Community Education Sports

Peninsula High receives national honor from Special Olympics, ESPN for inclusive sports Unified

Riley DuCharme was thrilled to become a big sister. She was 5 and her brother was 2 when he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

“It wasn’t until I started going over to friends’ houses that I felt the difference,” she told a capacity crowd in the Peninsula High School gym on Dec. 12.

DuCharme, now a PHS junior, recalled explaining to her friends that Seton’s brain worked differently.

“They nodded, but I always felt the gap,” she said. “I worried someone would make fun of him. I worried someone would make fun of me because of him.”

Seton and Riley DuCharme. Photo courtesy of DuCharme family

Those fears have largely evaporated, thanks to Special Olympics Unified Sports, in which students with and without intellectual disabilities train and compete as teammates. Peninsula High has earned national recognition as a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, one of just two schools to win the award this year in Washington state.

Connor Boman, a Peninsula High School graduate now with Peninsula School District’s Community Transitions Program, and Riley DuCharme, a Peninsula High junior, celebrate the school being named a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, on Dec. 12, 2025, at Peninsula High School.  Photo by Christina T. Henry

DuCharme has been a partner with players in Unified cheer, soccer and track over the past two years. The program has given her hope for her brother’s future.

“Unified showed me what true inclusion looks like,” she said. “It is not doing something for someone. It is standing beside them. I watched classmates become teammates and teammates become friends. I watched confidence grow the moment someone felt seen and valued. And somewhere in all of that, I found my voice, too.”

Above and beyond 

Each year, ESPN and Special Olympics North America honor schools from each state that go above and beyond in creating a culture of inclusion, advocacy and respect for students with and without intellectual disabilities.

“A Special Olympics Unified Champion School has an inclusive school climate and exudes a sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for all members of the student body and staff,” according to Special Olympics North America.

Schools that earn the award must meet 10 national standards of excellence. They must offer Unified teams at least two seasons per year. Adult coaches must have Special Olympics Unified Sports training. And the program should be self-sustaining, or have a plan to become self-sustaining.

Peninsula High School was named a Special Olympics Unified Champion School by Special Olympics North America and ESPN. A banner for the honor was unfurled in the gym during a celebration on Dec. 12, 2025.

A panel reviewing applications looks for schools where students with and without disabilities take on leadership roles. DuCharme and Unified athlete Jaybe James represent Peninsula High on the Special Olympics State Youth Activation Committee, through which they have helped other schools form or grow Unified programs. 

Kentwood High School also won the 2025 Unified Champion award. 

Unified in Peninsula schools

The Unified program nationwide spans elementary, middle and high schools. There’s also a college-level component.

Peninsula High School hosts both Unified Sports and Unified Club. Unified Sports focuses on athletic participation and team competition in sports like basketball, soccer and track. There’s even an e-sports team.

Unified Club activities, like other clubs, provide social, recreational and leadership opportunities for students, according to Brittany Shelton, athletic and activities specialist for Peninsula School District.

In past years, both Peninsula and Gig Harbor high schools offered Unified Sports and Unified Clubs. Right now, however, there are not enough eligible and interested students at GHHS to sustain those programs on that campus. Students from GHHS are welcome to participate in programs at PHS, Shelton said. About 55 students are participating in Unified Sports this winter.

Jack Hodges, a Peninsula High School student on the school’s Unified Sports Basketball team, dribbles during a showcase in the high school’s gym on Dec. 12, 2025. The school was celebrating being named a Special Olympics Unified Champion School by Special Olympics North America and ESPN.  Photo by Christina T. Henry

“Unified is a district-supported, inclusive program,” Shelton said. “These programs are about more than activities — they build community, promote inclusion, and create meaningful experiences for all students involved.” 

“Unified is meaningful inclusion — transforming lives and reshaping the culture in our schools,” said Wendy Christiansen, PHS Unified coach. “It’s creating a world where everyone belongs, is valued and loved.” 

What students say

Peninsula High School students, staff, alumni and community members came together Dec. 12 to bask in the honor of belonging to a Special Olympics Unified Champion School.

At a reception for family, friends and the media, students were interviewed, ESPN-style, about their experiences.

Juanita Mabe, a senior who participates in basketball, soccer and track, said her favorite part about Unified Sports is “just everything, my friends, my family.” Asked about a standout moment for her, Made said, “just being a champ, I guess.”

From left, Peninsula High School senior Juanita Mabe, Unified Club advisor Eileen Osera, Peninsula senior Maya Rogers and 2022 Peninsula grad Mark Slocum celebrate the school being named a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, on Dec. 12, 2025, at Peninsula High School.  Photo by Christina T. Henry

Lena Janson, a PHS and Unified alum, said her standout moment happened in a final game in which her team was losing. “After the game, everyone cheered for everybody. It was awesome. I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said.

Student John Browand was asked what the word “team” means to him and said, “Everyone fits together, kind of like a puzzle fits together … You always have a place on the team. Just find it and go be yourself.”

‘Give people a chance’

Mark Slocum, a PHS class of 2022 graduate now in the district’s Community Transitions Program, said his favorite sport was basketball because it was indoors, nice and dry. Soccer shin guards made his ankles itch. And track was often rainy. “I was a sopping mess,” he said.

Describing one track practice, he said, “I was really kind of down in the dumps, like, I had the blues.”

He was not into it at all.

“But also, I learned that sometimes you just gotta give people a chance. Because I don’t feel like I want to do things people are saying, I might not like it, but sometimes, after a while, I’ve learned to give others a chance and go for the people that are trustworthy, just be grateful.”

Mark Slocum, a 2022 Peninsula High School graduate, talks about his experience with the school’s Unified Sports program, on Dec. 12, 2025, at Peninsula High School.  Photo by Christina T. Henry

Whole school engagement

After the reception, the entire school packed the gym and cheered loudly as the Special Olympics Unified Champion School banner was unfurled alongside banners commemorating other historic achievements. 

“You’re really shifting what normal looks like at your school,” said Morgan Larche, director of Unified Schools at Special Olympics Washington. “You’re pushing back, saying that no group is more important than another group. Everybody needs to be recognized for who they are. Nobody gets left out. Nobody gets left behind.”

The Unified basketball team then showcased its skills. The action was back-and-forth, from one end of the court to the other. Player Justin Carnahan dribbled around the perimeter of the defense, set up and sunk a neat shot. The crowd on both sides of the bleachers erupted in cheers.

Justin Carnahan, a Peninsula High School student on the school’s Unified Sports Basketball team, practices shooting before a team showcase Dec. 12, 2025. Photo by Christina T. Henry