Local athletes headed to Minneapolis for Special Olympics USA Games

By Jennifer Wimmer | June 17, 2026 |

Sixteen area athletes, coaches and Unified partners from the Owensboro area — including several with Hancock County ties — are headed to Minneapolis for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, with opening ceremonies set for June 20.

Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern June 20 at the University of Minnesota and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and Disney+. There will be about 48 hours of coverage over the course of the Games, which run through June 26.

The local delegation’s flag football team, representing Team Kentucky, will begin pool play June 22 with a 9 a.m. game against Virginia and a 2 p.m. game against Pennsylvania. The team will also face Nebraska at 2 p.m. June 23. Based on pool play results, teams will advance to medal competition June 24, with awards scheduled for June 25.

The team will leave Owensboro at 1:30 p.m. June 18 with a sendoff celebration at Independence Bank’s Frederica Street branch. The Games are expected to bring nearly 3,000 athletes and 1,500 coaches from all 50 states.

Among the local athletes is Hawesville native Kevin Rates, 42, who will compete as a member of Team Kentucky’s flag football team. The son of Leon and Peggy Rates, he previously competed at the 2022 USA Games, where he won a silver medal in shot put and helped Kentucky win gold in the 4×100-meter relay. He has participated in Special Olympics since 2003, returned to competition in 2016 after more than a decade away, and also competes in basketball, softball and bowling while serving as an Athlete Ambassador.

The flag football team includes 10 players from across the region, including Owensboro, Whitesville, Central City and Hawesville. The Central City athletes will be the first from Muhlenberg County to compete at the USA Games.

Kim Johnson of Owensboro will serve on the Team Kentucky staff and travel with the delegation. She has been involved with Special Olympics for more than 30 years and serves as Area 2 director and local coordinator. Her husband, Jeff Johnson, a Hancock County native, is a longtime Special Olympics coach.

Team Kentucky’s overall delegation will include 37 athletes, with 10 athletes coming from the local program serving Daviess, Hancock and Muhlenberg counties.

Registration for the 2026 local Special Olympics season began in May, with practices starting this month. The area program offers softball, flag football, bowling, basketball, cheerleading, aquatics, track and field and bocce, and also features a Young Athletes program for ages 2-7. For more information or to participate or volunteer, contact Kim Johnson at [email protected] or 270-314-7621, or send a message to the Daviess County Special Olympics Facebook page on Messenger.