Article by Jessica Renstrom

Photos by Jessica Plance

There’s something special about watching your neighbors step onto a national stage. This June, several Montanans will do just that as Team Montana heads to Minneapolis for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. The Special Olympics USA Games, held every four years, will be welcoming over 3,000 athletes and 1,500 coaches representing all 50 states. From June 20–26, 54 delegates from across the Big Sky state will attend the Games, representing one of the largest groups the state has ever sent. 

The numbers tell part of the story: 25 athletes, 9 Unified partners, 9 coaches, 9 support staff, and 1 athlete & Unified Partner from Youth Leadership join Team Montana from 18 different communities. They’ll compete across seven sports, from basketball to bowling and from aquatics to golf, while being loudly cheered on by family, friends, and the community. 

But community support for Special Olympics athletes doesn’t just stay on the sidelines; it sometimes leads individuals to join in the competition. One example of this is the Special Olympics’ Unified Partners program. Holly Netz, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications for Special Olympics Montana, explains the Unified Partner program as “an inclusive program that combines individuals without intellectual disabilities and individuals with intellectual disabilities to compete alongside each other as equal teammates.” The result is a space encouraging connection, encouragement, and shared success. 

You see this shared success clearly in athletes like Brandy Peterson and her Unified partner, Shirley Ebert. Spend even a few minutes with them, and it’s obvious: this is more than a team; it’s a friendship. 

Brandy has been part of Special Olympics since she was eight years old, competing in everything from track and field to swimming before starting in golf. With five years of experience, she can play a full nine holes on her own, but enjoys sharing the course with Shirley as her Unified Partner. 

Shirley’s journey with Special Olympics began decades ago, first as a volunteer and coach. When she moved to Montana in 2008, that commitment followed her. Over time, she found herself stepping into a new role: walking alongside athletes as a Unified partner. 

The partnership between these two ladies is still relatively new. They began playing together last season, with just a handful of practices before competition began. And yet, everything just clicked. They took gold at the area competition, then again at state, and a ticket to the USA Games followed. 

What helps these teammates take the gold? Their success is built on both skill and support: “She encourages me if I have a bad stroke,” Brandy says. “We encourage one another,” Shirley adds. “That’s what makes it fun.” 

Amid all the preparation and anticipation of stepping onto the national stage, both Shirley and Brandy return to the same idea: this experience is bigger than golf. It’s about making new friends and creating memories that stay long after the medals are given. “Of course you want to do well,” Shirley says. “But it’s not just about the medal. It’s about the time. It's going to be the memories that add up, that you get to hold on for a lifetime.” 

Back home, that time is already being shaped by a community that shows up. Two local golf courses, Lake Hills and Par 3, both support Special Olympics, encouraging athletes to come practice free of charge in preparation for the USA Games and the upcoming State Summer Games, which are being held this month in Billings. 

Brandy encourages everyone to join the State Summer Games Opening Ceremony at MetraPark on Wednesday, May 13, at 6:30 p.m. Open to the public, this event offers a chance to meet athletes, feel the excitement, and experience the joy that defines Special Olympics.  

As Shirley and Brandy sharpen their swings in preparation for both the upcoming State Summer Games and the USA Games in Minneapolis, congratulations go out to them (and all of Team Montana!) for showing how teamwork, dedication, and community can turn practice swings into lasting memories and incredible achievements. 

Go, Team Montana! 

Originally printed in the May 2026 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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