Snowboarder Takes Home Gold and Silver at Winter Special Olympics

Shirleen Olson is proud to show off her latest medals she won at the winter Special Olympics state finals this year. Shirleen competes in snowboarding and earned a gold medal in the slalom race and a silver medal in the giant slalom race. “I was very surprised when I got the gold this year,” she shared. Shirleen was first introduced to snowboarding in the 2000-2001 winter season, and she quickly found a new passion in the sport. “I’ve been snowboarding for nine years,” she said. “I tried it, and I’ve been doing it ever since. It’s fun, it’s challenging, and I get to race fast.”

Shirleen, who receives residential services through Colorado Solutions, also won a gold medal and a bronze medal for her snowboarding skills in the regional competition at Eldora earlier this season. She regularly practices at Copper Mountain with her coach, Greg Leonard, who picks her up and takes her to the slopes. Her training philosophy is simple: “The more you keep practicing, the more you get better.” When the Special Olympics winter games were cancelled earlier this season, Shirleen was worried that she wouldn’t be able to compete in the sport she loves. Thankfully though, the games were reinstated. “I hope they never get rid of the snowboarding competition. It’s too fun,” she said.

Although her focus is on snowboarding right now, Shirleen is a versatile and accomplished athlete who has competed in both summer and winter Special Olympics events. She has been competing in Special Olympics since she was just 14 years old, and she has earned a total of 14 medals over the course of her athletic career. “I’ve earned 11 gold, two silver and one bronze,” she proudly shared. In the past she has competed in track and field, skiing, swimming, roller skating, bowling and volleyball. For right now though, nothing could be better than snowboarding for Shirleen – “I love it!”

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Learn more about residential services offered through Denver Options’ Colorado Solutions program.
Learn more about the Special Olympics.