Teutopolis' Kraig Dahnke heading to Florida for Special Olympics USA Games

Alex Wallner, Effingham Daily News, Ill.
·3 min read

Jun. 3—Teutopolis native Kraig Dahnke is one of the 68 athletes from Special Olympics Illinois heading to the USA Games.

The USA Games run from Sunday, June 5, to Sunday, June 12, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.

According to a press release sent to the Effingham Daily News, the Special Olympics USA Games is hosted every four years, with this year's event marking the largest humanitarian event in Florida's history. More than 5,500 athletes and coaches from all 50 states and the Caribbean will be involved to go along with over 10,000 volunteers that will fill more than 20,000 volunteer shifts during the week.

The press release also stated that the USA Games is projecting more than 125,000 families, friends, and spectators on-hand to witness the event.

"We're so excited for the athletes and coaches traveling to Orlando. It's a great honor to be selected to represent your state at USA Games, and it's also a great experience to compete against peers from across the country, Special Olympics Illinois President and CEO Dave Breen said in the press release.

Dahnke, 31, mentioned that this would be the first time he's ever visited Florida.

Dahnke competes in athletics, bocce, basketball, and volleyball with Special Olympics Illinois. However, he will only be participating in athletics in Orlando.

"I'm looking forward to competing, and I've never been to Florida before, so it will be exciting to see it all," Dahnke said.

Dahnke said that shot put is his main focus.

Kraig's mother, Beth, is one of his coaches for the shot put, even though she has additional help, as it is a parent-run team.

"I don't know much about shot put, but his team is a parent-run team, so the parents help with everything," Beth said. "He's been doing shot put the longest, so I help out; mostly just measuring distances because they have to have all of their times turned in beforehand and mostly encouraging; they all know what they're doing."

Joining Dahnke — who is the only Effingham County representative — in the athletics portion of the USA Games will be Brian Antczak (Pontiac), Caroline Colianna (Evanston), Rebecca Davis (Gurnee), Jaden Gryga (Frankfort), Alex Huegen (Bartelso), Joey Kauffman (Channahon), Gavin Morrow (Machesney Park), Kaydee Parini (Ozark), Faith Short (O'Fallon), Josie Stover (Mill Shoals), Brandy Stowers (Pontiac), Jordan VanKooten (Chatham), Sabrina Veverka (Gilberts), and Ean Yerbic (Canton).

Overall, Dahnke said he was nervous before the qualifying started until he found out that he qualified.

Beth added that having friends on the team has helped him, too.

"He had training in April in Bloomington with his new team and the coaches, and since then, his nerves have calmed down. Now that he's made some friends on the team, he's not quite as nervous," Beth said.

Since joining Special Olympics Illinois, Dahnke mentioned in his USA Games biography that it has helped unveil a whole new side to him — something that he never thought was possible.

"It has made me more outgoing," said Dahnke in the USA Game biography. "I've made friends that I wouldn't have otherwise had. It helps keep me in shape."

Contact EDN Sports Editor Alex Wallner at 618-510-9231 or alex.wallner@effinghamdailynews.com.