Leading and Learning: An ALC Opportunity in Michigan

For Billy Seide and Jill Warner, athlete leadership is an essential aspect of the Special Olympics movement. That’s why they were selected to attend the first‑ever Special Olympics North America Regional Athlete Congress earlier this March.

Billy hails from New Rochelle, where he’s competed with Special Olympics for almost 30 years. Athlete Leadership has always been one of his greatest passions, and he’s been nationally recognized by being named to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games Athlete Advisory Council.

Jill, a native of Schenectady, has served as a dedicated volunteer captain at both State and local games for more than a decade. Due to her unwavering support of our athletes, she was recognized as a Game Changer at last year’s Night of Champions gala.

Together, this dynamic duo flew to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where they joined other leaders from Canada, the Caribbean, and the United States.

“We met athlete leaders from all over North America,” said Billy. “Then we worked together to learn how we can do more within our local communities.”

“Meeting athletes, mentors, and staff from across the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean was such a fun and eye-opening experience,” said Jill. “It was an amazing week.”

At the Congress, athletes built their leadership skills and collaborated with peers, all to shape the future of the Special Olympics movement. The conversations they had will inform the agenda for next year’s Global Athlete Congress in Chile.

“We covered many topics,” Billy explained. “Then we came together to share our best ideas. I even came up with a speech to deliver to my fellow athletes.”

“We all could improve on truly listening to athlete voices,” Jill added. “They have so much to say about the future of Special Olympics and what matters to them; not only what they need but what they wish for themselves and their fellow athletes.”

Yes, Billy and Jill got a lot of amazing work done during their visit. But they found some time for fun, too.

“It was fun convincing Billy to try new foods and to survive without ketchup on everything,” Jill said.

“I enjoyed bumping into other athlete leaders waiting for our flights and playing Uno together,” Billy said.

Now that they’re back home in New York, Billy and Jill will share these lessons with their local communities and our Statewide Athlete Leadership Council.

And how do they sum up such an amazing experience? Billy described it best: “We all want to create change in the world. Because every voice matters.”

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