Kim Schnee of Manhattan, Kansas, has coached Special Olympics for the past 39 years. She will represent Special Olympics USA as head coach in volleyball, coaching her two daughters, who are competing as Unified partners. As a coach, Kim attended the Special Olympics World Games North Carolina 1999 and the Special Olympics USA Games in 2018 and 2022. Kim serves as chairperson for the Special Olympics Kansas Board of Directors, working to educate the community on the importance of Special Olympics. As a result of her efforts, Kim has been recognized as the Special Olympics Kansas Coach of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and her family as the Family of the Year. She has also earned the Bob Srack Excellence in Teaching Award and the Susan M. Scott Community Leadership Award from Kansas State University.
In memory of her mother, Kim lives her mother’s legacy of demonstrating kindness to others. After 36 years of teaching special education, Kim now works as a job skills coach. She leads training for the Unified volleyball team twice a week, also coaching them in a co-recreational league. She is looking forward to the competition at the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023.