Nancy Benningfield has been involved with Special Olympics in Sparta, TN for over 20 years. Starting as a volunteer, then a coach, and now a program director she has an unmatched passion for the athletes in her area. Her dedication and hard work paid off last year when she was selected as a Special Olympics USA Alpine Skiing coach for the 2022 World Winter Games in Kazan, Russia.
Ms. Benningfield has been a coach at three USA Summer games and has been bringing athletes to Gatlinburg for the State Winter Games for years. She truly enjoys introducing her students to the sport of alpine skiing and is a tremendous coach that shows patience, heart and knowledge to all her students.
I have been with her for close to fifteen years and have seen firsthand how dedicated she is to the athletes. She is more than a coach. She’s a dedicated special education teacher and will walk into any role with Special Olympics.
The 2022 World Games will be held in February of 2022. The games originally scheduled for 2021 were bumped back a year due to the covid-19 pandemic. Five Tennessee athletes competing in three different sports will be attending the games along with Nancy. This outstanding group makes up the largest TN delegation to attend a World Winter Games outside the United States.
Follow Nancy and the rest of the TN's delegation's journey in Kazan by visiting the World Winter Games Kazan 2022 website.