa from the Meet the Inspired team take on the Chicago Ducky Derby festival to speak with Ashley Jones, the Chicago Ducky Derby Athlete Ambassador, Katie O'Neil, a Darling Duckling team member, and Julie DeJarnett, Rockit Apple's VP of Marketing and Brand. Daniel also took some time to speak with WGN's award-winning reporter Erin McElroy to gain her perspective on the day. *Please note that throughout portions of the interviews we experienced audio difficulties. Follow Special Olympics Illinois on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpecialOlympicsIllinois Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specialolympicsillinois/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/special-olympics-illinois/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@specialolympicsillinois X: https://x.com/SO_Illinois Interview #1: Katie O'Neil, Athlete Leader – Special Olympics Illinois To learn more about Athlete Leadership visit: https://www.soill.org/athlete-leadership/ Interview #2: Julie DeJarnett, VP of Marketing and Brand – Rockit Apples To learn more about Rockit Apple, visit: https://us.rockitapple.com/ Interview #3: Ashley Jones, Chicago Ducky Derby Ambassador and Athlete Leader – Special Olympics Illinois To learn more about the Chicago Ducky Derby, visit: https://www.duckrace.com/Chicago Interview #4: Erin McElroy, Award-Winning Reporter – WGN To learn more about Erin and WGN, visit: https://wgntv.com/author/erin-ivory/

Daniel, Jose, Lisa, Eric, and Kaylee travel to Bloomington-Normal and take on the 2024 Special Olympics Illinois Summer Games. In between competing and participating in Athlete Leadership activities, they sat down to interview staff and sponsors for an episode of the Meet the Inspired podcast. 0:29–2:11 Interview #1: George Peterson, Senior Director – Development – LETR George is the Senior Director – Development – LETR at Special Olympics Illinois and talks through his time as a police officer, how he got involved in the Special Olympics Illinois, and the importance of the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run. To learn more about LETR visit: www.soill.org/illinoistorchrun 2:12–11:34 Interview #2: Lauryn Haas, Manager – Marketing & Communications Ahead of the annual Tribute Park celebration, Jose and Daniel sit down and talk with Lauryn. They discuss the many roles she has at Special Olympics Illinois, her involvement at Summer Games, and the new “So I Did” brand campaign. Follow Special Olympics Illinois on social media by visiting here: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok | X   11:35–14:16 Interview #3: Nancy Wiora, Board of Directors Nancy is a new addition to the Board of Directors and has a rich history in special education. Kaylee talks to Nancy about what it is like joining the Board of Directors and how she is enjoying her time at her very first Summer Games. To see a full list of the Board of Directors click here: www.soill.org/illinoistorchrun   14:17–25:40 Interview #4: Jonathan Fredrick, Director – Unified Initiatives & eSports Jose and Eric sit down with Jonathan and discuss how he got involved in Special Olympics Illinois, how eSports is changing within our culture, and what the future looks like with eSports programming at Special Olympics Illinois. To learn more about eSports programming visit: www.esports.soill.org   25:41 – 35:02 Interview #5: Megan Young, RSM Megan is an employee at RSM, a statewide sponsor for Special Olympics Illinois, and volunteered to help at Summer Games this year.  Daniel and Megan discuss RSM's new partnership with Special Olympics Illinois and their involvement as an organization at this year’s Summer Games. To learn more about volunteering with Special Olympics Illinois click here: www.soill.org/volunteers