Beyond the Game: A Special Olympics Pennsylvania Profile Series
During the 2024 Winter Games in February, Melissa Lorback competed in the 4×100 snowshoe relay, the snowshoe 400-meter, 200-meter, and 100-meter. Although her competition schedule was packed, Melissa sat down with us to share a bit about herself.
Get to know Melissa’s story in this issue of Beyond the Game.
“My name is Melissa Ann Lorback and I’m from Chester County, down near Philadelphia. I’ve been a part of Special Olympics since 2007. I’ve been preparing for Winter Games since November [2023]. I’ve competed in Winter Games since 2018, and I love how we get snow and how I always meet new people every year.
Along with snowshoe, I do cycling, swimming, and long distance running and walking. I’m really busy.
But my favorite thing about Special Olympics is all the different people you meet, the people that encourage you and cheer you on. I remember during my first year at Fall Fest I got gold and my whole family was there to watch me.
“Outside of Special Olympics Pennsylvania, I work part-time as an aid at a middle school in West Chester with life skills kids. A lot of my kids do Special Olympics, too.
I became an aid because one of my mom’s friends who is a teacher at the school said, ‘You should become an aid because you’re so good with kids!’ I’ve been an aid there since November 2022, and I get to teach my kids about what inclusion means and what it means to be kind.
I also love dancing and playing with my dog.” #BraveTheBear and sign up for a Plunge near you, visit www.PlungePA.org
