{"id":307964,"date":"2026-06-15T14:49:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T14:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/307964\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T14:49:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T14:49:06","slug":"sanibel-athlete-to-compete-at-special-olympics-usa-sanibel-captiva","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/307964\/","title":{"rendered":"Sanibel athlete to compete at Special Olympics USA – SANIBEL-CAPTIVA"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\nFrom left, Team Florida Pickleball players Adam Johnson, of Cape Coral, and Whitney Spielman, of Sanibel, will complete in the doubles division at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games on June 20-26 in Minnesota.<\/p>\n

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\nSanibel resident Whitney Spielman will represent Team Florida and compete in doubles pickleball at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games on June 20-26 in Minnesota.<\/p>\n

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\nFrom left, Team Florida Pickleball players Whitney Spielman, of Sanibel, and Adam Johnson, of Cape Coral, will complete in the doubles division at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games on June 20-26 in Minnesota.<\/p>\n

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\nSanibel resident Whitney Spielman will represent Team Florida and compete in doubles pickleball at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games on June 20-26 in Minnesota.<\/p>\n

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\nFrom left, Team Florida Pickleball players Adam Johnson, of Cape Coral, and Whitney Spielman, of Sanibel, will complete in the doubles division at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games on June 20-26 in Minnesota.<\/p>\n

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An islander is headed to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games to represent Team Florida.<\/p>\n

A member of the local Special Olympics Florida and a Team Florida Pickleball player, Sanibel resident Whitney Spielman, 24, will compete in the national event on June 20-26 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.<\/p>\n

She and partner Adam Johnson, of Cape Coral, will battle for a medal in the doubles division.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited to go because I get to travel without mom for the first time,\u201d Spielman said.<\/p>\n

Mother Michele Spielman explained that it will really be a team experience for the eight-member Team Florida Pickleball group, being guided by head coach Theresa Capozzoli and assistant coach Joe Capozzoli.<\/p>\n

She noted that some of the players have never flown on a plane.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy partner has not,\u201d Spielman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited to go with Adam for the first time,\u201d she added, explaining that she is planning to bring snacks and such. \u201cSince he\u2019s never flown, I want to make sure if he needs anything, I have it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michele Spielman reported that they will travel as a team and stay together in the dorms.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s going to a very good experience for these young adults,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Michele Spielman and her husband, Rick, relocated their family from Minnesota to Sanibel in 2022 \u2014 right before Hurricane Ian \u2014 as her sister in an islander. They lived in Minnesota for almost 18 years and before that Davie, Florida. Spielman, who has cerebral palsy, was adopted from the state as a baby.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe adopted six children, but Whitney is our youngest,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In Minnesota, Spielman participated in adaptive sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe did downhill skiing, bowling, floor hockey, softball,\u201d Michele Spielman said. \u201cBut nothing like she loves pickleball.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI love it,\u201d Spielman agreed, adding that she enjoys playing with everyone, especially her mom.<\/p>\n

Asked what is fun about the game, she explained that she gets to trade up in paddles as she gets better.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love my new paddle,\u201d Spielman said.<\/p>\n

Michele Spielman noted that her daughter\u2019s serve is one of her strong suits.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe doesn\u2019t even get it,\u201d Spielman added of her mom missing it.<\/p>\n

As for the hardest part, it was getting comfortable with the atmosphere \u2014 and Florida climate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe noise and the heat was hard at first,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Michele Spielman explained that before Ian, the family was taking part in golf. After the storm, activities on the island were pretty limited in terms of what was safe and not demolished. The Sundial Beach Resort & Spa got four of its court open, so they started playing and got into the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe kind of fell into pickleball,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Now, her daughter trains at the resort, taking regular lessons with its pro.<\/p>\n

Michele Spielman thanked the island for opening its arms to Spielman learning how to play pickleball.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Sanibel community was really welcoming and wonderful to help grow her game,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Michele Spielman noted that her daughter works at Jerry\u2019s Foods for four to five days a week.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve been very supportive of her, too,\u201d she said of schedule changes needed for practice and such.<\/p>\n

As far as the local Special Olympics Florida, they learned about it through word of mouth and figured they would give it a try. Spielman started in singles, but it was not the best match for her skill set.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew she wasn\u2019t a single players, but there weren\u2019t a lot of pickleball players,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to more players joining the sport and Spielman and her partner won the gold in 2024. In November, she and her partner took the gold at the State Fall Classic for Special Olympics Florida.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoubles was definitely much easier for her and her game,\u201d Michele Spielman said.<\/p>\n

Asked what she likes about the Special Olympics, Spielman pointed to those involved with it.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to play with them,\u201d she said of her teammates.<\/p>\n

In heading back to Minnesota, Spielman will have family and friends to root her on.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of a nice homecoming in so many ways,\u201d Michele Spielman said.<\/p>\n

She added that she and her husband are very proud of her.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust her love of the game and how passionate she is about playing and doing well, and getting other people excited about the game, too,\u201d Michele Spielman said.<\/p>\n

She noted that as an average player, she gets nervous joining in on open play games.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m inspired by the Special Olympic athletes stepping on the court and saying, \u2018I can do this,’\u201d Michele Spielman said. \u201cIt warms my heart, and it warms my heart about the community here on Sanibel that has welcomed her and helped her along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n


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