Special Olympics athlete Jay Horn will be making a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Shanghai, China for the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games! He was selected for this honor from dozens of applicants from across Kansas to compete in Bocce, a sport in which he has been dedicated to for six years.

Athletes were chosen to participate in World Games according to their spirit, dedication, skill levels in their specific sport and their independence. Jay excels in all the categories, making him a perfect choice to represent Kansas. Jay has such a positive, uplifting attitude about Special Olympics and life. The only time an ear-to-ear grin is not displayed on his face is when he has the look of concentration when he's trying for a great shot in bocce, “maxing out” in powerlifting or competing in another of his many chosen sports. Excelling and trying his best are very important to Jay. "I train hard in every sport I play,” he stated.

Jay is very excited about his trip to World Games. He looks forward to experiencing a new culture, representing Kansas and meeting people from around the world. "I love Special Olympics,” he stated. “It has made me a better person by letting me set goals and meeting new friends."

Jay is highly respected among his teammates and has served as the Team Captain for the past three years. In addition, Jay had the rare honor of being selected as the back-to-back winner (2004 and 2005) of the Athlete of the Year award for New Hope Special Olympics. Beyond the playing field, Jay is a well recognized figure in his local community and his positive attitude and high skill level was recognized when he was the recipient of the 2005 Athlete of the Year from KOAM TV in Pittsburg.

Jay will be making history by representing Kansas at the World Games in China and will traveling east from October 2-11, 2007. Please help support Jay’s positive attitude, dedication to sports and his unique journey to China by making an online donation.