Bringing Healthy Habits Home

Team Barrington’s Tori Gingras Expands Her Leadership Through Special Olympics Health Messenger Training

July 13, 2026

The lessons learned through Special Olympics don’t end when competition does.

Whether it’s building confidence, developing leadership skills, or learning how to support teammates, athletes continue growing long after they step off the playing field.

Last weekend, Special Olympics New Hampshire athlete and Athlete Leadership Council member Tori Gingras took the next step in that journey.

Selected by Special Olympics International to represent New Hampshire at the 2026 Health Messenger Training in Washington, D.C., Tori spent three days learning alongside athletes and mentors from across the country. While Special Olympics New Hampshire does not currently offer a Health Messenger training program, Special Olympics International has invited New Hampshire to nominate one athlete to participate in the national training in each of the past four years. This summer, Tori was selected for the opportunity, traveling with her mentor, coworker, and fellow Special Olympics New Hampshire volunteer, Rebecca (Becca) Yuhasz.

For Tori, who has already completed Special Olympics New Hampshire’s Athlete Leadership training and serves on the Athlete Leadership Council, the experience was an opportunity to build on the leadership skills she’s already developed.

“I just learned so much,” she said. “It was unbelievable.”

Throughout the weekend, athletes participated in sessions focused on nutrition, fitness, emotional wellness, advocacy, communication, and ways to help fellow athletes live healthier lives. They also toured the U.S. Capitol and Special Olympics International headquarters, gaining a deeper understanding of how athletes can use their voices to strengthen communities both on and off the playing field.

But some of Tori’s favorite lessons came from the people around her.

She quickly connected with athletes from across the country, including Julie from New Mexico, “Downtown Danny” Brown from Rhode Island, Nora, and many others.

“I like meeting people from different states and learning what their state is like compared to New Hampshire,” Tori said. “We all trained together, shared our contact information, and we’re going to stay in touch.”

Those friendships reminded her that while athletes may come from different places, they’re united by a shared commitment to growing as leaders and supporting one another.

One of the biggest takeaways from the weekend was Fit 5, Special Olympics’ healthy lifestyle program that encourages athletes to drink five bottles of water each day, eat five servings of fruits and vegetables, and exercise five times each week.

Participants received trackers to monitor their healthy habits throughout the week, along with simple exercises they can do at home.

For Tori, it wasn’t just another program. It was something she immediately began planning to bring home.

“I’m going to go to Team Barrington and show them exercises we can do at home or during practice,” she said. “I also want to talk with Coach Del about starting a Zoom exercise program during the summer. I want to share the Fit 5 tracker with everyone too.”

Another session left an even deeper impact.

The training included conversations about emotional wellness and practical tools athletes can use to manage stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges.

For Tori, those lessons felt especially personal.

“Sometimes when I get overwhelmed, I don’t always know how to control my anxiety,” she shared. “One thing we learned was a breathing exercise where you pretend your finger is a candle and slowly blow it out, or imagine blowing on a windmill to make it spin. It helps calm you down.”

She immediately began thinking about how those techniques could help athletes back home.

“You can use it before you compete,” she said. “Before you run your race or before you play softball. We always have those ‘hurry up and wait’ moments at competitions. That’s the perfect time to focus on your breathing.”

Helping teammates understand both physical and mental wellness is what excites Tori most about becoming a Health Messenger.

“I’m most excited to teach my team about the mental health tools and the Fit 5 program,” she said. “I want to share what I learned with anyone who’s interested.”

Outside the classroom, Tori experienced Washington, D.C. for the first time.

Visiting the U.S. Capitol was a highlight, especially taking photos with New Hampshire’s statues inside the Capitol building. She was equally inspired by her visit to Special Olympics International headquarters.

“It felt more like a Special Olympics museum than an office,” she said. “I saw an electric scooter from the World Games in Italy that athletes had all signed. There were pictures from World Games over the years. I thought that was really cool.”

Even the journey home became another opportunity to represent the Special Olympics movement.

Tori handed one of her Special Olympics trading cards to each pilot and flight attendant before boarding her flight. A few moments later, the crew made an announcement over the intercom letting passengers know there was a gold-medal-winning Special Olympics athlete onboard.

It was one more reminder that leadership often happens in the moments you don’t expect.

Looking back on the experience, Tori said she is most proud of representing New Hampshire and returning home ready to make a difference.

“Knowing that I represented New Hampshire and now get to help other people with what I learned makes me really proud,” she said.

Her work as a Health Messenger is just beginning.

One of her first goals is to meet with Team Barrington’s leadership and begin sharing the Fit 5 program, mental health strategies, and other healthy habits with her teammates.

Through sport, Special Olympics athletes build confidence, resilience, and leadership. Through opportunities like Health Messenger Training, they gain new tools to strengthen not only themselves, but their teammates and communities as well.

As Tori brings those lessons home to New Hampshire, one thing is clear: the impact of this experience is only just beginning.