April 2022 Change Makers
Bill Burnett
Athlete of the Month
Bill has been competing for Special Olympics Colorado for 30 years. He got involved in 1992 when his friend told him he was playing basketball, and Bill joined his team. Since then, Bill has competed in powerlifting, softball, flag football, bocce, athletics, swimming and bowling.
Bill’s favorite part about Special Olympics Colorado is meeting new people and competing with friends. He said he really loves competing in Special Olympics Colorado because it’s a lot of fun.
This summer, Bill has the opportunity to represent Team Colorado at the USA Games in Orlando, Florida, where he will be competing in powerlifting. This will be the first time Bill is competing at USA Games, and when he found out he was going he said it made him feel really good to be selected. “I’m really excited,” said Bill. “The closer it gets, the more excited I am.”
At USA Games, Bill is looking forward to competing with athletes from different states and having fun.
Outside of competing, Bill has been attending Athlete Leadership University (ALU) since 2019. He is majoring in Governance and is expected to graduate next spring!
Congratulations, Bill, on being recognized as the April Athlete of the Month, and good luck at USA Games this summer!
Sarah Jewell
Volunteer of the Month
Sarah has been volunteering for Special Olympics Colorado for just over a year. She volunteered with many different organizations while she was in college, and during the pandemic, she said that was part of her life that she missed. “I’ve always had an interest in working with Special Olympics, so when I had my epiphany, I immediately looked up the Special Olympics Colorado website and looked for volunteer opportunities,” said Sarah.
While volunteering, Sarah mentioned that she really enjoys meeting the athletes and other people involved with Special Olympics. She also loves getting to see all the smiles and the fun everyone has at each event, as all of their hard work comes to fruition.
One of Sarah’s favorite memories is volunteering at regional bowling. She met a group of athletes that she was able to to see and cheer on again at State Fall Classic a couple weeks later.
When she’s not volunteering, Sara enjoys attending concerts and listening to live music. She also likes spending time hiking and exploring all that Colorado has to offer!
Thank you, Sarah, for all you do for Special Olympics Colorado and congratulations on begin recognized as the April Volunteer of the Month!