Smithfield-Selma High Unified Sports Leaders Advocate On Capitol Hill

SMITHFIELD — Students and educators from Smithfield-Selma High School will represent Johnston County on the national stage as part of a North Carolina delegation attending Special Olympics “Capitol Hill Day” in Washington, D.C.

More than 250 Special Olympics athletes, Unified Sports® partners, organization leaders and family members from across the country will gather Feb. 9–11 to meet with members of Congress and advocate for education and health initiatives that support people with intellectual disabilities.

Among the six delegates representing Special Olympics North Carolina are Smithfield-Selma High School student-athlete Nathaniel Beliveau, Unified partner Lillian Mizner, and teacher Bethany Jones. They will join fellow athlete leader Jennifer Wardlow, SONC Chief Operating Officer Kelly Vaughn, and President and CEO Keith Fishburne.

During Capitol Hill Day, athletes will lead face-to-face meetings with lawmakers in both the U.S. House and Senate, sharing personal experiences and urging continued support for Special Olympics programming nationwide.

Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® programming is active in nearly 600 schools across North Carolina, including Smithfield-Selma High School, and more than 12,000 schools nationwide. The initiative integrates students with and without intellectual disabilities through sports, clubs and leadership opportunities, aiming to reach 20,000 schools by 2030.

“This day on Capitol Hill reminds us just how powerful it is when our athletes are welcomed into conversations that influence the direction of our country,” Fishburne said. “When our government stands alongside Special Olympics, we strengthen opportunities in education, improve access to quality health care and move closer to a world where people with intellectual disabilities are valued, included and heard.”

In addition to education advocacy, delegates will highlight Special Olympics’ health initiatives, which address longstanding disparities by offering free health screenings and training health care professionals to deliver follow-up care. Since 2016, the organization has completed more than 250,000 health screenings and trained more than 150,000 health care providers nationwide.

Athlete advocates say participation in Special Olympics has measurable benefits, including lower rates of depression, diabetes and health care visits among people with intellectual disabilities.

“Capitol Hill Day showcases the extraordinary impact our athletes can make when they are invited to sit at the table with leaders shaping our nation’s future,” said Tim Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics. “Continued commitment from the U.S. government allows us to advance education, address health disparities and build a society rooted in dignity and respect.”