Thirty-three Special Olympics athletes and coaches represented Team USA at the Special Olympics World Summer Games Test Event in Athens from May 30 – June 3, 2010.They joined 1,600 athletes from Special Olympics Greece and 20 other foreign countries in the event which was a dry run for next year’s World Summer Games.

The U.S. delegation’s members came from 8 different states – Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Montana, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wyoming. While the Test Event offered competition in 11 different sports, the U.S. athletes participated in just four sports – Athletics, Bocce, Rhythmic Gymnastics and Powerlifting.

The Team USA delegation arrived in Greece on Saturday, May 29, and stayed at the Golden Cost Holiday Club in Marathon, Attika. They attended Opening Ceremonies at the Olympic Aquatic Center on Sunday, May 30. The team then had the opportunity to demonstrate their skills during competition for the next three days, before Closing Ceremonies on Wednesday, June 2.

Athletes Representing Team USA at the Test Event:

Athletics:
Jonathan Blackman –Special Olympics Texas
Dean Crowley –Special Olympics Delaware
Steven Dimitriadis –Special Olympics Texas
Tahia Grosch – Special Olympics Wyoming
Ashlynn Jones – Special Olympics Texas
Glenn Jones – Special Olympics Delaware
Becky Longo – Special Olympics Delaware
Dary McIntyre –Special Olympics Missouri
Norma Saucedo –Special Olympics Texas
Jordan Yager –Special Olympics Wyoming

Bocce:
Holly Gitzen – Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Nina Kaneriya – Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Christa Mereen – Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Dena Muskopf – Special Olympics Missouri
Carl Paxton – Special Olympics Missouri
Robert Quinn – Special Olympics Delaware
Frank Traupman – Special Olympics Pennsylvania

Gymnastics:
Ashley Bressler – Special Olympics Georgia
Karen Davis – Special Olympics Georgia
Lani DeMello – Special Olympics Georgia
Dana Misitano – Special Olympics Georgia
Elena Weaver – Special Olympics Georgia

Powerlifting:
Charles Piantieri – Special Olympics Florida

Coaches Representing Team USA at the Test Event:

Head of Delegation Shane Kiesner – Special Olympics Wyoming
Assistant Head of Delegation Pete Olsen – Special Olympics Montana

Athletics:
Brenda Allen –Special Olympics Texas
Mary Moore –Special Olympics Delaware
Carol Strohecker –Special Olympics Wyoming

Bocce:
Linda Gitzen – Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Martha Mereen – Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Thomas Mereen – Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Susan Shaffer – Special Olympics Missouri

Gymnastics:
Ana DeMello – Special Olympics Georgia