Walla Walla Special Olympics - Living on the Court
by: David Garza, Web Manager (WWVDN)
On Friday, February 27, 2026 Special Olympic Washington (SOWA) Basketball Team the Walla Walla Warriors embarked on a 3-hour road trip to the city of Wenatchee, Washington to compete in the 2026 Winter Games. “I was nervous, excited, and just so proud of my team.” exclaimed Tracy Gaines (Area Director). “They worked so hard to make it to state games.” It was their first time qualifying for this event, and they would be competing against over 900 other athletes from across the state. This would undoubtedly be a daunting task, but the team was no stranger to living on the court.
The first day began with an opening ceremony at the Toyota Center. Once the team arrived, they quickly settled into their hotel room at the Red Lion Inn. After a quick dinner at Abby’s Pizza, they made their way over to the arena. The team checked in and waited patiently for their turn to be introduced by the announcer. Once they were called, the Walla Walla Warriors proudly made their way onto the court as the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. “It was very heartwarming and surprising.” remarked Sebastian (SOWA athlete). “It was exciting, wow this is the real deal, you know? This is what we practiced for!”
The opening ceremony concluded with the Law Enforcement Torch Run, a tradition where a local law enforcement officer and Special Olympic athlete relay the “Flame of Hope” to the Special Olympic Cauldron. The flame symbolizes courage, inclusion, and celebration of diversity. It also stands as a beacon of hope, light, and acceptance for those with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Those who bear the torch are known as “Guardians of the Flame.” The Guardians ignited the cauldron to signal the start of the 2026 Winter Games. Afterwards, the Walla Walla Warriors returned to their rooms to get a good night's rest, knowing the next day would be their big debut.
On Saturday, February 28, the Walla Walla Warriors were up bright and early for preliminaries. They would first compete in a round robin against 3 other teams. The team with the best record would then advance to a single elimination tournament that would determine top 4 placement. For this team, this was a completely new experience in an unfamiliar environment. “It was an adjustment period, learning how to be a better player… and do my best.” claimed Tara (SOWA athlete). Performance anxiety was also a concern amongst some of the players. Sebastian kept reminding himself “Get your head in the game and quit worrying about all the points on the board.” It's often difficult for players to adjust to these kinds of conditions, which made it all the more impressive that the Walla Walla Warriors won all of their preliminary matches with a final record of 3-0. “I was actually blown away,” stated Tracy Gaines. “I was just there thinking ‘Oh this is fun that we’re here [and] that we made it to state’ not thinking we would win the first three games… the whole team walked away in complete shock.” They finished the day undefeated and guaranteed themselves a place in the top 4. It was a major confidence boost for both the staff and the team. “It felt good knowing we were being put in a higher bracket.” said Megan (SOWA athlete).
The Walla Walla Warriors celebrated their win streak by attending a Victory Dance hosted by the Special Olympics at the Wenatchee Convention Center. Every team and their families were invited to play games, buy souvenirs, sing karaoke, and dance the night away. More importantly it was a chance for athletes to put their competitiveness aside and get to know each other as people. When asked what they enjoyed most about the dance, Chris (SOWA athlete) replied, ”Hanging out with and meeting different people.” It was an opportunity for the Walla Walla Warriors to let down their guard and bond as a team. It also gave them a moment to reflect on all they had achieved. “We’re all here, we all did it. We’re a team. We’re all team players, and we all had good support for each other.” explained Tara.
On Sunday, March 1, the Walla Walla Warriors arrived at Eastmont Jr. High to compete for a top four position. The matches were intense and two players suffered injuries during the game. The team fought valiantly throughout, and displayed incredible resilience and courage. Despite their best efforts the challenges ahead were too great to overcome. Although they didn’t win the tournament as they had hoped, they still finished a respectable fourth place - an impressive accomplishment for their first time competing at the state level.
The Walla Walla Warriors returned home proud of what they have accomplished. You would expect finishing outside the top three would dampen their spirits, but on the contrary, all this experience did was light a fire. “Its not about winning, it’s really about the growth of athletes and their attitude [and] how they respond and treat other people.” claimed Tracy Gaines. The players also were enthusiastic about their performance over the weekend. “It was our first year there and I think everyone did an awesome job. Working together and everything [it] was really fun.” replied Chris.
The Walla Walla Warriors move forward with greater determination and aspirations for the future. “For somebody to tell an athlete that they cannot walk across that finish line ‘oh they have these disabilities that [make] them incapable of walking, running, speaking.’ When you see an athlete pass that finish line it’s a great feeling. They overcame something [that] somebody told them they could not. That is the best thing about the Special Olympics.” explained Coach Buttercup. We look forward to seeing where this team goes, and cheering for them as they cross that finish line.
- Special thanks to the Walla Walla Warrior Special Olympic Basketball team for inviting us to the 2026 Winter Games and allowing the WWVDN to share their story!
