The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) hosted a virtual event for Special Olympics athletes from Southern Wisconsin in early March, continuing a long-standing relationship between the two organizations.
 
On March 9-10, eight Warhawk student-athletes worked with Special Olympians to participate in a fitness competition, leading exercises and engaging in general discussion and Q&A on sports. In a normal year, SAAC would partner with Special Olympics for the annual Polar Plunge and other fundraising opportunities.
 
"We have a great relationship with Special Olympics," SAAC president Madison Mikalauski, a member of the UW-Whitewater women's soccer team, said. "We worked with them to kind of get them moving around even though they aren't participating in their sports right now. We had a lot of great volunteers who were really excited about it."
 
During a typical year, Warhawk student-athletes host Special Olympians on campus for play days, where they put the athletes through a series of contests, drills and workouts specific to their sports they play at UW-W.
 
Mikalauski said there is already a plan in the works with the Special Olympics regional director for an event in May.
 
"Personally, it's really touching to my heart because I'm a special education major," Mikalauski said. "I love working with those athletes, and they have such a light and positivity to them that no matter what you do, they think it's so much fun."