Samantha Meador of Gainesville, Florida, is a lifelong Special Olympics supporter, as her older sister is a Special Olympics athlete. A student at the University of Florida, Samantha has served as the Special Olympics College Club president and coached the school’s Unified flag football team, which attended the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games. She will represent Special Olympics USA as an assistant coach for basketball.
At the University of Florida, Samantha serves as the director of Hearoes for Hearing, a student-led nonprofit that raises awareness and funds to support patients at the UF Health Cochlear Implant Program. She is an executive board member for the school’s National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association, connecting Hearoes for Hearing with pre-speech therapy and audiology students. As a volunteer, she teaches basic obedience and socialization skills to future guide dogs in training through Southeastern Guide Dogs.
Samantha is grateful for the supportive community of people that Special Olympics has introduced her to and is honored to achieve the milestone of attending a Special Olympics World Games.