When 32-year-old Ella Zsembik was asked what her favorite thing about UF Special Olympics was, she kept her answer simple.
“I love to make friends,” she said.
Zsembik works at Chance Chiropractic Center in Gainesville. She is also one of many athletes involved with UF Special Olympics, a college subsidiary of Special Olympics Florida, which supports individuals with intellectual disabilities in Alachua County.
UF Special Olympics, founded in 2014, holds various events ranging from weekly intramurals to large-scale competitions such as the Special Olympics World Games, which the club was a part of in 2023.
Not only do team members represent UF on an international stage, but athletes like Zsembik form lifelong bonds and establish solidarity with other disabled individuals.
“It helped me a lot with my disability,” Zsembik said. “It helped a whole lot.”
The organization held its first intramural soccer match of the semester Jan. 27 at Southwest Recreation Center. Over 40 Special Olympic athletes took to the field — a number club president Julia Hodierne couldn’t have even imagined just a few years ago.
Hodierne, a 21-year-old UF public health senior, first got involved with UF Special Olympics as a freshman. She interned with Special Olympics Florida and eventually became president of the club.
During her time with the organization, Hodierne witnessed the group grow from a small handful of members to a well-established network of athletes and community organizers.
“We've had more athletes join,” Hodierne said. “We’ve had more students join. I really think we're just making a difference because we're creating these friendships between our UF students and individuals in the community with intellectual disabilities.”
The club fosters an inclusive environment allowing individuals with and without disabilities to compete side by side, promoting collaboration between the two groups.
This community aspect is what 24-year-old Evan Combs envisioned for the club when he joined in 2017. Currently a manager of sports training and competition for Area Three of Special Olympics Florida, which covers all of North Central Florida, Combs has been involved with the Special Olympics throughout middle and high school.
However, when he first came to UF, the program was much smaller than when Hodierne joined.
“Not that we were disappointed, of course, any Special Olympics program is a positive,” Combs said. “But we just saw an opportunity to grow the program.”
Now that the club has expanded to its current scale, Combs believes it’s most effective in combating one of the most significant challenges people with intellectual disabilities face: isolation.
While having tangible resources is crucial, Combs emphasized providing disabled individuals with access to a genuine and supportive community is equally important, especially when support for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities may be in jeopardy.
While he didn’t comment on any specific initiatives, Combs highlighted the importance of accepting people of all backgrounds into one environment.
“I do know that Special Olympics exists and for the greater good, it's an apolitical organization,” Combs said. “We are an organization that works with people of all political spectrums and all different backgrounds and ethnicities.”
Another athlete who found a home in UF Special Olympics is Kiondre “Keke” Brown, a 28-year-old Gainesville resident and multi-sport competitor.
Brown, who attended the Jan. 27 soccer intramural along with Zsembik, has been involved in UF Special Olympics events since its inception. He competed with the club in multiple sports in the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games and the 2023 Berlin Special Olympics World Games.
For Brown, UF Special Olympics has provided a place where he feels like he finally belongs.
Soccer isn’t Brown’s favorite sport — he prefers basketball and football — but he comes to games whenever his friends call.
“ We’re just always going to keep going, just keep pushing our heart, go out there and win,” Brown said. “Just put a smile on your face.”
Contact Daniela Ortiz at dortiz@alligator.org. Follow her on X @danielaortizUF.
