For This Hudson Valley Special Olympics Athlete, It’s About the Journey, Not the Medal

In 2016, Simone Biles – the most decorated gymnast of all time – told USA Today that: “A successful competition for me is always going out there and putting 100 percent into whatever I’m doing. It’s not always winning.” This outlook is foundational to the Special Olympics, where athletes with intellectual disabilities get to put their all into local, national, and international competitions.

Will Smith has been competing in local, national and international Special Olympics games since he was 14. Two decades later, he’s also working for the organization, supporting their programming in the Hudson Valley region. Radio Catskill reporter spoke to Smith about his athletic career, as well as a new WCNY special documenting the 2024 Special Olympics New York State Winter Games.