USA Games Athlete Spotlight: Track And Field Star, Timothy Woodall Prepared To Compete

By Quyen Nguyen

Timothy Woodall is a dedicated athlete who strives to be on the podium every chance he gets. He is from Long Beach, California, and is currently preparing for USA Games. The track and field star is confident in his skills and wears his accomplishments proudly. Joining Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) gave him the chance to be surrounded by people that he loves, like his family, friends, and coaches, who support him every step of the way. He shares, “Everyone believes in me, that I am a winner.” 

The love that Timothy has for sports and working out is unmeasurable. Dorothy Rucker, who has always supported Timothy’s journey, says that “Every day he works out. Every day he goes to the track and runs and runs. He starts at 7:30 in the morning and he has a trainer that he works out with and then at 3:00 in the afternoon, he meets up with another coach where he goes to the track and trains.” Whenever Timothy is not at school, he is committed to working out. Dorothy goes on to say that “Anybody who wants to work out, he will work out with them!”  

Timothy has taken the opportunity to make new friends that share the same interest; working out and sports. Having friends who also enjoy these things makes it easy for him to be accountable and consistent, all while doing what he enjoys. He has never competed at USA Games before and will be representing Southern California for the first time. He shares that he is excited to meet athletes from all over the country.  

By participating in Special Olympics, Timothy has a space to do what he loves and to be himself. When asked to describe himself in one word he chose the word “happy”. He has gained confidence through sports and friendship which has made him an all-around athlete.