Nate “Brings Home the Gold”

Every two years, Utah Special Olympics holds competitions, alternating between Summer Games and Winter Games, for people who have intellectual disabilities.

So, it is no small feat that Nathan (Nate) Dail of Cedar City was one of only 53 state-wide athletes who qualified by winning a gold medal in order to advance to the 2010 Special Olympics USA Games, which are held every four years. 

On July 17, 2010, Nate, and his 3 team mates and coach joined seven other “Team Utah” groups as they boarded 8 Cessna planes for the “Citation Special Olympics Airlift,” the largest peace time airlift in the world, as the began their journey to Lincoln, Nebraska for the July 17 – 24 games. Waiting ahead, Nate’s parents, Dan and Jill Dail, were amazed as they watched hundreds of donated private and corporate jets from all over the country landing in Lincoln every 90 seconds.

 “Team Utah” competed in bocce, bowling, aquatics, track & field, basketball, softball, and golf. Nate brought home two gold medals, one for the 200 M Race, and the other for the 4 X 100 Relay. Jill reported, “Nate won the 200 M by 3/100ths of a second! It was quite exciting to watch him!” Since Nate qualified and competed in track, the Dails spent most of the week at the track cheering him on as well as his team mates in their individual endeavors.

3,000 athletes from 50 states, 1,000 coaches, 8,000 volunteers, and an estimated 30,000 spectators attended this year’s events and ceremonies. According to Jill, “The Opening and Closing Ceremonies were spectacular and the whole week was something we as a family will never forget.”

34-year old Nate lives at home with his parents and attends TURN’s Cedar City Day Program. Congratulations, Nate; you are a star!

Wearing red “Team Utah” shirts (front row from left): Nate Dail, Mandy Kunitz (Tooele), Karen Kunder (Taylorsville), and Josue Riches (Grantsville). Standing behind Mandy, Coach Jay Dee (Pleasant Grove). The Cessna pilots are wearing navy blue shirts.