For Immediate Release
June 19, 2008  

(Great Falls, Montana)  Chuck Kohut, Special Olympics Montana coach from Great Falls has been selected to serve as an assistant cross country skiing coach for Team USA at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho, February 6 - 13, 2009.

This will be Kohut's third World Winter Games, having also served as assistant coach in 1989 in Parks City, Utah and in 2005 in Nagano, Japan. Kohut has been a Special Olympics coach for 32 years and he says "It's still fun. I especially enjoy seeing the athletes learn and improve in the sport, while developing a life time skill in cross-country skiing." Kohut is retired from the Great Falls Public School System and is a member of the Great Falls Cross Country Skiing Club.

Kohut will join four Special Olympics Montana athletes representing Montana: Chris Zier of Missoula and Kelly Nichols of Bozeman, who are competing in alpine skiing; Montana Riehle of Great Falls, who is competing in cross country; and Rich Potter of Missoula, who is competing in snowshoe. Vanessa Browning of Billings will also be attending as an assistant alpine ski coach.

Every four years, thousands of Special Olympics athletes from around the world come together to showcase their athletic skills and celebrate the true spirit of competition through winter sports. Through the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games, Special Olympics athletes will transcend the boundaries of geography, nationality, political philosophy, gender, age, culture and religion. This event will transform participants, community leaders, and fans world-wide through sportsmanship and spirited competition. These Games will help citizens throughout the world appreciate the values of respect and compassion, which the athletes and their supporters live by every day.

"Special Olympics World Winter Games provide a global stage for our athletes to showcase their talents and we invite the world to join our world of welcome - a world of inclusion and mutual respect, without bias or prejudice," said Timothy Shriver, Chairman of the Special Olympics Board.

Find out who is selected as alpine assistant coach.

Find out which athletes will go from Montana.

Find out about 2009 Venues for World Winter Games.

Visit the official 2009 World Games web site.

About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives by promoting understanding, acceptance and inclusion between people with and without intellectual disabilities. Through year-round sports training and athletic competition and other related programming for 1.4 million children and adults with intellectual disabilities in more than 150 countries, Special Olympics has created a model community that celebrates people's diverse gifts. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship. There is no cost to participate in Special Olympics.

Contact:  Risë Pelloni, Sports & Training Assitant 
rpelloni@somt.org

Special Olympics Montana
P.O. Box 3507
Great Falls, MT  59403
1-800-242-6876