Athlete's dream comes true when she's surprised with entry into Special Olympics USA Games

Lumene Montissol is ready to make her mark at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando.
Montissol, 26, lives in the Boston area, and has earned 12 gold medals competing in basketball, track and field, and soccer at the Special Olympics Massachusetts. Her nickname is "The Lightning," thanks to her fast sprint, and she told Good Morning America's Robin Roberts this week that participating in the Special Olympics has helped boost her confidence.
Because she is shy, Montissol felt she had no one to talk to, but when she is with her fellow athletes, "I become more talkative to others and it makes me feel happy," she said. Roberts asked Montissol about her dream of competing at the Special Olympics USA Games, and Montissol responded that she is "still crossing my fingers that I can make it."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Montissol didn't know that her father was waiting nearby with a box, and Roberts asked him to hand it to his daughter. She opened it, and found a Special Olympics hat inside. Roberts then gave Montissol the big news: She's advancing to the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games. A surprised Montissol began to cry, telling Roberts she was "crying because I'm happy. It makes my dream already come true. I feel super grateful for it. I've been waiting for this dream for a long time." She also shared a message for her fellow athletes: "Keep believing in yourself and keep training hard and be proud of who you are."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Aug. 12 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Tuesday’s political cartoons include ICE youth, the self-serving EPA, Vladimir Putin demanding Alaska back, and Donald Trump with Jeffrey Epstein
-
Nicola Sturgeon's memoir: making the personal political
Talking Point Former Scottish first minister attempts to set record straight in 'Frankly' but does she leave more questions than answers?
-
Trump-Putin: would land swap deal end Ukraine war?
Today's Big Question Ukraine ready to make 'painful but acceptable' territorial concessions – but it still might not be enough for Vladimir Putin
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively