As announced last summer, our very own MICC graduates Kayla (‘20, unified golf), Michael (‘24, soccer), and Aaron (‘24, soccer) were selected to join Special Olympics’ Team Minnesota for the USA Games happening right here in the Twin Cities this June! Read our previous blog post announcing their selection for Team Minnesota here, their fun-filled Treasure Island weekend with Team MN in September here, and a recap of Kayla’s golf lessons in Florida here.
Aaron and Michael are hard at work preparing with Team Minnesota Soccer. Here’s what they had to say:
Aaron says, “We are looking forward to June. Currently we are practicing soccer for the USA games. We have been sending photos of us and posting links of fundraising on social media so that friends and family can donate for Special Olympics. We are also giving away [player] cards to our friends and family and teammates.”
Michael shares, “Training-wise, I’ve been hitting the gym 1-2 times a week. It’s been a challenge to balance with my work schedule, but I’ve successfully lost 15 pounds during this journey. On the sports front, our hockey season finished strong with a second-place finish. Additionally, Aaron and I are in a Special Olympics commercial…the specific details are TBD, but we are very excited about it. Overall, I’m feeling very pumped for the USA Games!”
Kayla spent more time in Florida this spring, taking private lessons and enjoying the warm weather. Now that she is back in Minnesota, she is finalizing her training at our local Minnesota golf courses.
MICC graduate Grant ’23 is also involved with the USA Games. He will be volunteering as a photographer, covering the arrival of the athletes via The Special Olympic Airlift at the Saint Paul Downtown Airport, then capturing events at the National Sports Center in Blaine. He will be covering three days of activities, over 14 hours of volunteer time. Grant currently studies photography at Minneapolis College and has previously served as a volunteer photographer at the 3M Open – Minnesota’s PGA Tour in Blaine in July 2025.
Watch for more updates as our MICC participants prepare for the big event!