Geannette Wittendorf

Recently, a lucky handful of Special Olympians were honored with the opportunity to celebrate their wins with POTUS Donald Trump. Active Special Olympics supporter, Geannette Wittendorf shares her thoughts on this exciting highlight. A team of Special Olympians represented Team USA at the 2019 Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The efforts of the team proved victorious, with several members of the team bringing home shiny Gold medals! When they returned home, a special fan awaited their arrival: President Donald Trump. The occasion at the Oval Office was an exciting moment for both the Special Olympians and the President himself. Matt Millett, an athlete representing Special Olympics Massachusetts , described the meeting as “a phenomenal experience.” The atmosphere of the White House was filled with positivity and power as the President congratulated these incredible athletes on their accomplishments. To commemorate the meeting, Special Olympics In...

As a major fan of the Olympic games, Geannette Wittendorf can’t wait to cheer on her favorite athletes at Tokyo 2020.  Recently, it was announced that tickets for the games will go on sale May 9, 2019.  But here’s the catch: only Japanese residents will be able to purchase tickets. It’s an interesting part of the Olympics that people often overlook.  Tickets are initially sold only to residents of the host country. Even then, tickets are purchased in a lottery.  But don’t fret, there’s still a chance for you to attend the 2020 Summer Olympics! But there’s a catch: it’s going to cost you quite a pretty penny.  You’ll have to be willing to burn a hole in your wallet if you want to snag tickets at resale prices. Now, you’re probably thinking:   resale?  Isn’t that dangerous?  No one wants to be scammed!  And when the tickets are marked up by more than 20%, this isn’t exactly something you want to play around with.  That’s why...

Geannette Wittendorf is a proud supporter and fan of the Olympics. She is incredibly inspired by the courageous efforts of Olympian Gabriele Grunewald, who isn’t letting her battle with cancer keep her from running to victory. The Olympic games are always full of inspiration.  The victories, the ups and downs and the energy of the atmosphere is powerful enough to grip spectators in a motivational way.  What’s even more inspiring than the actual events are the incredible athletes who compete. Their backstories are often awe-inspiring, with many Olympians having overcome adversity in amazing ways.  In particular, Team USA’s middle-distance runner, Gabriele “Gabe” Grunewald is an Olympian with a tremendous story of perseverance. In 2009, Gabriele Grunewald was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary gland.  In 2010, with treatment for the condition under her belt, she crossed the 2010 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships finish...

As a German-American, Geannette Wittendorf finds herself supporting both Team USA and Germany at the Olympic Games. It makes matters just a bit more exciting! Following two teams of incredible athletes is quite a fun journey. Wittendorf enjoys researching highlights of past Olympic games. Recently, she discovered an incredible young athlete who won a Gold medal for USA at only 13 years old: Marjorie Gestring. Marjorie Gestring is revered as one of the youngest Olympians to ever win a Gold medal. At just 13 years and 268 days old, she competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics, which were hosted in Berlin, Germany. This was an incredible historical feat which made her, at the time, the youngest person ever to win an Olympic Gold medal -- in any event! Gestring was a competitive springboard diver with an impressive career for someone so young. After winning Gold in Berlin, she continued to claim victories at national competitions across the United States. For two consecutive ...