Project ALL STAR Celebrates a Successful First Year in Colorado

Special Olympics Colorado athletes are helping shape the future of health research – and they’re doing it in a big way.

Since launching in Colorado in 2025, Project ALL STAR has hosted four events across the state and enrolled 54 athletes. Thanks to the support of athletes, families, coaches, volunteers, and community partners, Colorado has quickly become one of the fastest-growing Project ALL STAR programs in the country.

What is Project ALL STAR?

Project ALL STAR is a long-term project led by Special Olympics International that aims to better understand how Special Olympics participation impacts athletes’ physical, mental, and social health over time. Athletes who join the project complete annual fitness assessments, surveys, and Fitbit health tracking activities that help us learn how we can make our Special Olympics programs even better.

A Strong Start in Colorado

Over the past several months, Project ALL STAR has traveled across Colorado, connecting with athletes at events in different regions of the state. At each event, athletes learned more about the project, completed fitness testing, got set up with Fitbits, and had the opportunity to get exclusive Project ALL STAR merch.

Reaching 54 enrolled athletes in just one year is an incredible milestone and reflects the enthusiasm of the Special Olympics Colorado community. Every athlete who joins contributes valuable information that can help improve programs, services, and health outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities around the world.

Athletes Are Excited to Be Involved

One of the most rewarding parts of Project ALL STAR has been hearing directly from athletes about why they want to participate.

As one enrolled athlete recently shared:

“I’m in it for life; you’re not getting rid of me.”

That excitement and commitment capture exactly what makes Project ALL STAR special. Athletes recognize the importance of this work and are eager to help create positive change for future generations of Special Olympics athletes.

Partnering with Future Health Professionals

Project ALL STAR has also created meaningful opportunities for students pursuing careers in health, fitness, and research. Through partnerships with universities across Colorado, student volunteers have supported fitness testing, athlete enrollment, and event operations while gaining hands-on experience working alongside Special Olympics athletes.

These partnerships provide health students with hands-on experiences that cannot be replicated in a classroom. By supporting Project ALL STAR events, students develop skills in health assessment, inclusive communication, and community-based research while gaining a deeper understanding of the strengths of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In turn, Project ALL STAR benefits from their support, creating a meaningful partnership that helps prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals to better serve and advocate for individuals with disabilities.

Thank You

The success of Project ALL STAR in Colorado would not be possible without the dedication of Special Olympics Colorado athletes, families, coaches, volunteers, universities, and community partners.

As we continue to grow, we look forward to welcoming even more athletes into Project ALL STAR and expanding opportunities for athletes to make their voices heard through research.

Wanting to learn more and sign up? Visit our website https://specialolympicsco.org/series/project-all-star/ or email Colorado Evaluation Coordinator, Cortney Pfeaster at cpfeaster@specialolympics.org