Homeward Bound, Forever Changed
Team NH Closes an Unforgettable Chapter at the 2026 USA Games
June 27, 2026
The competition may be over, the medals packed away, and the Team NH banner folded for the trip home, but the impact of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games will last far longer than one unforgettable week in Minneapolis.
For nine days, Team New Hampshire joined thousands of Special Olympics athletes from across the country to compete at the highest level of sport. They returned home with far more than medals.
They returned with new friendships that crossed state lines. With personal bests they once thought impossible. With confidence built through competition. With memories of trading pins with athletes from around the country, experiencing the excitement of Opening and Closing Ceremonies, exploring Athlete Village, receiving free Healthy Athletes screenings, and representing New Hampshire on one of the biggest stages in Special Olympics.
And yes, they returned with plenty of hardware.
Team NH earned an incredible 31 medals, including:
- 🥇 12 Gold
- 🥈 11 Silver
- 🥉 8 Bronze
Along with dozens of fourth through eighth place ribbons that represent determination, perseverance, and outstanding performances against the nation’s best.
Throughout the week, Team NH delivered unforgettable moments.
Track athlete Thomas Cantara set a personal best and a USA Games record in the 1500-meter preliminary race. Bocce athletes Rachel Maxim and Tina Tellor, along with David Sylvester and Nate Webb, brought home New Hampshire’s first medals of the Games. Swimmer Peyton Jones captured gold in the 100-yard backstroke during a race broadcast live on ESPN. Rose Kerrigan added another unforgettable chapter by winning gold in the pool before being interviewed live by ESPN’s Victoria Arlen, sharing her excitement with viewers across the country.
But ask many members of Team NH what they’ll remember most, and the answer probably won’t be a finish time or final score.
It will be the friendships formed in dorm hallways. The cheers from teammates waiting at the finish line. The excitement of swapping pins with athletes from every corner of the country. The confidence that comes from stepping onto a national stage knowing an entire state is behind you.
That support was impossible to miss.
From families who traveled to Minnesota, to coaches, volunteers, donors, and fans following every update from home, Team NH felt the encouragement every step of the way. Whether you cheered from the stands, watched competition on ESPN, sent messages through the USA Games app, donated, or followed along on social media, you became part of this journey.
To every athlete, Unified partner, coach, volunteer, family member, supporter, and sponsor: thank you. You helped make this once-in-a-lifetime experience possible.
While the 2026 USA Games have come to a close, the mission continues.
Every practice, every local competition, every volunteer, every coach, every new athlete welcomed onto a team helps build a more inclusive New Hampshire where people with intellectual disabilities are seen for their abilities, talents, and potential.
The next Special Olympics USA Games will take place in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2030. A new Team NH journey will begin long before then, with athletes training, growing, and dreaming of wearing New Hampshire across their chest once again.
Because while the Games in Minneapolis may be over, the inclusion revolution is just getting started.
We’ll see you on the playing fields, in our communities, and wherever inclusion leads next.
