By Sean Longley
For nearly 20 years, Jared Kozak has been an athlete participating in Special Olympics. Soon to be 32, Jared has participated in a number of sports throughout his time including athletics, basketball, and bowling in the past. Currently, he plays golf and bocce, which have become his two favorite sports. Jared has enjoyed participating in sports with Special Olympics because it has given him the space to develop sportsmanship, which he used to struggle with. On top of that, he has made many friends over the years and serves as a global messenger for the organization, attending many events and giving a number of speeches.
On top of all of his roles, Jared is also a big sports fan! He enjoys watching football and is a fan of the Raiders and Rams. When it comes to baseball and hockey, he loves his hometown teams, the Angels, Dodgers, Ducks and Kings.
In September, Special Olympics Southern California will be hosting the Plane Pull at the Long Beach Airport where teams will compete to see who can pull a 124,000-pound jet12 feet the fastest. Jared is very, very excited about the event. It will be the first time he gets to participate in person, as the last two years have been virtual. He did enjoy the event in the past, particularly getting to decorate the wooden planes. But, he is excited to get out there and work with his team to pull a real plane this year. To prepare, he has been working on his stretches and doing various exercises in order to help his team compete for the fastest pull time.