Sean O’Rourke of Long Island, New York, has competed with Special Olympics for the past 25 years, where he has become a more social person, encouraging other athletes and promoting sportsmanship. He will represent Special Olympics USA in cycling. In 2017, Sean completed the IRONMAN Lake Placid in 14 hours. He has also finished two IRONMAN 70.3 events, the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon, the Philadelphia Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon. In 2003, Sean competed in the Special Olympics World Games in Ireland. He has also competed in the 2014 and 2022 Special Olympics USA Games.
He trains with the Rolling Thunder Special Needs Program, one of the first inclusive running clubs in the United States for all athletes. Through his training, Sean met his wife, Pavla, who has supported Sean as his coach. Spending most of his time training or with his family, Sean is already training his son Sean for a future career in athletics. For the past 11 years, he has worked at The Briston Assisted Living. Every day, Sean works hard to prove himself, doing his best to be ready for the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023.