Julie Blehm is a medical professional from Fargo, N.D., set to attend the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 as part of the medical team. Blehm has been involved with Special Olympics for 18 years and a part of Special Olympics USA teams in 2013 in South Korea and 2015 in Los Angeles. She also attended the 2009 World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho to watch her daughter compete in snowshoeing. In her free time, Blehm likes to swim and ride her bike to stay active. She also enjoys reading and listening to music. She serves on the Special Olympics North Dakota board of directors. As a medical professional and a parent of a Special Olympics athlete, Blehm has a different perspective of what the program does for people with intellectual disabilities. “I have a better understanding of people with intellectual disabilities and their potential,” Blehm said. “As a parent, you think all your dreams are gone; that’s not true at all. I think (it’s two-fold), for my daughter Amy, it has given her self-confidence and ability to meet other people like her and shows her she can achieve goals in life. As a physician, it’s made me very aware of how many times their health needs are not well-attended to. That to me was rather appalling. I think that’s one thing Special Olympics does that’s critical we continue to focus on.