Fourteen dedicated coaches will travel with a group of 54 athletes to represent Team NorCal at the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle from July 1-6.
The USA Games are hosted once every four years and feature delegations from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, highlighting more than 4,000 athletes and coaches in front of an expected 70,000 spectators. Leading Team NorCal’s athletes will be a group of esteemed coaches from across the region, including:
BASKETBALL
Mark Reynolds
Mark is a retired IT project manager who has coached with Special Olympics since 2005. He coaches basketball with his wife, Melanie, and is looking forward to the opportunity to represent Northern California with his team at the USA Games.
Melanie Kakalec
Melanie is a software engineer who has been involved with Special Olympics since 2003. She coaches basketball with her husband, Mark, and is excited to witness her team compete on a national stage.
John Nolan
John has been coaching with Special Olympics for more than 20 years. He is excited to watch his team perform at the highest level and be a part of their once-in-a-lifetime experience.
BOCCE
Christina Facio
Christina has been coaching with Special Olympics for 25 years and works as a special education teacher’s assistant in Sacramento. She is looking forward to her first USA Games experience and witnessing the joy and achievement of the athletes that she knows so well.
BOWLING
Donna Hepp
Donna works for the City of San Jose Department of Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services and has been a Special Olympics coach for more than 20 years. She has coached on a local, regional and international level (2011 World Games in Greece) and looks forward to the honor of representing Northern California with her athletes.
GOLF
Amy Kolb-Tucker
Amy has coached with Special Olympics for 20 years and is a retired special education teacher from Siskiyou County. She previously coached at the 2003 World Games in Ireland and is excited for the opportunity to be a part of the excitement at the USA Games.
David Kawakami
David is a retired special education teacher from Fresno who has more than 35 years of experience with individuals with intellectual disabilities. He is looking forward to further developing his relationship with Special Olympics and helping the athletes grow – both on and off the course.
INTERSCHOLASTIC UNIFIED SOCCER
Roman Gonzalez
Roman is a special education teacher at Clovis North High School and began the school’s Unified Sports program. He led the San Jose Earthquakes Unified Soccer team in training and competition over the summer, in which two matches were played against a team representing the LA Galaxy.
Mark Tackett
Mark is a history teacher at Clovis North High School and serves as a coach for the school’s Unified Soccer team. He helped lead the San Jose Earthquakes Unified Soccer team in training and competition over the summer, in which two matches were played against a team representing the LA Galaxy.
SWIMMING
Tod Picket
Tod is a former college swimmer and current business owner in Cameron Park who has more than a dozen years of experience in coaching swimming with Special Olympics. He is excited to take his involvement with Special Olympics to the next level at the USA Games and help athletes to reach beyond any perceived limitations.
Jennifer Wilson-Marchino
Jennifer is a therapeutic recreation specialist from Sacramento who has been a Special Olympics coach for nearly 20 years. She was involved with the 2014 USA Games in New Jersey and is looking forward to representing Northern California with her team in Seattle.
TENNIS
Christine Costamagna
A lifelong tennis player, Christine works for Bank of America in San Rafael and has been coaching, volunteering or supporting Special Olympics for nearly 20 years. She looks to use her own athletic experiences to help her team perform at their highest level at the USA Games in Seattle.
TRACK & FIELD
Lisa Tomasello
Lisa works at Pleasant Grove Middle School and has a diverse history of supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities, including 10 years of coaching experience with Special Olympics. She attended the 2014 USA Games and is excited to help build the legacy of the 2018 Northern California delegation.
Kristin Gudjohnsen
Kristin is the director of U.S. sales for a major worldwide company and has been supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities for more than 30 years. He was a part of the 2011 World Games in Greece and is looking forward to empowering athletes to reach their dreams in Seattle.
Stay tuned for more background on Team NorCal’s coaches and follow the team as they prepare for USA Games on Facebook, Twitter @SONorCal and Instagram @SpecialOlympicsNCA. Meet the team and support their journey.