(Editor’s Note: The following article was written by Claire Petrinec, a journalism student at Sugarloaf Middle School. The Keys Weekly is proud to feature students’ work while encouraging their interest in local news.)
The 2025 Special Olympic cornhole competition took place in the Key West High School gym the morning of Dec. 5 with six schools participating: Sugarloaf, Horace O’Bryant, Poinciana, Gerald Adams, Key West High School and Sigsbee Charter School.
Cornhole is just one of 14 sports that are available to Special Olympics athletes in the Florida Keys, thanks in large part to the efforts of Ruth Coleman, sports, training, and competition manager for Special Olympics in Monroe County.
Coleman coached athletes at the Special Olympics USA games in 2018 and 2024, but has spent most of her life working to ensure people with special needs have access to services, sports and other opportunities in their community.
“When I was 5, my brother was born with special needs,” Coleman said. “It was the 1950s, prior to the Americans with Disabilities Act and services in schools. My parents were told to put my brother in a home, but my mom refused, so we cared for him at home, without a lot of the services and opportunities persons with disabilities and families have today.”
Since then, Coleman said, “My life has been dedicated to ensuring that all people have the opportunity to achieve their dreams, to live, work and play in their community. The Special Olympics is a tool and a way not only to reach the athletes, but also to educate the community, which provides so much of the needed support.”
Special Olympics organizer and cornhole coach Kim Linzy started the event this year for elementary and middle schoolers at Sugarloaf School, after helping organize it for two years prior at Gerald Adams Elementary under the direction of coach and mentor Terri Warden.
Linzy emphasized how the Special Olympic events benefit volunteers as well as the student athletes.
“They’re excited to show up for practice. They’re excited to play. I just love to see their growth,” Linzy said, adding how important it is for the athletes to learn and participate in a team sport.
The events are “just really good socially, physically and intellectually” for the athletes, who often do not have the opportunity to participate in sports, she said.
Athletes have told Linzy that their Special Olympics competition was “the best day ever.”
“They really enjoy the special attention they get, which makes my heart happy. A lot of the time they’re just seen as the kid with special needs, and here they’re finally being seen for what they can do versus what they can’t.”
Coleman, the lead organizer in Monroe County who has worked with Special Olympics since the program launched in Florida when she was in high school, explained how the programs in Keys schools are “unified,” meaning they bring inclusive sports and activities to all students.
“Our schools do a fantastic job of implementing programs to give students with and without disabilities an opportunity to play on the same field and show themselves as the champions that they are,” Coleman said.
Linzy added, “It’s helping them to feel a little more included… to see them just light up, you can see in their face how happy they are.”
Sugarloaf student athletes and volunteers said the event was a positive experience. Grayson Walsh said his favorite part was being able to have the inclusivity for special-needs athletes, while Fin Wofsey noted that he enjoyed being able to learn how to play cornhole, which had never been an opportunity for him.
Coleman encouraged anyone interested to explore the volunteer options with Special Olympics in the Keys.
“We are a volunteer-run organization that depends not only on community members to coach, but to also become mentors for our leaders, offer expertise in fundraising, and help put on events.
“We will be at all Publix Stores Jan. 9-16 to promote our Torch Campaign. Come visit us and speak to our athletes or donate at the register. We also need volunteers for our 2026 County Summer Games on March 7 at Marathon High School. We need officials, referees, awards managers, committee members, fundraisers for expenses and more,” Coleman said.More information is at specialolympicsflorida.org or via email to ruthcoleman@sofl.org.
