Five athletes from the area will be part of the Special Olympics Missouri team competing in the national games next week.

According to a press release, every four years, Special Olympics North America manages a national summer games in the United States that includes athletes from all 52 US programs. The 2018 Special Olympics USA Games, July 1-6, will bring not just 58 athletes, 20 coaches and 16 Unified Partners from Missouri, but more than 3,400 other delegates (athletes, coaches and Unified Partners) from around the country to the greater Seattle area to compete in a variety of sports.

Team Missouri will compete in nine different sports including basketball, bocce, bowling, golf, powerlifting, softball, swimming, tennis and track and field with athletes from all over the Show-Me State. Athletes and coaches have been training for more than a year in preparation for the Games.

From the northwest Missouri region, Simon Caldwell of Savannah will be competing in tennis, Matthew Davidson of St. Joseph will be competing in bocce, Paul Davidson of St. Joseph, a Unified Partner, will be competing in bocce, Charlie Phillips of Savannah will be competing in powerlifting and James Ross of Trenton will be competing in bocce. 

For more information about Team Missouri or the USA Games, visit SOMO.org/USAGames.