Aimee Libby: A champion of inclusion and family in Special Olympics Minnesota

After her first delegation meeting with Special Olympics Minnesota in 2011, Aimee Libby remembers saying to herself, “I am supposed to be here.” At the time, Aimee was entering a new role as the parent of an athlete, but she was no stranger to sports or Special Olympics. She spent her early college days as a high jumper for the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, where she was first introduced to Special Olympics. “We hosted area meets,” Aimee remembers. “I volunteered at them, and I absolutely loved it.”

Fast forward several years, Aimee and her husband, Chad, welcomed their first child: their daughter Peyton, who experienced a birth injury. When Peyton began missing various milestones as an infant, Aimee and Chad decided to have her evaluated by a developmental pediatrician, where they discovered that her birth injury to her shoulder had impacted her cognitively as well. “Beginning when she was 4 weeks old, she was in physical therapy and occupational therapy due to her birth injury,” Aimee says. “So, we’ve been in the therapy world since she was born.”

But for nearly all of Peyton’s life, she has had her brother, Carson, looking out for her. Just 21 months younger than Peyton, Carson grew up going to doctor appointments, OT, PT and speech therapy sessions with Aimee and Peyton. “Peyton’s speech was delayed and very difficult to understand, but even at a young age, Carson would act as her translator,” Aimee recalls. “Sometimes the speech therapists would bring Carson into the room, because he was just so supportive and helpful motivating Peyton.”

Aimee remembers hitting many roadblocks when trying to bring Peyton to various community education programs, from swimming lessons to “Mommy and Me” classes. “It was exhausting to go and explain every time the extra support Peyton might need,” Aimee says. “It was difficult to even find instructors who would work to include Peyton.” After trying several programs and never finding the right fit, Aimee decided to take things into her own hands.

“As a parent, it was like a knife to the heart,” Aimee says. She watched her son join sports like tee-ball with no problems, but her daughter was left out time and time again. She remembers thinking that there must be something for Peyton. So she reached out to Special Olympics Minnesota during the summer of 2011. “Right away, I got an email from Kelly Monicatti, who let me know there was a delegation planning meeting coming up near me,” Aimee says.

Within two meetings, Aimee had volunteered to lead local marketing and promotion, leveraging her background as a freelance graphic designer. In less than a year, the new delegation, called the St. Michael-Albertville Stallions, held their first track and field practice with just seven athletes. Before long, Aimee became the Head of Delegation, allowing her own experiences with Peyton to guide her.

As Head of Delegation, Aimee has been a trailblazer in growing Unified sports in Minnesota, which creates opportunities for individuals with and without disabilities to compete on the same team. “At first, people thought it was crazy that we let kids without disabilities participate,” Aimee says. “It all started because Carson wanted to join his sister. He would include all kids at school when they were being left out and wanted so badly to be a part of the movement.” A few years later, when he was just eight years old, Aimee and Carson became Unified partners during the track and field season, competing in the Stallions’ very first Unified event and sport. As a former track athlete, it was an incredible experience for Aimee.

“Sometimes people would assume I was only doing this for my own kid,” Aimee says. “But I had so many parents come to me and say that their kids without disabilities didn’t know how to interact with their siblings with disabilities, and this was a great way to help them have something in common.” From the very start, Unified has been a priority for Aimee’s delegation. Because of this, their Special Olympics community attracts athletes from all over. “Seeing what it has done for our family and so many families is what fuels me,” Aimee says. “We want our team to feel like a family, and I have never turned someone away.”

Aimee has seen the impact of inclusion, both personally and from other families. “I’ve seen athletes come to our delegation in middle school, and they are so beat down from being bullied. But then you see the change happen when they’re given opportunities and you see them so fulfilled and full of joy. I get so many people who contact me about their kid struggling within their school community, I understand because we lived it. I don’t want anyone to feel like that.” Now, the Stallions have over 100 athletes on their roster, supporting individuals as they move through life from high school graduations to weddings to new jobs and beyond.

Aimee works to make the athletes’ experiences equitable and exciting. Carson played football at Orono High School, and Aimee remembers seeing all the high-quality gear the team received. As a graphic designer, Aimee didn’t settle for anything less. She knew her team deserved the same quality jerseys and uniforms as the varsity athletes, and the Stallions fundraised to make it possible. They took the Polar Plunge, hosted meat raffles and organized a few share nights at the Culver’s a few of the Stallions athletes work at. “I don’t want to make our athletes feel like an afterthought,” Aimee says. “That includes our practice facilities, we make sure that our practice facilities have high standards and fit our needs.”