Fitness Newsletter

The Special Olympics Virginia Fitness Newsletter is a publication written exclusively by athletes, for athletes. With first-hand experiences, these writers offer insight into the challenges and triumphs of pursuing a healthy lifestyle.

Meet the Fitness Newsletter Editorial Team

Nick Zweerink

Nick is from Richmond, Virginia and has been a part of Special Olympics for over 10 years. He is an athlete and Global Messenger. Nick enjoys playing soccer, basketball, softball, and swimming. One of Nick’s many accomplishments as an athlete was competing in the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games. Due to an injury, Nick retired from competitive swimming. Since then he has found a new love for running and has been running everyday since December 2020. Nick has learned so much from Special Olympics, but his biggest takeaway is how important it is to live a healthy lifestyle.

Alex Burns

Alex is from Sterling, Virginia and has been a part of Special Olympics since 2011. He is an athlete and Global Messenger. Alex’s favorite aspect of being in Special Olympics is the sense of comradery he feels with other athletes. On top of that, he enjoys all the volunteer and advocacy work Special Olympics does for the community. Alex is a public speaker for Special Olympics and for the entire disability community as a whole. For entertainment, Alex is a big fan of movies, television shows, games, books, and music. Special Olympics has given Alex a family and platform to advocate for the disability community.

Richard Wolf

Rich is from White Plains, New York. He originally joined the Special Olympics team 30 years ago when his son, Jonathan, became an athlete. Since joining, Rich has worked as an assistant coach for swimming and golf, he has volunteered at events, and was honored to be a Unified Partner at the Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando. Beforehand Rich had been a journalist for over 45 years. As a retired journalist, Rich is more than happy to help with writing articles for SOVA’s various publications, and working with the fitness reporters and writers on the team.

Emily Bower

Emily is from Richmond, Virginia and has been a part of Special Olympics since 2011. She is an Area 31 athlete, SOVA staff member, and Global Messenger. She enjoys participating in swimming, track and field, and basketball. While she enjoys all the sports she participates in, her favorite is swimming. Emily is an extremely driven and hard working individual. She does not like when people put limitations on her because she knows she is capable of doing anything she sets her mind to. Emily wants everyone to know that she has been diagnosed with anxiety disorder, nonverbal learning disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. Despite these labels, she is just like everyone else.

Kyler Reese

Kyler is from Oakton, Virginia and has been a part of Special Olympics for over 20 years. He is an athlete and Global and Health Messenger. He enjoys playing basketball, football, swimming, and volleyball. Kyler enjoys meeting new athletes, competing with his friends, and helping others improve their game. He wants to spread the word on how, just like the name, Special Olympics is truly special. Kyler explains that the athletes, coaches, and volunteers are the ones who help make it possible for members of his community to connect while also gaining a sense of accomplishment.

Joe Melugin

Joe Melugin is a Special Olympics Virginia athlete. He's also an established Global Messenger.

Newsletter Stories

A Force to be Reckoned With

Gretchen Walsh is no longer just a “bathtub swimmer.”
2 Min Read

LeBron James

There are Olympics athletes … and then there is LeBron James.
1 Min Read

Northern Virginia Runner Shows True Grit

Weini Kelati has been running her whole life.
1 Min Read

How To Get Quality Sleep with Sleep Apnea

Getting good sleep is very important, especially to athletes who compete in various sports. Sleep is good for our bodies because it allows us to rest and replenish our strength, so we can perform our best on the playing field when we compete. But sleep can also be challenging for many people – myself included!
3 Min Read

A Restful Night Routine

Spring is coming fast. Most of Virginia has leaves blossoming already, and baseball is on TV again. We all will start to get moving again outside. With all that extra activity, proper rest becomes more important, so I will talk a bit about good sleep habits – and some not-so-good ones, like spending time on your phone before bed.
2 Min Read

Rest and Relaxation

It is difficult for me, and presumably many people, to balance between work time and relaxation time. Whenever I return home and get all my assignments done, I enjoy entertainment such as watching movies or multiple episodes of a TV series, playing video games, or simply listening to music and surfing the Web. That is my favorite form of escape from stress.
2 Min Read

Tracking Sleep

Tracking your sleep is very helpful. I try to get around 7-8 hours of sleep every night, which is about the healthiest amount of sleep that adults can get. It is recommended for kids to get a lot more than that depending on their age.
2 Min Read

Mindful Eating with an Extreme Allergy

Now that the real winter has started, my mind turns to indoor activities: swimming, basketball and… eating.
2 Min Read

Fast Food Swaps

I am a huge fan of eating fast-food, specifically Wendy’s and Chick-Fil-A. The reason I like these two fast food places is because of Chick-Fil-A’s chicken sandwich and Wendy’s baconator burger -- due to me being a big burger fan. I also enjoy the waffle fries and chicken nuggets from Chick-Fil-A, too.
2 Min Read

The Gluten Free Lifestyle

I believe avoiding certain foods is hard for a lot of people, especially if it’s connected to a specific memory. When I was little, I loved my grandma’s macaroni and cheese and sweet potato casserole. Oh, and don’t get me started on her home-made biscuits and gravy!
2 Min Read

My Experience Avoiding Meat

Growing up, I mostly ate a vegetarian diet, since my family was mostly vegetarian. But I still ate meat and dairy products on occasion. Then I saw a documentary on Netflix called “Food, Inc.” (It is not on Netflix anymore, but you can watch it on YouTube for free - linked below.)
3 Min Read

Why I Enjoy Bike Riding

One of my favorite go-to ways to exercise is bike riding.
2 Min Read

One Step at a Time

This edition, I'm here to talk to you about one of my favorite things: you guessed it - running!
2 Min Read

Strength Training for the Win

Hi everyone!! Fall is on, and it is going to get harder to exercise outside as it gets colder. One of my favorite ways to stay in shape and toned in fall and winter is to add some weightlifting to my routine.
2 Min Read

Swimming Can Change Your Life for the Better

Ever since I was little, I have loved the water. It always calmed me to be near it. When I would go to the swimming pool with my friends in elementary school, we’d pretend to be mermaids. As I got older I still loved swimming, but I didn’t compete until five years ago when I first signed up to be an athlete with Special Olympics Virginia (SOVA). Since then, I have been a swimmer in three Summer Games competitions and have won nine medals. Though I try to learn new sports too, swimming will always be my go-to sport.
5 Min Read

"Nature's Gatorade" Recipe

Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Personal Trainer, Author, Cohost of the Well-Fed Women Podcast and my cousin, Noelle Tarr, says, “Proper hydration is critical for optimizing mental and physical performance. Hydration is not just about drinking enough water but to stay properly hydrated you need to consume adequate electrolytes. They help your nerve impulses fire, regulate fluid balance, help produce energy, and help support strong bones.” Drinking water is very important, but without electrolytes it can cause headaches, muscle cramps, and even fatigue, especially if you’re drinking too much water. So, to keep you hydrated and supplied with electrolytes, here’s a simple recipe by Noelle Tarr. This recipe is much better than buying a Gatorade because one 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade has 34 grams of sugar which is the equivalent to 2 ¾ Tablespoons. The recipe below only has 29.7 grams and is free from all the artificial coloring and chemicals that is put in Gatorade. Noelle Tarr says coconut water is like “Nature’s Gatorade” and packed with tons of electrolytes. That is one reason why it is included in this recipe. If you don’t like a lot of tang, and want to just drink coconut water, that is also an option and it is very healthy. You can read more about this and other recipes by going to her website https://coconutsandkettlebells.com/ .
2 Min Read

Summer Exercise: Outside or Inside?

To me, summer can be a wonderful time to get in your daily exercise regimen. Whether you’re exercising indoors or outdoors, you will find there are many health benefits to each one of these options. I know most people don’t realize they can be outdoors in the summertime, because of the heat and humidity, but if you protect yourself, you will find this is just as gratifying and will help you be an overall stronger and healthier individual.
2 Min Read

Beach, Pool, Sprinkler: Summer Workout Tips

Hi everyone! We are in the middle of a very hot summer, I bet many of you are trying to stay inside where it’s cooler. That is a good idea on really warm days, but there are a lot of fun things you can do to keep cool and stay in shape. Some of these you can do at home, and some you need to travel for. Here are my top three favorites:
1 Min Read

Champion Focus

Trasean Singletary is an aspiring Special Olympics athlete who has a huge passion for running, giving back to the community and continuing to move forward. Trasean deeply cares about world peace and connecting with those around him in order to make a positive impact on others. Trasean runs everywhere he goes, as that allows him to get through each and every day and to keep moving on in life.
1 Min Read

Always Playing

My name is Grace Anne Braxton. I got interested in golf by watching professionals at golf tournaments on TV.
1 Min Read

Air Quality Report

In the summer of 2023 we have been experiencing unhealthy air quality in Virginia. It impacted the Special Olympics State Games this past June with canceling all of the outdoor sports on June 9th. I know the athletes had to be really disappointed since they weren’t able to compete on the first day of the State Games.
2 Min Read

Launching The Vision For Fitness

Hey, fellow athletes! April 27, 2023 represents the start of a MAJOR Special Olympics Virginia initiative, one that we hope will help you with fitness and friendships! It’s no longer just about sports – it’s about FITNESS! The initiative includes programs and partnerships that will help athletes improve their health. I will explain why we are doing this, so keep reading if you want to learn more about the ways this initiative will help you on your fitness journey.
2 Min Read

Never Quit: The Story of Kevin Ogar

If you are looking for inspiration about sports and fitness, Kevin Ogar is your man.
1 Min Read

Going Beyond: A Journey in Master's Swimming

Hi Virginia Special Olympians!
2 Min Read

Plant-Based Performance

Bananas. Beans. Berries. Whole wheat bread.
1 Min Read

Beyond the Field: What it Takes to Be Fit and Win Article

Athlete Editorial Team Visits the Washington Commanders
5 Min Read

More Than Just Football Players Article

Athlete Editorial Team Visits the Washington Commanders
4 Min Read

Anyone Can Be Strong Article

Athlete Editorial Team Visits the Washington Commanders
3 Min Read

It's All About Performing Well Article

Athlete Editorial Team Visits the Washington Commanders
5 Min Read

Athleticism, Vision, and Toughness Article

Athlete Editorial Team Visits the Washington Commanders
2 Min Read

We Want to Stay Super-Mobile Article

Athlete Editorial Team Visits the Washington Commanders
2 Min Read

I Haven't Stopped Running

For the past two years, I've been running everyday.
2 Min Read

Inclusion through Fitness

In the world we are surrounded by people. And people can choose to include. Inclusion means giving people the opportunity to take their time and giving them space. An inclusive world is what I want. For as long as I can remember, I was set aside from the others in my life due to being “the autistic” or weird one.
1 Min Read

Fitness Spotlight: Coach Marcus Leggett

Marcus has a son who is a Special Olympics Virginia athlete and that is how we first got involved in the organization. He has been with area 2 for 15 years as the local coordinator in Virginia Beach and been a coach for multiple sports year-round. At the first event he attended years ago, he was called coach and knew he was locked in. Marcus said, “There are so many families with children and adults with special needs that didn’t know they could do these things because they didn’t know the opportunities were there.”
2 Min Read

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