4 Wyomingites to represent Special Olympics Wyoming at Berlin World Games

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (PRESS RELEASE) - Four Wyoming delegates are set to represent Special Olympics Wyoming at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, being held June 17-25, 2023.

Attendees include:

Luke Bappe, athlete from Riverton
Lewis Fancher, athlete from Riverton participating in the LETR Final Leg Torch Run
Jessica Purdum, assistant athletics coach from Powell
Keith Groeneweg, ret. Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper from Cheyenne, participating in the LETR Final Leg Torch Run

Special Olympics Wyoming athletes, coaches and Unified partners will join representatives from across the country as delegates of Special Olympics USA, which is comprised of 133 athletes and Unified partners, 38 coaches and 23 delegation members.

Athletes will compete in 14 sports: athletics, basketball, bocce, bowling, cycling, golf, gymnastics – artistic & rhythmic, kayaking, powerlifting, sailing, soccer, swimming, tennis and volleyball.

The delegation also includes Special Olympics Unified Sports teams, where people with and without intellectual disabilities compete together, as teammates. Special Olympics USA will have representation in the following Unified Sports: basketball, bocce, bowling, golf, sailing, soccer, tennis, and volleyball.

The flame lighting ceremony begins in Athens, Greece on June 7 with the flame arrival ceremony in Berlin taking place June 13. The torch will be ran throughout Germany from June 14 until the opening ceremony kicks off on the 17th.

This Torch Run event is called the Final Leg because it represents the culmination of Torch Run events that have occurred previously throughout the World. The Torch Run Final Leg is not only a salute to the athletes from around the world who will compete in the Special Olympics World Summer Games, but also an honor for the participating law enforcement officers and Special Olympics athletes who comprise the Torch Run Final Leg Team.

The Olympic flame symbolizes the light of spirit, knowledge and life. The Special Olympics “Flame of Hope,” entrusted to the care of the law enforcement community, symbolizes the courage and celebration of diversity that the Special Olympics movement represents.