Katherine Gries of Greenwood has a new addition to her training routine: throwing mini javelins and making long jumps.

Gries, 24, is one of four Indiana athletes selected for the U.S. team Special Olympics trials. A long distance runner, Gries was selected to compete in track and field. She will head to Pittsburgh for the trials this September.

When Gries learned she had been nominated, “I was very excited and emotional,” she said.

The other Indiana athletes invited to the trials are:

• Kendra Franklin of Holton in swimming,
• Anne Henry of Lafayette in cycling, and
• Mark Schwieterman of Lafayette in cycling.

“Being nominated for the U.S. team trials is a testament to years of hard work, determination and dedication to their sports,” said Special Olympics Indiana President and CEO Jeff Mohler in a release. “They have inspired their teammates and communities throughout their athletic journeys, and we look forward to cheering them on as they compete for the chance to represent our country on the world stage in Santiago.”

More than 6,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities will compete in the 2027 Special Olympics World Games in Santiago, Chile, according to the release.

Leading up to the trials, Gries is learning new field events and running in the park alongside her mother — who rides a bike to keep up. Gries trains once a week with her Special Olympics teammates.

“We’re a very close group of friends that always support each other and the coaches support us as well,” Gries said.

Gries began participating in Special Olympics Indiana a few years ago as a way to get to know families in the area, said Rachel Gries, her mother. Gries also swims and plays softball and basketball.

“It was great. They don’t have to have any kind of experience to participate. The coaches are really super supportive,” Rachel Gries said. “There are lots of like-minded parents who are very supportive.”

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FPI News reporter Dylan Peers McCoy covers pressing issues throughout the state and how local communities are tackling those challenges. Reach her at 508-259-4809 or dylan.mccoy@fpinews.org.

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Four Indiana athletes head to Special Olympics trials

by Dylan Peers McCoy and Free Press Indiana News, Mirror Indy
August 14, 2026

<h1>Four Indiana athletes head to Special Olympics trials</h1> <p class="byline">by Dylan Peers McCoy and Free Press Indiana News, Mirror Indy <br />August 14, 2026</p> <p>Katherine Gries of Greenwood has a new addition to her training routine: throwing mini javelins and making long jumps.</p> <p>Gries, 24, is one of four Indiana athletes selected for the U.S. team Special Olympics trials. A long distance runner, Gries was selected to compete in track and field. She will head to Pittsburgh for the trials this September.</p> <p>When Gries learned she had been nominated, “I was very excited and emotional,” she said.</p> <p>The other Indiana athletes invited to the trials are:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Kendra Franklin of Holton in swimming,</li> <li>Anne Henry of Lafayette in cycling, and</li> <li>Mark Schwieterman of Lafayette in cycling.</li> </ul> <p>"Being nominated for the U.S. team trials is a testament to years of hard work, determination and dedication to their sports,” said Special Olympics Indiana President and CEO Jeff Mohler in a release. “They have inspired their teammates and communities throughout their athletic journeys, and we look forward to cheering them on as they compete for the chance to represent our country on the world stage in Santiago."</p> <div class="wp-block-group alignright"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://fpinews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/special-olympics-trials-1-844x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-3756" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Katherine Gries, 24, was selected for the U.S. team trials for the Special Olympics.</figcaption></figure> </p></div> <p>More than 6,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities will compete in the 2027 Special Olympics World Games in Santiago, Chile, according to the release.</p> <p>Leading up to the trials, Gries is learning new field events and running in the park alongside her mother — who rides a bike to keep up. Gries trains once a week with her Special Olympics teammates.</p> <p>“We're a very close group of friends that always support each other and the coaches support us as well,” Gries said.</p> <p>Gries began participating in Special Olympics Indiana a few years ago as a way to get to know families in the area, said Rachel Gries, her mother. Gries also swims and plays softball and basketball.</p> <p>“It was great. They don’t have to have any kind of experience to participate. The coaches are really super supportive,” Rachel Gries said. “There are lots of like-minded parents who are very supportive.”</p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/indiana-special-olympics-trials/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org&quot;&gt;Mirror Indy&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-Mirror-Indy-square-logo-1.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p> &lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://mirrorindy.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=87906&amp;amp;ga4=G-X0R0QW371R&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://mirrorindy.org/indiana-special-olympics-trials/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/mirrorindy.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

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