Talan Villalta

Athlete of the Month

Talan began competing for Special Olympics CO in 2017 when he and his family moved to Colorado. “We knew it would be a great way to get him involved in the community,” said his mom, Summer.

They first got involved in the Young Athletes program in Castle Rock. Now, Talan competes in soccer, kickball and basketball. His favorite part about competing is being part of something positive and making new friends.

Next year, Talan will be going to high school, which he is very excited about. He will be attending Ponderosa High School, which was recently named a 2020 National Banner Unified Champion School. Summer explained that one of the many reasons they chose Ponderosa is because of their strong Unified program. “Unified has made it easy to transition to new schools, and we are hoping high school will be no different,” she said.

When Talan isn’t playing sports, he enjoys anything that involves water, riding his bike and roller skating.

Congratulations, Talan, for being recognized as the June Athlete of the Month!

Chelsea Cerny

Coach of the Month

Chelsea has been coaching for Special Olympics Colorado since 2008. She first got involved while in college when she worked part-time for EXPAND, where she currently works now. EXPAND is a Therapeutic Recreation department for Boulder Parks and Recreation that offers Special Olympics Colorado sports. “I was lucky to learn about a lot of them all in one place,” said Chelsea.

Currently, Chelsea coaches skiing, snowboarding, basketball, soccer, flag football, gymnastics and bocce. This upcoming summer season, she will also be adding softball to her list.

While Chelsea said every sport comes with great memories, her favorites are with the ski team because the most time is spent together when traffic and bus rides are involved. “Winter Games particularly holds memories singing in the van, jokes on the chair lifts, fireworks, epic dance moves and of course, skiing!” Chelsea exclaimed.

When asked about what she enjoys about coaching for Special Olympics Colorado, Chelsea explained that there is no better feeling of being part of a team and gaining a sense of belonging. “I think Special Olympics creates a community where so many people get to be a part of something,” she said. “Athletes, coaches, partners, volunteers and spectators all come together and it’s awesome.”

Congratulations Chelsea on being recognized as our June Coach of the Month!