Thirty Years of Building Belonging

Celebrating Danee Dalphonse

June 3, 2026

When Danee Dalphonse first attended Special Olympics New Hampshire’s State Winter Games with her students from Plymouth Regional High School in the 1990s, she had no idea she was beginning a journey that would span more than three decades.

She just knew she wanted to support her students.

“I was hooked,” Danee recalled.

What started as a single Winter Games experience quickly grew into a lifelong commitment to athletes, Unified sports, leadership, and inclusion. Today, Danee serves as a Special Olympics New Hampshire Board Member, Family Services Coordinator for Team NH’s 2026 USA Games delegation, coach, volunteer, educator, and one of the many people whose fingerprints can be found throughout the SONH community.

Over the years, Danee has coached snowshoeing, alpine skiing, cross country skiing, bowling, Unified Basketball, and Unified Soccer. She helped transform Plymouth Regional High School into both a Granite State Unified Champion School and a National Banner Unified Champion School, creating opportunities for students with and without intellectual disabilities to learn, compete, lead, and belong together.

But ask Danee what keeps her coming back after all these years, and the answer isn’t a list of accomplishments.

It’s the people.

“SONH feels like family,” she said. “Every time we are together, it feels like coming home.”

That sense of belonging has fueled countless memories.

There was the athlete at Summer Games who was about to win his race but noticed a friend close behind. Instead of crossing the finish line alone, he reached back, grabbed his friend’s hand, and they finished together.

There was the athlete who had never participated in sports before and wasn’t sure she belonged. Then she put on her uniform, looked in the mirror, and declared, “I look good! Put me in, Coach!”

There was the Unified basketball game at Plymouth Regional High School when an athlete hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer in front of the entire student body, sending the gym into celebration.

And there have been national moments too. Danee has helped lead students and athletes to leadership opportunities at the Special Olympics USA Games and even traveled to Washington, D.C., where athletes advocated for inclusive funding and policies.

Yet for Danee, the most meaningful victories aren’t measured in medals.

They’re measured in confidence.

In friendships.

In growth.

One athlete who exemplifies that journey is Alicia Chapman, who began participating with Danee more than 25 years ago.

“At that time, she lacked confidence and was unsure of herself,” Danee said. “Today, she is competing at the USA Games and continues to support our unified programs and athletes.”

Watching that transformation has been one of the greatest rewards of Danee’s Special Olympics journey.

The relationships are what have made the experience so meaningful. Some of the athletes Danee coached decades ago are now in their 40s, and many of those friendships remain strong today.

Those connections have also shaped Danee’s own life.

“Being part of Special Olympics New Hampshire means so much to me personally,” she said. “It’s not just part of my job or something I volunteer for. It’s part of who I am.”

That perspective reflects something many people discover when they become involved with Special Olympics. While athletes gain opportunities to train, compete, and lead, coaches, volunteers, families, and supporters are changed too.

Through sport, people learn teamwork, resilience, leadership, accountability, and trust. They celebrate victories together, learn from setbacks together, and build relationships that often last a lifetime.

For more than 30 years, Danee has helped create those opportunities for thousands of athletes and students across New Hampshire.

And if you ask her what still makes her smile at every event after all these years?

The answer is simple.

“The positivity, encouragement, coaching, teamwork, relationships, and joy are everywhere.”

After three decades of service, Danee continues to show what makes Special Olympics New Hampshire so special: when people come together through sport, everyone belongs.

Thank you, Danee, for 30 years of leadership, friendship, advocacy, and unwavering commitment to our athletes and communities. We are grateful to have you as part of the SONH family.