X Games and Special Olympics Athletes Announced for First-Ever Special Olympics Unified BMX Racing Event
Ten Special Olympics Athletes Paired with X Games Teammates for Live Streamed Unified BMX Race at X Games Minneapolis

WHAT: After celebrating five successful years of Unified Snowboarding at X Games Aspen, X Games Minneapolis 2019 will debut a Special Olympics Unified BMX Race at X Fest at U.S. Bank Stadium on Thursday, August 1. The event, which kicks off X Games Minneapolis, will be free to the public along with X Fest and SoFi Moto X Step Up.
Teams will be comprised of one professional action sports athlete and one Special Olympics athlete for a total of ten, two-person teams. The teams will compete in a dual BMX Race, with combined times counting toward the final rankings.
Special Olympics Unified Sports® joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. ESPN is the global presenting sponsor and official media sponsor of Special Olympics Unified Sports.
WHEN: Thursday, August 1 at 5 p.m. CDT
WHERE: X Fest at X Games Minneapolis
U.S. Bank Stadium in Downtown Minneapolis
WATCH: The event will be streamed live on @XGames Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
WHO: Ten Special Olympics athletes and ten of the world’s top action sports athletes will be paired onsite in Minneapolis, including:
Special Olympics Athletes | Professional Action Sports Athletes |
Aaron Johnson (St. Cloud, Minnesota)
· Year-round athlete from the St. Michael-Albertville Stallions delegation · Participates in bowling, basketball, golf and flag football · Traveled to Seattle for the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games
Adam Magnuson (Minnetonka, Minnesota) · New to Special Olympics Minnesota · Has been biking for more than 17 years and enjoys riding his bike almost daily · Adam was an outstanding athlete in many sports in his high school’s adaptive sports program. · Adam loves riding his bike and rides every season, even throughout Minnesota winters!
Camilo Mejia (Mahtomedi, Minnesota) · Experienced athlete from the St. Croix Valley Lumberjacks · Been involved with Special Olympics for more than two decades, participating in many different sports · Competed in the Special Olympics World Winter Games Austria 2017 in alpine skiing · Once earned a Boy Scout merit badge for biking 53 miles in one day
Chris Fagerberg (Maple Grove, Minnesota) · High-performing and competitive athlete from the OMGAA Storm delegation · Participates in numerous sports including poly-hockey, basketball, softball, flag football, bowling and snowboarding · Watches X Games every year and has dreamed of taking part in it
Jenny Anderson (Stillwater, Minnesota) · From the Flyaway Gold delegation and very active in the Special Olympics Minnesota community · Attended the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle and earned a medal in gymnastics · Biking is one of her favorite ways to stay in shape
Liam Kinart (Maple Grove, Minnesota) · From the Academy of Whole Learning in Minnetonka · Participates in track and field and poly-hockey · Attended 2009 X Games Aspen and found an interest in action sports
Michael Froehling (Hastings, Minnesota) · Loves to try new things and competes in swimming, golf, flag football, bowling and floor hockey · From the Hastings Sharks delegation · Rides his bike almost every day and finds it both extremely relaxing and thrilling
Noah Reedy (West St. Paul, Minnesota) · Has participated in many Special Olympics Minnesota activities with the Highland Friendship Club · Competes in track and field, basketball, golf, bowling, equestrian, poly-hockey, snowboarding, softball, bocce and tennis · Loves watching X Games every year and is ecstatic to be part of the action
Tim Sorenson (White Bear Lake, Minnesota) · Part of The Bears delegation · Has participated in bowling, track and field, basketball, bocce, poly-hockey, softball, golf and Unified soccer · Rides his bike to work and has ridden up to 50 miles at one time
Tyler Sarff (Plymouth, Minnesota) · From Bethel University and has participated in bowling, basketball and Unified soccer with Special Olympics Minnesota · Enjoys biking on trails near his home at least twice per week · Tyler interned at the Special Olympics Minnesota office and used his passion for sports to help organize and run competitions in the Twin Cities.
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Alex Ferreira (Aspen, Colorado)
· Won five X Games Ski SuperPipe medals, including gold in 2019 · Took home gold at the 2019 Pyeongchang Games
Andy Buckworth (Lake Haven, Australia) · A trick pioneer, he became the second BMX rider ever to land a double frontflip when he earned bronze as a rookie in 2010 · Became the first rider ever to land a double frontflip no-hander in 2017 · Has been a member of the Nitro Circus Tour since year one, back in 2010
Brandon Loupos (Sydney, Australia) · Part of the growing contingent of talented Aussie BMXers, Loupos took BMX Dirt gold at X Games Minneapolis 2018 · Loupos is already off to a great start in 2019 and has won two of the biggest park contests in BMX—the FISE events in Hiroshima and Saudi Arabia (both park) · He hopes to become the third rider to ever win Park and Dirt at the same event
Chad Kerley (San Diego, California) · One of just three people to take X Games BMX Street gold – X Games Los Angeles 2013 and X Games Minneapolis 2018 · Also owns Street silver from 2012 and picked up another silver in the 2017 Real BMX video contest · Most recently, he scored bronze at X Games Shanghai 2019
Dakota Roche (Huntington Beach, California) · Claimed BMX Street silver behind Garrett Reynolds at X Games Austin 2014, then earned 2015 NORA Cup Street Rider of the Year honors · Roche also owns two Street bronze medals, from 2011 and 2012.
Dennis Enarson (San Diego, California) · One of the best all-around BMX riders of the decade, Enarson is a triple threat in Dirt, Park and Street · He has earned X Games invitations in each discipline and owns 10 total medals between Park, Street and Real BMX: 1 gold, 6 silver, 3 bronze
Kevin Peraza (Tucson, Arizona) · A surprise gold medalist at Austin 2016 in BMX Dirt · Wowed again at X Games Minneapolis 2017, claiming gold in Park · Comes from a family of BMXers: his three brothers all compete, and his dad is a former BMX racer who still rides at the skate park
Kyle Baldock (Gold Coast, Australia) · A ten-time X Games medalist, Baldock earned both Dirt and Park gold at X Games Foz de Iguacu 2013 · Another Dirt title at X Games Minneapolis 2019 would give him the most X Games gold in the discipline · One of the fittest and most explosive riders in BMX, Baldock earned Park bronze at X Games Minneapolis 2018 and Dirt silver in Sydney
Morgan Wade (Tyler, Texas) · Eight-time X Games medalist and legend among his peers – they respect his creative eye and willingness to go huge · Owns the X Games record for highest air on the quarterpipe (23’11”, set at X Games Minneapolis 2018) · Also passionate about supporting the troops overseas, through Bikes Over Baghdad, and participates in a tour of high school shows in the U.S. in partnership with the U.S. Marines.
Ryan Williams (Wodonga, Australia) · Once known strictly for scooter skills, Williams has impressed with his BMX acumen, too · He took a surprising Big Air gold at X Games Sydney 2018 in front of a home crowd in his second X Games appearance · Landed a coveted #1 slot on SportsCenter‘s Top 10 for his front bike flip over the gap
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*Please note the athletes participating are subject to change and will be paired on-site at X Games Minneapolis.
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Contacts:
Olivia Wilson, ESPN Communications, 904-303-3538, [email protected]
Rebecca Simon, SOI Communications, 202-824-0344, [email protected]
Katie Howlett, SOMN Communications, 612-812-3525, [email protected]