ORLANDO, Fla. – With the lighting of the flame, it’s game on for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games being held here in Central Florida. An opening ceremony at Exploria Stadium Sunday morning brought the athletes, coaches, officials and supporters together to celebrate.
All the athletes took part in walking around the field of Exploria Stadium and welcome in the torch to light the cauldron. Special guests showed up for the celebration including Grammy award-winning artist, Sara Bareilles and Mickey, Minnie and the Gang.
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Over 5,500 athletes are in town for the games hailing from all 50 states and the Caribbean Islands. 607 athletes will represent Florida at the games.
There are nineteen different competitions scheduled, including first timers surfing, open swim and equestrian. Venues include the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, USTA National Campus and Rosen Aquatic Center.
The competitions start on Monday and run through Saturday. More information about the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games can be found here.