Arlington resident Alyssa Gialamas brought back two medals and a new record from the Parapan American Games in Lima.
The two-time Paralympian athlete won a Gold medal for the 50 meter backstroke as well as a Silver medal for the 200 meter freestyle. Gialamas said she began the multi-event Games with her best race, the backstroke, and finished the with another strong race, the 200 meter freestyle.
Arlington resident and Paralympian swimmer Alyssa Gialamas is flying to Peru this week for the Parapan American Games.
Gialamas, 24, is a two-time Paralympian who competed in the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Games. Now, she’s off to Lima to compete in the Parapan games from August 23 to September 1 — a competition she says many para-athletes use to prepare for the next Olympics.
Next week, Kenmore Middle School will be recognized as one of the country’s top five schools for including special needs students in its community.
The Special Olympics selected Kenmore last fall and will present the Unified Champion Schools National Recognition Program award next Friday, April 12, from 1-2 p.m. at the middle school.
Out of 30 qualifying schools across the nation, Kenmore Middle School has been selected as one of five schools chosen for the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools National Recognition Program.
The program recognizes schools that have met all 10 national standards of excellence set out by the leaders of the Special Olympics.
While the D.C. region was gearing up for the Presidential Inauguration this week, Arlington resident Andrea Molfetto kept her focus on a loftier goal — standing atop a mountain in PyeongChang, Korea. That’s where the Special Olympics coach is headed this week with her alpine skiing team for the World Winter Games.
Andrea has assisted with Special Olympics events since she was in college, and has been a ski coach for the organization since moving to Arlington in 2008. This is her first time accompanying a team to the World Winter Games, which takes place every four years.
The children live in Sullivan House, a shelter for homeless families in Clarendon run by the Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless. Together with parents, volunteers, and AACH staff, thirteen children between the ages of five and 13 ran a lemonade stand outside the shelter throughout the summer. They raised just over $1,000, according to AACH Lauren Marigot Barth.
“They learned about customer service, managing money, and marketing,” Barth said. “They also did a really good job!”
It’s all part of Special Olympics Virginia’s “Over the Edge” fundraiser. Today, local celebrities including ABC 7’s Steve Chenevey and Arlington Connection’s Deb Cobb joined Elliot in taking part in the event. They each did a test run from only one story up, then moved on to the big event — a 15 story rappel.
Tomorrow, Friday, the fundraiser is open to the public. Participants are asked to donate $1,000 for the chance to rappel down the side of the hotel. Many groups pooled together money and signed up co-workers for the daredevil stunt.
More than 2,000 law enforcement officers take part in the eight day Virginia Law Enforcement Torch Run, when the torch is carried on a 1,900 mile trek across the state. Forty-seven Arlington County Police Department personnel will participate.
Opening ceremonies begin at the Marine Corps Memorial in Rosslyn at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow, June 7, and the torch run begins at 9:30 a.m. During the run, officers will head over the Memorial Bridge, past Gravelly Point, past Reagan National Airport and will hand off the torch at the Alexandria line. Full route details can be found online. Spectators are welcome to cheer on the athletes along the route.
