Special Olympics Ohio Northeast Region

05/19/2026

🌟 Spring Athlete Spotlight: Aaron Dallner 🌟

Meet Aaron Dallner from Portage County Special Olympics! Aaron has been involved with Special Olympics Ohio for 15 years and competes in powerlifting and flag football. 💪🏈

Aaron says Special Olympics has helped him stay active and healthy while also giving him the opportunity to meet new people and make lifelong friendships through Special Olympics. ❤️

His biggest inspirations are his parents, who continue to support him and encourage him to achieve his goals every step of the way.

One of Aaron’s proudest accomplishments was competing at the 2022 USA Games in Orlando, where he placed 3rd in his division for the powerlifting deadlift with an impressive 375-pound lift! He even had the opportunity to be interviewed by Tim Tebow. 🏅

A few fun facts about Aaron:
🍗 Favorite pre-game meal: Chicken, steak, and rice
🎶 Favorite pump-up song: “We Are the Champions” by Queen
🎮 Hobbies outside of sports: Playing video games and taking care of his dog

This season, Aaron is working hard toward new strength goals of lifting 405 pounds on deadlift and 315 pounds on bench press! 🔥

We are so proud of Aaron and excited to continue cheering him on! 💙

05/14/2026

🌟 Spring Athlete Spotlight: Noelle Koch 🌟

For the past 10 years, Noelle Koch has been proudly representing the Cuyahoga Mayfield Special Olympics program in basketball and track! 🏀🏃‍♀️

Noelle says one of the best parts of Special Olympics has been the friendships she’s made along the way. Inspired by John Cena’s “never give up” mindset, she brings determination and positivity to every practice and competition. 💪

One of her favorite memories so far has been competing at Basketball State Games in Bowling Green. This season, Noelle has her sights set on bringing home gold in the 200M at both regionals and states. 🥇

A few things to get to know Noelle:
🎬 Loves watching movies & YouTube
🎵 Listens to “Enter Sandman” to get game ready
⚡Favorite game day drink is Blue Gatorade

We’re cheering you on, Noelle, and can’t wait to see you shine on the track at Summer Games!

05/13/2026

Lorain Murray Ridge proudly honored their Special Olympics athletes, coaches, volunteers, and families during their annual banquet. Recognizing incredible accomplishments, unforgettable memories, and the spirit that makes this community so special. Congratulations to the Scarlet Basketball Team on their State Championship and thank you to everyone who continues to support and inspire our athletes every day.

05/13/2026

🌟 Spring Athlete Spotlight: Rebekah Rothel 🌟

Meet Rebekah Rothel from the Tuscarawas County Rockets! Rebekah has been involved with Special Olympics Ohio for 8 years and participates in bocce and bowling while also serving as a cheerleading coach. 💙

Special Olympics has helped Rebekah grow her confidence and taught her that she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to. Her biggest inspirations are her parents, who continue to motivate and support her every step of the way.

One of Rebekah’s proudest achievements has been becoming a Game Day Cheer coach, and this season she’s working toward becoming a full-time cheer coach for Special Olympics! 📣

A few fun facts about Rebekah:
🍕 Favorite pre-game meal: Pizza
🎶 Favorite pump-up song: “Girl on Fire”
👕 Hobby outside of sports: Making t-shirts

We are so proud of everything Rebekah has accomplished and can’t wait to see what’s next for her journey! 💫

05/04/2026

What an incredible Spring Regional season! 🎉

We are so proud of all the athletes who competed in bocce, athletics, volleyball, and powerlifting over the past few weeks. Your dedication, determination, and sportsmanship were on full display, and it was amazing to see each of you give it your all. Whether it was your first competition or one of many, you continue to inspire everyone around you!

We are so excited to see many of you again in just a few weeks at State Summer Games—keep up the great work and get ready for another unforgettable experience! 💪🏅

A huge THANK YOU to our local coordinators, parents, coaches, and volunteers. Your time, energy, and commitment make these events possible, and we are so grateful for everything you do to support our athletes and programs. It truly takes a team, and we couldn’t do it without you!

Enjoy some of our favorite moments from the Spring Regionals—we loved celebrating with all of you! 📸💙

04/29/2026

Get ready SOOH, we are getting close to opening up applications for our Athlete Leadership Academy! Be sure to sign up for our mailing list, so you can be one of the first to get the application link on May 5th.

Be sure to stay tuned, as we will be dropping videos over the next few days that explain more about the classes and introducing some of the instructors. Feel welcome to reach out to [email protected] with any questions!

04/23/2026

💗 Introducing EmpowerHER 💗

We’re proud to announce the launch of EmpowerHER, our newest health program designed to support the unique health needs of our female athletes—beginning in Special Olympics Ohio’s Northeast Region!

With generous support from Mt. Sinai Foundation and Progressive, as well as Aerie for providing high‑quality sports bras for our athletes, EmpowerHER will be available at the Northeast Regional Track & Field event on April 26th at Bedford High School.

At the EmpowerHER screening station, female athletes can:
-Learn more about women’s health
-Receive a kit filled with essential health items
-Choose a high‑quality sports bra provided by Aerie or period panties—because comfort, dignity, and confidence matter

We’d also like to send a special thank‑you to SOOH Athlete Lydia Kuehner for her logo submission—her creativity helped bring EmpowerHER to life. 💙

We can’t wait to share this new resource with our athletes and are so grateful to the partners and athletes who made it possible!

04/22/2026

Come check out what Athlete Leadership is all about!

Special Olympics Ohio! We have exciting information to share:

We will be hosting two identical informational sessions on the Athlete Leadership Academy: a chance for athletes to lead their peers through their voices, values and unique skill sets.

The first session will be on Monday, April 27th from 6:00pm-7:00pm, and the second on Wednesday, April 29th from 11:00am-12:00pm.

We will share important details of the Academy, go over the pathways for learning, and answer questions.

We encourage anyone who is interested in the Academy to attend one of the sessions! If you are interested in attending, please email [email protected] with any questions or interests you may have. We hope to see you there!

03/25/2026

🌟 We’re Hiring: Local Coordinators for Cuyahoga County! 🌟

Are you passionate about making a difference through sports and inclusion? Join Special Olympics Ohio as a Local Coordinator (Co-Coordinator Model) and help create year-round opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities right here in Cuyahoga County!

🏀 About the Role
This position is shared by two co-coordinators who will work together to lead all aspects of the local program—from sports and volunteers to events and community partnerships.

💼 What You’ll Do

Plan and oversee sports training and competitions
Recruit and support coaches and volunteers
Manage program operations, budgets, and reporting
Coordinate seasons, events, and facilities
Support fundraising and statewide initiatives
Serve as the main point of contact for athletes, families, and partners

💡 What to Know

This is a volunteer position with a monthly stipend
Requires flexibility, including evenings and weekends
A great opportunity to lead, connect, and make a lasting impact

✅ We’re Looking For

Strong organizational and communication skills
Leadership and problem-solving abilities
A passion for inclusion and teamwork
Commitment to the mission of Special Olympics Ohio

📅 Apply by April 15, 2026
Send your resume and cover letter to Libby Schafer at [email protected]

Help us build a more inclusive community through the power of sport—apply today or share with someone who would be a great fit! 💙

03/23/2026

🏀 Celebrating 50 Seasons of Dedication! 🏀

During the 2025–2026 basketball season, Dennis Hershberger of Millersburg (Holmes County, Ohio) reached an incredible milestone—his 50th season of Special Olympics basketball! This also marks the 50th anniversary of Holmes County Special Olympics, making it an even more special year.

Dennis shared that he was just 18 when he first started playing. Back then, the team didn’t even have uniforms and only played a few games against Tuscarawas and Knox counties.

Over the years, Dennis has built countless memories—especially the tradition of staying in a hotel with his teammates during regionals, and of course, the unforgettable year they won State in 2004.

Known as a strong leader and often a top scorer, Dennis has made a lasting impact on his team and community. His dedication doesn’t stop at basketball—he also competes in track and field, participating in the 50-meter run and running long jump.

At 68 years young, Dennis is still going strong and will be back this spring and summer with the Holmes County Bucks! 💪

Congratulations, Dennis, on 50 amazing seasons—we’re lucky to have you! 👏

01/23/2026

💙 Event Update 💙
Due to the impending weather, the Northeast Regional Swim Meet scheduled for Sunday, January 25 has been canceled. There will be no make-up date for this event.

The safety of our athletes, coaches, volunteers, and families is always our top priority. If you have any questions, please reach out to your local coordinator. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.