Looking Back: Expanded Opportunities for Unified Athletes


AURORA – With 2023 coming to a close, the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) is looking back at some of the moments that made 2023 so special.
While the Special Olympics and Paralympics have been a fixture at select Colorado high school state championships for over a decade now, CHSAA was excited to be able to expand those offerings this year with the first-ever athletes competing at the Gymnastics State Championships this fall.
“To be able to give all of the amazing athletes within our membership a chance to do what they love, and what they’ve trained and worked so hard for, is truly special,” Assistant Commissioner Jenn Roberts-Uhlig said. “The pride and joy these athletes have while they’re competing at a state championship event alongside their classmates is indescribable. We appreciate our schools and community partners for working with us to make these moments possible.”
Unified athletes also competed for medals at additional state championships throughout the year, including cross country, track and field, swimming and diving, basketball, spirit, and of course: bowling.
To cap off the year, Windsor became the first unified bowling team outside the city of Pueblo to bring home CHSAA’s Unified Bowling Championship, thanks to recording a record-setting pinfall total of 651.
These opportunities would not be possible without CHSAA’s partnership with Special Olympics Colorado, which extends beyond state championship events. This past fall, CHSAA Commissioner and Special Olympics Board of Directors member Mike Krueger and Associate Commissioner Bethany Brookens also attended Special Olympics Colorado’s 2023 Youth Summit at the Denver Broncos’ Centura Health Training Center, where CHSAA Assistant Commissioner Rashaan Davis served as the keynote speaker. CHSAA’s staff also attended the Special Olympics Colorado Hall of Fame, where Regis Jesuit was named the Chaka Sutton Unified School of the Year.





