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RJ Nealon ‘s journey with Special Olympics started with a letter. At simply 10 years of ages, he reached out to the CEO of Unique Olympics, eager to obtain involved. That solitary act of campaign unlocked to a world where he would find his voice, not just as a professional athlete, but as a powerful writer, coach, and advocate.

“I started as a professional athlete competing in basketball, swimming, flag football, kayaking, cycling, any kind of sport I can truly get associated with,” Nealon recalled. “I possibly wouldn’t have been associated with those sporting activities if it had not been for Unique Olympics.” His early years were specified by enthusiasm and involvement, yet they would certainly quickly advance right into something even greater.

In 2010, Nealon competed at the United States Gamings in Nebraska for swimming. However it wasn’t the races or the medals that transformed his life. “The emphasize of that trip was going through Lincoln Memorial Stadium. I like university football, and that moment sparked something in me.” That behind the curtain take a look at a football heritage grew the seeds of a future in sports journalism.

Yet his love for storytelling was absolutely ignited years previously by a single video game, the 2006 Rose Dish. “Texas versus USC. Vince Youthful. Reggie Bush. The voices on the telephone call resonated with me. I never ever intended to be the player on the field. I wanted to be the man in the cubicle.”

That dream brought him to the College of Alabama, where he examined sporting activities journalism surrounded by among the most exclusive sports divisions in the country. “They anticipate quality, whether you get on the field or not. That standard followed me into my job with every tale I’ve done.”

That job eventually brought Nealon cycle, back to Special Olympics, this moment as a Communication Expert for Special Olympics The United States And Canada , leading a program he assisted produce, the “Athlete Storytelling Training Collection.”

“There are numerous professional athletes throughout The United States and Canada who have storytelling talent yet possibly never had the possibility to go obtain a journalism level,” Nealon stated. “So, I intended to develop that possibility.”

The six-month training program is rigorous and hands-on. Professional athletes find out standard journalism abilities from research to interviewing to feature creating and social networks coverage, including the chance to learn through visitor speakers from major media outlets like ESPN. The results represent themselves.

“There was a professional athlete called Wyatt Spaulding from Nebraska. He utilized what he found out in our training on Super Bowl Media Row with FanSided , interviewing his favored gamers,” Nealon said. “It shows this is making a real effect.”

The change is not simply technological, it’s individual. “Some professional athletes came in as fantastic speakers however not confident authors, or the other way around,” Nealon claimed. “Over 6 months, we have actually seen them become powerful communicators, some now have their tales published online.”

For Nealon, the importance of athletes sharing their very own tales is clear.

“Without the professional athletes, we are not Unique Olympics. They are the most genuine voice of the objective. Individuals reverberate with authenticity.”

His guidance to professional athletes intending to get in journalism is straightforward.

“Begin seeking stories. Utilize your social media systems. You don’t need a degree to be a reporter. You just need the skills and the enthusiasm.”

As Nealon helps elevate the voices of others, he always remembers the path that brought him right here. “If it had not been for Unique Olympics, I would not have the occupation I have. I owe a lot to this motion.”

Now, he’s helping others locate their voice also. Due to the fact that when athletes tell their own tales, the world pays attention.