Tyler Bernreuther's week looks like this: Mondays Boy Scouts, Tuesdays pickleball, Wednesdays swimming, Thursdays golf, Fridays dance, Saturdays back in the pool, and Sundays bowling. What that doesn't include is the marching band, the weekly volunteering at Loudoun County Animal Services, or the fact that he's working toward his Eagle Scout rank. Next week, all of that work adds up to something. He's one of 57 athletes on Team Virginia headed to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minneapolis, where he'll compete for gold on the national stage. Oh, and he just graduated from Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia.
Meet Tyler
Tyler has been part of Special Olympics for 11 years, starting when he was just six years old. In that time he has competed in swimming, basketball, bowling, pickleball, dance, tennis, softball, football, and track. He swam with the Ashburn Barracudas for nine years and participated in Unified Sports basketball and track at Stone Bridge, a Unified Champion School.
His dad Paul puts into words what Special Olympics has meant to their family. "You know that Special Olympics is a safe space, you know that you are surrounded by people that care for these athletes and by other families that are walking similar paths, and he could just be himself without, as a parent, worrying about, oh, is he saying the right thing or doing the right thing. Special Olympics gave him a space where he could just be."
His motto says a lot about how he approaches all of it. "Do today what others are not willing to do, so tomorrow I can do what others are unable to do."
Competing in Minneapolis
Tyler will compete in swimming at the USA Games. He trains year round, works out with weights, runs, and focuses on his nutrition to stay ready. For Tyler, getting here is something he doesn't take lightly.
"Being part of Special Olympics has been my biggest accomplishment," he said. "I started when I was eight years old and I've been living it."
"He's proud, he knows he's put in the work," his dad Paul said. "He exercises all the time, he practices his swimming, he strives to improve at whatever he's doing."
Supported by Olympia Moving
Special Olympics Virginia is grateful for the support of Olympia Moving, who have backed Tyler and Team Virginia heading into the USA Games. Tyler challenged Olympia Moving with his T35 Challenge, dropping 35 pushups and passing the challenge along to them to do the same. Their support means a lot to the team as they head to Minneapolis.