Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Shilts
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co, WI) 10/31/2012
Shilts Family Receives Special Olympics Grant (Clipped Wings Parents Grant - 2012)
Shilts Family Receives Special Olympics Grant
Daina Shilts of Neillsville is shown during a Special Olympics snowboarding event last winter. The dream of having Daina’s mother Jan join her at the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, has become closer to reality with the awarding of a Clipped Wings Parents Grant. Contributed photo
Neillsville resident and parent of a Special Olympics Wisconsin (SOWI) athlete, Jan Shilts, was awarded the Clipped Wings Parent Grant, which will assist her and her family with travel costs to watch their daughter compete at the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.
Jan applied for the grant in late July after learning that her daughter, Daina, was chosen to compete in the snowboarding event at the 2013 World Winter Games.
Jan, who is actively involved in SOWI through fundraising for her local program, has attended most of her daughter’s events for more than a decade.
“Competing in the World Winter Games has been a lifelong dream and goal of not only our daughter, but of the whole family, for her,” She said. “I am very close to my daughter and would love to be able to share in the making of memories of this momentous event in her life.”
Jan and Daina, along with Daina’s SOWI coach, will speak to local organizations and nonprofit groups in hopes of raising additional funds to assist them in attending the World Winter Games.
Daina has been involved in SOWI for 14 years, participating in athletics (track and field), bowling, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing. During her time with SOWI, she has received multiple medals in snowboarding, alpine skiing and athletics. Daina said her involvement in Special Olympics, has encouraged her to take advantage of new opportunities.
“It has challenged me to try new sports that I would not have done. It also helped me to decide my future goals in career choices; I want to help other children like I’ve been helped through Special Olympics,” she said.
This is the 10th Special Olympics World Winter Games, bringing together 3.300 Special Olympics athletes from more than 112 nations to compete in eight Olympic-type sports. The eight-day event will be one of the largest winter multi-sport events held in the country, making the 2013 World Winter Games a milestone for South Korea.
To learn more about the 2013 World Winter Games, visit the 2013 Special Olympic World Winter Games official Web site at http://www.2013sopoc.org/hb/en, or find more information about the athletes representing Team USA at http://www.specialolmpicsteamusa.org.
Founded in 1941, Clipped Wings is a national organization open to all former, retired and current United and Capital Airlines flight attendants. Clipped Wings supports various charities, schools and centers devoted to individuals with intellectual disabilities.
The Clipped Wings Parents Grant financially assists family member who wish to see their athlete compete in the Special Olympics World Games. Visit http://www.clippedwings.com/ to learn more about Clipped Wings.
SOWI provides year-round training and competition opportunities through 17 different Olympic-type sports for nearly 10,000 individuals with intellectual disabilities. Thank you to Kwik Trip and the Law Enforcement Torch Run, the Mission Partners of SOWI, enabling the organization to hold 137 statewide competitions and five state tournaments per year.
Join online community by following on Twitter and Facebook! For more information, visit www.SpecialOlympicsWisconsin.org or call 1.800.552.1324.
