RJ Aguilar

Athlete of the Month

RJ has been a Special Olympics Colorado athlete for more than 30 years. He originally got involved through track and field and now competes in skiing, softball, swimming, bocce, powerlifting and bowling.

RJ loves meeting new athletes and participating in events such as Hall of Fame. He also recently had the opportunity to recite the Athlete Oath in Spanish at the State Summer Classic! He also has fond memories of his late coach, Maria Perez, and says that one of his favorite memories was simply being matched up with her because she always encouraged him and his fellow athletes.

Hortencia, RJ’s mother, said that Special Olympics has been the best thing RJ has been involved in and they wouldn’t do anything different. “All of RJ’s coaches have been amazing and that’s a wonderful memory we as parents and athletes greatly appreciate,” she said.

We are excited to recognize RJ as the August Athlete of the Month. Congratulations!

The Phillips Family

Family of the Month

The Phillips family has been involved with Special Olympics for over a year. Their family consists of Keri, Geoff, Fiona (4.5 years old) and Finnegan (1.5 years old). In the last year, Fiona has attended Young Athletes Summer Sports Camp and participated in basketball, track and field and soccer. Keri also said Fiona had a blast at Young Athletes “Learn To” Snowshoe earlier this year.

Their favorite memory as a family was when they attended State Summer Games in Grand Junction. “Fiona ran in the 50-meter dash and her coaches and the entire Southsiders team cheered her on from the stands all the way to the finish line,” explained Keri. “I have goosebumps thinking about this moment and can still hear the encouraging applause for our girl.”

Keri said that they have met the best people in the world through Special Olympics Colorado. “The coaches and everyone involved in the Young Athletes Program have been so incredible,” she said. “Ashtyn Anderson has been especially welcoming and really took the time to get to know Fiona and our family.” She also mentioned that they love all the events and opportunities for their children to try different sports and meet so many incredible people.

Keri also said that it’s hard to believe they’ve only been participating in Special Olympics Colorado for just a year. She feels that the Special Olympics Colorado community has provided a safe space for Fiona to learn, grow, and be accepted and encouraged. “From the moment we registered our beautiful athlete we have been absolutely blown away by the love and dedication of all of the volunteers,” said Keri. “We LOVE Special Olympics of Colorado and we are so excited to be a part of the Young Athletes family.”

We are so happy to have the Phillips family as part of our Special Olympics Colorado community and are excited to recognize them as the August Family of the Month!