Holland swimmer, track athlete qualify for Special Olympics Nationals

Olympic dreams come in all shapes and sizes.

Two members of the Holland-area community will get to live those dreams out next year at the Special Olympics Nationals in June, 2026, in Minneapolis.

Aspen Avery and Qori Nelson will participate in the games after qualifying in swimming and track and field, respectively.

Avery, who was diagnosed with autism at age 2, is a constant presence at pools in the area. He swam for West Ottawa High School and Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics and many other places.

"Water and swimming have always been a calming activity for Aspen," said Patrick Avery, Aspen's father. "After trying a few different extracurricular activities, swimming was the one where Aspen felt the most comfortable."

Avery started competitive swimming at age 5 in Grand Rapids with the Northview Swim Club, then trained with the YMCA Dolphins in Bradenton, Florida.

After returning to West Michigan, Aspen was introduced to Special Olympics and the Area 12 programs, and then the West Ottawa Swim Club in the summer months.

He earned a spot on West Ottawa's varsity team as a junior and senior.

After high school, the Holland Aquatic Center and Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics became Aspen’s second home. He currently trains and competes with the Master’s program and volunteers at the HAC three days per week in janitorial services.

Aspen has always excelled at Special Olympics winning all his races except for one, where he earned a silver at a regional meet. That loss fueled his desire to "swim like a shark is chasing you."

"He loves the feeling of being on a team and the friendships he has developed with Special Olympics. Aspen’s Area 12 Coach, Brian Marlink, has been influential in his training, and pushes all his athletes to do their best," Patrick Avery said.

He won Gold Medals at the SO State Meet at CMU, he was then selected as one of four male swimmers to represent Team Michigan at the Special Olympics National Games, June 20-27 at the University of Minnesota. These games will be one of the largest sporting events in the nation with more than 3000 athletes, 10,000 volunteers and 75,000 spectators.

Avery will not be the only athlete from the area. While he is competing in the water, Nelson will be competing on land.

"Qori has always loved playing sports and he tried almost every sport in middle school! In high school things got a little tougher and making teams became harder," said Kristina Nelson, Qori's mother. "He was always great at running and he decided to give cross country a try. That was the best decision. Not only was he a natural, but the coach at Calvin Christian welcomed him with open arms and was willing to see how it would go. He fit right in and his teammates were amazing. The Calvin Christian team was a force to be reckoned with at that time.

"We are excited he was chosen to compete at nationals because he will work hard and smile while doing it."

Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’[email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as  Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Holland track athlete, swimmer qualify for Special Olympics Nationals