Hello everyone:

It has been a while, I am happy that Special Olympics is back to some type of normalcy. The upcoming Special Olympics USA Games is happening from the June 5th-12th with the Opening Ceremonies on the 5th of June at Noon Eastern Time on ABC television, while live daily streaming coverage on ESPN 3 (ESPN app) with a nightly hour show on the 7th and 8th of June on ESPN 2, with the Best of 2022 Special Olympics USA Games on ABC on the 12th of June at 1 pm Eastern Time on ABC. I will be competing in bowling at the State Summer Games for Special Olympics Ohio on the 24th-26th of June at The Ohio State University. I am still not giving up on getting the State Swim Meet back to its rightful home of Columbus, Ohio at The Ohio State University McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The contact I have been talking to, Jeff Vermillion is retiring after USA Games and State Summer Games; but I keep putting on the pressure on Special Olympics Ohio to undo the changes they make in 2019. A few of them who made the changes are no longer with Special Olympics Ohio, except for CEO Jessica Stewart. In the winter time, my team Franklin County Special Olympics did not get to compete at the South Central Swim Meet at the new Upper Arlington High School because the director of my organization was concerned of increasing COVID cases, while other teams in the region were except for Franklin County and Pickerington Special Olympics (Pickerington did get to Bowling Green). Despite Gahanna competed in Upper Arlington, but chose not to go BGSU. Franklin County was shut out of the regional and state games for swimming and basketball. I still felt Franklin County should have been there at competitions while taking precautions to keep people and my director overthought things, but understand what he was coming from.  I submit more ideas such as adding ice skating to the State Indoor Winter Games at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) at the Slater Family ice Arena replacing swimming portion of the games, but keep basketball and competitive cheerleading. I would move the State Swim Meet in Columbus to late March or early April that does not conflict with Passover and Easter holidays, and reinstate the Long Course portion (50 meters) at the State Summer Games too. I will suggest returning ice skating and roller skating to the program, while adding Open Water Swimming and Triathlon with the State Open Water Swimming & Triathlon Championships will be in Lake Erie around Cedar Point in the summer time. Also, I will work to reinstate Regional Bowling Tournaments for Individual and Team Bowlers (including Unified) around the state instead of League Play because tournaments are the best and only to decide who gets to go the State Summer Games. I have places around Ohio I have thought of for the Regional Bowling Tournaments in Northeast, Northwest, South Central, and Southwest regions of the State of Ohio while the Columbus Square Bowling Palace would be the new home of State Summer Games replacing AMF Sawmill Lanes because there is no lanes close to The Ohio State University except for HP Lanes in Columbus. They are set in stone however. The good news for Special Olympics Ohio is they have adding athletes and coaches in help making decisions with an athlete and former athlete turned level 3 coach have joined the Board of Directors. I apologize for not updating you sooner. I appreciate you signing the petition in trying to Return the State Swim Meet back to Columbus, Ohio because of the central location. People who live in Southeast and Southwest Ohio should not be driving 4-5 hours in the winter time to get to State Indoor Winter Games at BGSU with winter road conditions to consider. I still work cut out for me because of Special Olympics Ohio and BGSU signing a multi-year contract to have the State Indoor Winter Games there at Bowling Green. I wish Team Ohio and everyone competing at the Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando and excited about the return of the State Summer Games for Special Olympics Ohio this month. Thank you again for your support.