Ep. 151: Welcoming the Special Olympics USA Games to Minnesota

[00:00:00] Mall of America, it's home to world-class shopping, great dining, and amazing attractions and events. And these are our stories presented by Bloomington, Minnesota Travel and Tourism. Hello Mall of America fans and welcome to this episode of So Much More. I'm Jill Renzel, your host, and I am thrilled to bring to you a friend and the CEO and president of Special Olympics, the USA Games that are happening this summer, Christy Sovereign.

[00:00:24] And we are so excited to talk about your story, about how you came to be the leader of this initiative and how important this is for our marketplace. Because you guys, this is so exciting and this is happening in June and you cannot miss out. So stay with us for this episode because you are going to love to learn about all the things behind Special Olympics. So Christy, thank you for joining me. Jill, thank you for having me. I love this because we have been friends for years and to be able to see you take the leadership role in this effort

[00:00:53] and do what you've done with your team is just remarkable. So I would love for you to just share how big of a deal this is for Minnesota hosts the USA Games. Oh my gosh. So let me tell you what it is. So it is the best of the best from athletes coming from all 50 states, right, to convene here and compete the last week in June. They'll compete in 16 different sports. Ten of them will be competed at the University of Minnesota. The other six up in Blaine at the National Sports Center.

[00:01:21] And it will be a week of ability on display in sporting venues. It'll be celebrations and special events. It'll be fan zones, which we'll talk about. I'm so excited about the one in the Mall of America. It'll just be, it is such a privilege for us in Minnesota to be able to host this incredible event and have Minnesota on a national stage for something as beautiful as this mission represents.

[00:01:46] And to be in June too, when we can really showcase our beautiful state in the summer is always an added bonus. This started several years ago. Minnesota put their name in the hat for this opportunity. So talk a little bit about that process and what did Minnesota do different to get this bid?

[00:02:02] So we will be forever grateful for what was this winning partnership between our host local program, Special Olympics Minnesota, and Minnesota Sports and Events that came together to win a hyper-competitive bid to bring these Special Olympics USA Games to Minnesota. It will, what it means for the state. Well, first of all, it means a tremendous amount for the Special Olympics program.

[00:02:32] A national event like this is just a phenomenal opportunity, a phenomenal platform to have the totality of the mission on display. Special Olympics, so well known for its legacy, driving inclusion through sport. But lesser known, if often not known at all, for everything that it does off the field to improve lives of people with intellectual disabilities.

[00:02:56] So not only will this moment be one that lets us appreciate, again, the incredible athletic prowess of all these athletes, but it will be a week that will address what is health disparity between people with and without intellectual disability, with all sorts of health and wellness and screenings and that that will be done for our competing athletes. It's a week that will let us take a week that will take a week that will let us take a hard look at inclusion and see what we can collectively do better.

[00:03:54] And so, I think that will let us know that people in the community can demonstrate the full of their ability in the workforce and make a really important contribution. So, all of that will be represented in what's happening the last week in June. And again, what a privilege for us to be able to host this year and, I hope, be the recipient of what is an amazing legacy that's left for our state in its wake. There's so much there to unpack because I think there's so much more than the event itself.

[00:04:23] And you've had such a forward thought process in that of how it integrates into our community long after the Games leave this marketplace. But I think the Special Olympics Minnesota crew really developed a great foundation here that helped propel us to this opportunity to have the Games in Minnesota. And we've been longtime partners with the Minnesota chapter. Thank you. I think people are very familiar with the Polar Plunge.

[00:04:49] So, for those that plunge every year and help support Special Olympics, that was definitely a key event that they've had year after year. But to be able to bring the athletes together. And we love it. They're the spark. They're the heart of this initiative. And I just love it. You just want to hug all of them. Oh, for sure. They're just so wonderful. Their personalities, their excitement for all of this is so much fun. And I would say I would love to hear your story, too. It's just joy. Oh, yeah. It's happiness. It's inclusion.

[00:05:15] It's a focus on what matters the most, right? It's being out there competing. And, of course, they're very competitive and they want to win. But it is the opportunity to come together and compete and all of the training that leads up to it to develop skill and ability. And just the celebration of sport and the community and all that, it's just such a beautiful reminder of really, really what matters.

[00:05:40] Well, and I've watched you give these athletes the opportunity to be on stage, to build that confidence, to have speaking opportunities. And it's just been so wonderful to see the growth of these individuals. And it's just exciting. But years ago, you got tapped on the shoulder to lead this effort. So you were part of the bid process. But also, they needed a leader to take the helm, to bring the right team together, to deliver what we're all going to see here in June. So talk a little bit about that because you have a personal connection to what motivated you to do this.

[00:06:10] Yeah, I feel like the luckiest person. It has been this incredible converge of personal and professional. Passion meets purpose, for sure. But professionally, I'm employed by Accenture and have just the incredible opportunity to be on loan to run the games. And we can come back to what led to that. But personally, my sister Katie is an athlete and has been involved in Special Olympics for over 40 years.

[00:06:33] So by extension, myself and our family involved as coaches and volunteers and super fans and unified partners. I heard you got fired as a unified partner. You didn't fire it. If anybody questions if the athletes are competitive, full stop, because one round of golf, and my golf knife is not good, but one round of golf. And I was told I was keeping her from going from the gold. So I was out. But yeah, an alum of the Board of Special Olympics Minnesota.

[00:06:58] So when the opportunity came forward on the backside of the bid process to potentially have the privilege of running this, again, just I feel beyond blessed. And for Accenture and so many of the other incredible organizations, the mall and others who appreciate the importance of what we're doing here. I mean, Accenture looked at this opportunity and appreciated that we have skills and resources.

[00:07:28] It's business for good. Business is a force for good. We have skills and assets that can be of benefit to the mission. And this aligns with values that Accenture holds very dear and important. It aligns with priorities related to corporate social responsibility. And it certainly represents an opportunity around employee engagement, which all companies look for ways that they can bring their employees together in a really meaningful way beyond the mission of their internal organization.

[00:07:57] So all of that collides. And again, so fortunate that Accenture leaned into this, that enabled an opportunity that, again, is so personal to me. Well, you knew this was going to be a big lift. What surprised you the most? Or maybe there's more to come for surprises. But what would you say leading this effort surprised you the most?

[00:08:17] Well, I would say, and I went into it knowing this, but the ever reminder of why we're doing this and why it's so important. I mean, any big initiative comes with its days, if you will. We all have them, right?

[00:08:33] And we have such a clear mission and an important one and such a clear vision for how we don't want this just to be a moment. And it will be a beautiful, beautiful moment that last week in June. But a moment that propels a movement forward in a really important way. Of course, the movement being Special Olympics Mission of Improving Lives of People with Intellectual Disability.

[00:09:03] So that didn't surprise me, but I start there always because it's such the impact of it, I guess, is what I would say is really the surprise. And then it is this beautiful weaving of a sport competition. 16 sports, as I said, will be competed.

[00:09:26] Over a dozen special events, you know, that take the shape of big opening and closing ceremonies to other receptions and celebrations to a big night of unified sports competition that will take place during the week. And then all of the community engagement. And Minnesota has a wonderful history, be it when we all stood out on Nicollet Mall when it was freezing cold during the Super Bowl, albeit whether it was in the flip zone for Olympic Gymnastics Olympic Trials.

[00:09:55] You know, Minnesota has a legacy of coming out. And we're like, well, my goodness, they're coming, we're showing up. And so sports plus events plus multiple community engagement spaces. So that isn't, this isn't just seen as an event for that population or that community, but it's, it's seen and appreciated and embraced for the whole of our community, right? And in what it is.

[00:10:22] So it's been a lot to stitch together, but I couldn't be more excited about what's coming. Well, and I think you had the opportunity early on in the 2022 Olympics that was done in Orlando, correct? Being able to see it firsthand of another marketplace operating and showcasing the Olympic Games. What did you take away from that experience that helped you shape your vision of what you wanted to create here in Minnesota?

[00:10:44] Yeah, I, I mean, you go into a different market and full, first of all, it's Disney. So we're like, okay, well, the bar set high in a few places in terms of what Disney kind of has built in. The magic already is there. Oh, exactly. So bar set high for us to jump in that regard.

[00:11:03] But also the, the sport venues and the importance of the sport venue matching kind of the profile of an elite competition and the caliber of athlete that's coming into it was something that we took away. And so the University of Minnesota partnership and the National Sports Center partnership, again, phenomenal ones with world-class facilities that we can bring forward to do our part.

[00:11:28] And then again, you know, assets like in partnerships like the Mall of America one that are so dear. I mean, it, how do we find these things that are uniquely Minnesota and that are destination locations for over a hundred thousand people that are planned to come from across the U.S. and greater Minnesota to enjoy. And so I think we have a very special set of, we have a very special formula and set of things to bring forward to really make the Minnesota experience a fantastic one. Absolutely.

[00:11:55] And as we started to build momentum with the games, you have done some phenomenal events out here, which we have loved. But if you guys are watching, you can see Christine and I are both wearing some of the merchandise. I'm so proud of the brand. The reveal of the branding brought so much excitement to this market. It's colorful. It's symbolic. And seeing the athletes with pride wearing that at the launch event. Talk a little bit about that and just the journey to get you here today. Yeah.

[00:12:20] So the journey to the logo, if I might even click back a half step from your question, thank you for it. The whole logo is one that was inspired by an athlete advisory council. We brought over a dozen athletes together and spent time interviewing them individually and collectively on what Special Olympics means to them. And for those that are Special Olympics Minnesota athletes, what does it mean to them to be able to host a USA Games?

[00:12:49] And so every single symbol that's in there was one that came forward in athlete interviews. And so kind of the whole top of the logo is that, that is symbolic of what they describe their Special Olympics experience to be. And the bottom of the logo are images that I imagine people recognize from Minnesota. And a stone arch bridge that's purple, of course, since we're a Vikings purple state.

[00:13:17] Our 10,000 lakes, our North Shore, et cetera. So it's to be able to have been in the rotunda at the mall and unveil it in the spring of 2023 after all that work was so much fun. And then to be able to have the whole merch collection available during this past holiday, Jill, was just to see people go in and out and athletes and their families have merchandise ahead of having to wait until it was available the week of the games.

[00:13:46] It was just so much fun. Great Christmas gifts for everybody to start sharing the brand. Everybody, everybody, I hope, got them for Christmas. Well, it takes a village to make something like this come to be. And you mentioned the special element of Minnesota. We show up. We show up as fans, but we also show up as volunteers. So talk a little bit about that effort because it really differentiates us for all the big events that we host. Absolutely. That we have a lot of pride in showcasing our marketplace, but also to make sure we deliver that Minnesota nice because we want to make sure everybody has a great time while they're here. Yeah.

[00:14:16] I'm asked, as you did, like, why do you think Minnesota got it? And I'm like, near the top of the... Well, we know how to do events, number one. But number two, we do show up to, like you said, we very proudly show up when it matters a lot, right? So volunteering, there's no shortage of opportunities to show up and really make a mark, make a difference to what we're delivering. Over 20,000 shifts need to be filled for us to be able... 20,000.

[00:14:43] 20,000 shifts for us to be able to deliver the entire scope of the event, as I was describing. So there's a little something for everyone, I say, in terms of the opportunity to volunteer in multiple different capacities, sports or hospitality or events and that. So please go out to our website, 2026usagames.org, for more information about how to get involved there. But we want as many cheerleaders, honestly, as we do volunteers.

[00:15:13] So it is an opportunity to grab family and friends. And we say volunteer and or cheer, just come out and fill stadiums and celebrate all that is taking place. So I think what's unique is people need to know it's free to watch these events and to come out and enjoy. And it will fill your cup as much as you're celebrating and exciting the athletes. It's just such a wonderful thing. So let's start painting the picture for the games. Coming up, June 20th to the 26th.

[00:15:41] Help our listeners, viewers realize what is going to be happening. We have the opening ceremonies. So kind of start there. And what are the different things that people can attend and partake in? Yeah. So even before opening ceremonies on June 20th, we will be running cross-country with the torch. The law enforcement torch run will initiate May 29th in Chicago. We're making history for this USA Games with the largest torch run that will ever take place.

[00:16:10] It'll cover over 10,000 miles running coast to coast in two different routes after it's lit in Chicago and stop in 13 different states. It'll make its way into Minnesota June 14th. We, of course, have a law enforcement stop that I'm super excited about at the mall on June 18th. In Minnesota, it'll run hibbing all the way down to Rochester with 12 different stops that it'll make before it lights the cauldron and opening ceremonies.

[00:16:40] As you said, opening ceremonies Saturday night, June 20th. It'll start what will be a week of celebration and sports competitions. It'll conclude at closing ceremonies on Friday, June 26th. Sporting competitions takes place on Monday or starts on Monday, the 22nd, and runs through Friday. Again, those competitions at the University of Minnesota and the National Sports Center. Other things happening during the week.

[00:17:07] Of course, I referenced the fan zone at the Mall of America that will be here. We'll have two others, one each at each of the University of Minnesota's and National Sports Center venues. The one at the University of Minnesota will have daily and nightly programming. So we'll have Minnesota sound on display with three different bands every day that are playing. So a lot to take in. Another event that I'm quite excited about will be one held at Allianz Field on Monday night.

[00:17:37] ESPN's Unified Sport Challenge will be taking place there. Unified sports, if that's a term that's newer to some of the viewers, is an athlete with and without intellectual disability competing together. And it is the fastest growing piece of the movement and does make Special Olympics for everyone, unless you've been fired in my case. So you might get rehired someday.

[00:18:00] So we'll have a big unified sports celebration with professional athletes and unified sports teams from champion schools across the state of Minnesota. And so a big night of celebration that will be out at Allianz Field on Monday night. And again, our website is full of all sorts of different things happening, both from a sporting perspective and beyond sports, that I would encourage viewers to go check out. So many things. I mean, you guys have a packed schedule and there's really something for everyone. I love that.

[00:18:29] Talk a little bit more about the Youth Athlete Program. You talked about the Unified Program, but what about the youth athletes? I know that the competitors of the athletes in the games, what is the age range? They start at 80. We say 8 to 80, if you will, for Special Olympics. Average age of our athletes, right at an elite level, are coming to compete. Are probably plus minus 30.

[00:18:47] But young athletes, which is official programming, Special Olympics vernacular for that programming, is bringing together kids with and without intellectual disability from the ages of 2 to 7. And it is exercise. It is fun sport. But more than not, it is the importance of bringing differences, quote unquote, together, recognizing that the earliest stages that you can bring differing abilities together, differences disappear. Right?

[00:19:17] Right? And as I was saying, that beautiful trailing impact of reduction in bullying and bias and stigma and discrimination that makes its way into schools in a better place and ultimately makes its way into our communities in a better place so important. So we will be having three young athlete celebrations, one each on Monday and Wednesday at the National Sports Center and Tuesday here. With our toddler Tuesdays. We're thrilled to take over toddler Tuesday at the mall. Mm-hmm.

[00:19:47] And again, bring these young kids together for just a lot of fun. Mm-hmm. So for someone that has not attended a Special Olympics event, whether it's big or small, what advice would you give to them to make sure that they take in when they experience their first Special Olympics event? Well, I would just say come. We promise. Maybe less advice and more of a challenge. I challenge you not to be changed in some way. I challenge you not to be transformed.

[00:20:17] It really, again, is an incredible celebration of both ability and an embrace of inclusion. And my hope is that there is some change, whether it be big or small, or some new perspective or consideration that every single person coming leaves with.

[00:20:42] And if that ultimately translates to what is increased involvement in Special Olympics on the backside, all the more, right, to be able to continue to propel the mission forward. So join us. Join us is the message. Yes. I love that. And I love how you guys have reached out to the business community. We have the quarterly meetings. You guys give us updates.

[00:21:06] But it's also challenging us to think differently, to push ourselves to open up opportunities for this community. So talk a little bit about that and what that challenge is for us to open our eyes to a world that could be expanded for each one of us. First, I love that question, Chuchel. Thank you. First of all, thank you to our incredible sponsors. Jersey Mike's and UnitedHealthcare are our presenting partners. And at this point, I think there are 50 different logos, including the Mall of America.

[00:21:36] Thank you, that are on that beautiful sponsor slide. It is an event that, for the most part, is privately funded. So if it weren't for the generosity of corporate partners and others leaning in to support it, I wouldn't be able to talk about any of this exciting stuff coming.

[00:21:54] The thing that, for your question, that I'm also so touched by has been the response that we've gotten from corporate partners in hearing all the different dimensions of the mission, particularly the one around athlete employment. The Special Olympics statistics says that only 18.5% of people with intellectual disability are employed to the level of their ability as compared to 65% or 70% in the non-ID population.

[00:22:23] So it is a crisis of under and unemployment and lost opportunity in a population that has so much to offer. So our sponsor saying, help us understand, help us be part of that solution, help us do our part, has been something that really has exceeded my expectations in such a beautiful way. So we've had a number of conversations with our partners leading up to the event.

[00:22:53] Again, the conversation that we had out here last fall with our corporate partners to talk about employment continues to propel and will be culminated in what is a Unified Work Summit that will be held the week of the games to really bring partners together and talk about how in our Twin Cities community, and I hope in communities across the U.S., we can make 18.5% something far larger than that. Absolutely.

[00:23:22] No, I just, you guys have done an amazing job providing toolkits and just helping those thought starters of how you can, organizations can talk about what could that be for them and how can they make a difference? Because that's one of those legacy elements that you're leaving and inspiring this community. Are there other legacy components that you really hope to leave behind after the USA Games? Because it's going to be a phenomenal, inspiring event for all of us to experience. Again, it's personal for me.

[00:23:47] So a lot of intentionality and consideration to the legacy dimension of this, legacy components both to the mission to Special Olympics, which I talked about. How do we continue to elevate? How do we continue to do more against those four pillars of sport, youth inclusion, health and wellness, and athlete leadership or athlete employment?

[00:24:09] So hopefully elevating all that and then get back to, as a born and raised Minnesotan, how do we capitalize on the privilege of hosting this event and leave our state in a better place as it pertains to opportunities for people with ID? Well, you are a very well-seasoned executive in this marketplace and are very smart with all the knowledge that you've had over the years.

[00:24:32] What have you learned through this process, something different that you might not have knew that was going to be in front of you or that you're going to walk away with? Grace. Grace. I think I've spent the entirety of my career in very fast-driving, hard-driving environments.

[00:24:54] And I would hate for that comment to misrepresent or suggest that this isn't fast-driving and super important at all those things. I'm a witness to your fast-driving. But it's grace. It's stopping to appreciate the journey and appreciate that it might not be perfect.

[00:25:19] And we're serving a community that is love and joy and inclusion and grace at its heart. And so for us to, and me personally, to be able to learn from that and shadow that back has been... I love that. Yeah. I love that. So why do you think an event like this, Special Olympics USA Games here in Minnesota, is important at this moment in time, especially for our community?

[00:25:47] Again, it's a phenomenal opportunity for us to yet again show what we're made of and show how we come together and have Minnesota back on a national stage for all the goodness that this represents. I love that. Anything else you'd like to add? Thank you for having me. Oh, my gosh. This is a delight. Thank you for the Mall of America partnership.

[00:26:13] Jill, thank you to you personally for your leadership and how you've supported this. This was an easy one to raise my hand. And to show up branded. Yes. Oh, my goodness. Of course. We're so lucky. We're so lucky. Of course. Of course. Thank you. Well, hopefully we have inspired all of you to take part and support the USA Games. So we're going to run through how you can find out more again. Please give them the website that they should go to to find out the event schedule, when they need to go show up, where they need to be, and all the fun things. Our website is 2026usagames.org.

[00:26:43] And as you said, everything's out there in terms of where to go, how to get involved, and we just hope to see everybody. So mark your calendars. June 20th, the 26th. There are going to be so many fabulous things happening here in the marketplace. Be part of it. Enjoy it. Share this with your friends and family. Hopefully you guys will all show up at all the FanFests as well as all the competitions because there's so much for everybody to enjoy. So, Christy, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for having me.

[00:27:10] And for all of you listening, please rate us wherever you see your favorite podcasts. Listen, enjoy, and share with your family and friends. We appreciate you. We'll see you next time on So Much More. Thanks for listening to So Much More, a Mall of America podcast. Subscribe wherever you find your favorite podcasts. This show is presented by Bloomington, Minnesota Travel and Tourism. We'll see you next time. This show is from Allty, Orange, the Cowboys and the Software and Tourism. This show is sponsored by 신 Rewis,39 McKinney,isons, show us all the best covered films.