By Kimberly Villa
Krystal Johnson is no stranger to Special Olympics Southern California. In the 21 years she’s been involved, she has participated in tennis, athletics, bowling, and floor hockey. Off the field, she serves on the SOSC Board of Directors and is a Global Messenger. Krystal will be representing SOSC in tennis, her favorite sport, at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Florida in June.
Krystal has competed in two previous USA Games and at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, she served as a volunteer bus greeter, welcoming athletes as they arrived from around the world. Most recently she represented Team USA at the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi, which is her favorite Special Olympics memory. In addition to competing, meeting new friends, and visiting the mall, Krystal enjoyed trying many new foods, sand duning, and riding a camel.
During the time off from Special Olympics throughout the pandemic, Krystal stayed active riding on the exercise bike, playing tennis, and participating in the Healthy Lifestyle Challenge. She continually emphasizes the need to “stay fit, stretch, and try my best,” and wants to make sure that her friends and teammates also heed that advice.
Krystal said that she was so excited when she found out that she would be going to USA Games and is looking forward to traveling, having fun, competing, and making new friends.