James Day Keith is a 28 year old adult with Down syndrome whose passion and zest for life has brought so much joy to those around him. He is a part-time college student at Northern Essex Community College where he is pursuing his college degree. He has worked part-time at Windrush Farm in North Andover and is currently an Assistant Swim Instructor at the Andover YMCA. He spends time volunteering in his community for Meals on Wheels and at a Guinea Pig Sanctuary. He is an avid athlete and teammate with Special Olympics Massachusetts, participating in many sports, including soccer, basketball, skiing, and powerlifting. James recently competed in Special Olympics USA Games winning a gold medal in powerlifting! James has traveled throughout the United States as a player on the Revolution Unified Soccer team. James is an ambassador for Special Olympics sharing his story with various schools and organizations and he is especially proud of his family's induction to the Special Olympics Massachusetts Hall of Fame in 2017. He serves as the Athlete Representative on the Special Olympics Massachusetts Board of Directors. He is a Celebrity Ambassador for Best Buddies and loves his friends from the Merrimack College Chapter. His skills on the parquet led him to the opportunity of a lifetime: a starring role in the feature film CHAMPIONS with Woody Harrelson! The storyline was perfect for James: a Special Olympics basketball team that teaches an arrogant coach a thing or two about friendship and success. He is currently starring in a new limited series called The Canon of Grimwald set to stream this summer. Stay tuned! James has been blessed with many opportunities to share his story with numerous organizations across New England and the country.

Mikayla is the founding organizer of the Dreaming Big Without Limits Fashion Show. As a Global Ambassador for Best Buddies, she passionately advocates for herself and her friends, working to create a more inclusive community where everyone has the opportunity to shine. A 2026 Special Olympics USA Games athlete, Mikayla proudly earned Gold and Silver medals in Track & Field.

Lucy Haugland is a Bethel Build alum ('22) who is passionate about competing and making an impact. She is a Special Olympics Champion medaling in gymnastics at the 2022 USA games and in track at the 2026 games-and loves pushing herself to achieve big goals. With Best Buddies, she served as a mission partner for the 2025 Champion of the Year Gala and loves walking the runway in the Dreaming Big Without Limits fashion shows where she gets to celebrate with amazing queens and do what she loves most: having fun and making memories.

Ava Muench is a recent ('26) graduate of Minnetonka High School and currently attends Minnetonka's SAIL transition program. Ava has been an active participant in the school chapters of Best Buddies for the past 5 years at Minnetonka Middle School West and Minnetonka High School. She also attended the Best Buddies Leadership Conference in 2025, where MHS was recognized as the Outstanding Chapter of the Year. During her senior year, Ava served as the buddy coordinator for the MHS Best Buddies chapter. She enjoyed planning and leading icebreaker activities that helped people get to know each other better. Ava is also active in Special Olympics and represented Team MN in swimming at the 2026 USA Games. She has worked at the Sunshine Stop in Excelsior, MN, for the last 3 summers. In her free time, she likes biking, going to the cabin, and getting Starbucks with her friends.

Elizabeth is a Special Olympics 2026 USA Games silver medalist, a Culver's commercial principal actor, and the newly crowned 2026 National Miss Amazing Queen. Elizabeth enjoys participating, advocating and volunteering with many organizations that support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She is totally positive, kind, and always goes for the gold!

Jenna Perkins is a Special Olympics Minnesota Athlete and was honorary Co-Chair for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.

Jenna has participated in Special Olympics for more than 9 years. She currently participates in basketball, bowling, bocce and snowshoeing, and is a graduate of the Bethel University BUILD program.

Jenna has participated in several Special Olympics leadership conferences and was a member of the Special Olympics Minnesota Student Board of Directors.

Tyler Sarff is an athlete for Special Olympics Minnesota and a Best Buddies Ambassador. He is a sports guys and his favorite sports / leagues are racing, soccer, hockey, softball and football. One of his biggest accomplishments as an athlete for SOMN is winning a gold medal at this summer's Special Olympics USA Games for softball. He is a huge advocate for inclusion so being an ambassador for Best Buddies is awesome and he gets to help show that people with different abilities are unique in their own ways.

Lucy Schneider is 25 years old and lives in Brooklyn Park. She has been involved in Special Olympics for more than 15 years and participates in six sports year-round: basketball, bowling, flag football, gymnastics, poly hockey, and softball.

Lucy also played on a Special Olympics Unified Soccer team and was selected to participate in the 2023 All-Star Game in Washington, D.C., an experience she says she still thinks about often.

In June, Lucy competed in the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota in gymnastics, bringing home an incredible five gold medals in All-Around, Beam, Bars, Floor, and Vault. For Lucy, competing at the USA Games was a dream come true, and she is incredibly proud of what she accomplished.

As a Best Buddies Ambassador, Lucy says it means the world to advocate for people with intellectual disabilities and share her story. Her message is simple and powerful: "Anyone can do anything-and we can!"

Abby Swenson enjoys many activities, but her top favorites are working on puzzles and competing in local puzzle competitions. She also loves horseback riding; horses are simply the best. Spending time with her friends is another great way to unwind.

One of her most recent accomplishments that she is incredibly proud of is representing Team MN in bowling at the USA Games this summer. She won two silver medals in singles and doubles competitions and got fourth-place in the team event.

Being a Best Buddy Ambassador is important because it helps spread awareness about inclusion and the importance of everyone in a community feeling welcome and valued.

"Best Buddies makes me feel important and accepted for who I am. I love attending group activities with my best buddy."

Paige Trombley is a proud Special Olympics athlete, gymnast, paraprofessional, and passionate advocate for inclusion. One of her greatest accomplishments has been representing Team Minnesota at Nationals, where she earned two gold and three silver medals in gymnastics. But beyond the medals, her journey has taught her resilience, determination, confidence, and the importance of believing in yourself and never giving up on your dreams.

Paige is working toward becoming a public speaker because she wants to share her story, encourage others, and remind people that their voices and experiences matter. She has also written her first children's book, A Million Dreams, inspired by the child with autism that she has had the honor of being a PCA for. He has inspired her to begin writing children's books that help teach kids about disabilities, celebrate differences, and see the abilities and possibilities in every person. She hoping to publish A Million Dreams and continue creating stories that help children feel understood, represented, and empowered.

As a paraprofessional, she has the privilege of supporting students every day, helping with Best Buddies at the elementary school where she works. These experiences have shown her how powerful it is when someone takes the time to see the person beyond a disability and believes in what they can accomplish.

As a Best Buddies Ambassador, she wants to use her voice, her story, and her experiences to help create a world where everyone feels included, valued, and empowered to dream. We all have a million dreams inside of us, andshe hopes to help others believe that theirs are possible, too.