Local man becomes Special Olympics Ambassador

ODESSA- Growing up can be awkward and uncomfortable but being different from "normal" can be even more demanding.

33-year-old local man Tim Dempsey has found his normal through the Special Olympics. He said his experience with the Special Olympics improved his life tremendously.

"Life before the Special Olympics was super hard," Dempsey said. "I had severe ADHD and what they call selective mutism."

He said holding conversations could be difficult due to the lack of eye contact and the inability to communicate.

"I wouldn't talk to anyone," Dempsey said. "If I did, I would look away."

Dempsey had his first experience with the Special Olympics at age eight. He said he didn't understand the Special Olympics until two or three years later, but one event stuck out to him: Tip-a-Cop, an official Law Enforcement Torch Run Campaign fundraising event.

"The cops served us food," Dempsey said. "They were in full uniform, just raising money."

Dempsey said this was his first experience outside of participating in sporting events.

"This was my first event outside of doing sports," Dempsey said. "I was probably nine years old."

He said working with a mentor, Tyler Bjork, helped him gain confidence.

Dempsey said in 2009, a friend invited him to the first-ever Project Unify Bridge meeting in Lincoln, Neb.

"Back then, it was just a small meeting," Dempsey said. "We were trying to get unified sports inside schools to make it more inclusive for everyone."

The school faculty praised the proposal. Dempsey said they were invited back to an even more significant event in 2010 in Omaha, Nebraska.

"Instead of going as an athlete, I was able to go as an athlete ambassador and delegator," Dempsey said.

Omaha hosted the USA Special Olympics in 2010, and over 3,000 athletes and 1,000 coaches and official delegates attended. There were participants from all 50 states.

Dempsey said Project Unify turned into Unified Championship Schools about five years ago.

In 2018 Dempsey attended a Microsoft-hosted gaming tournament for the Special Olympics in Bellevue.

"I competed against five to six different people separately," Dempsey said. "We won the competition."

He said the experience changed his life after he was able to attend the U.S.A. Special Olympics in 2018, in Seattle.

"The opening games were amazing," Dempsey said. "We all got applause as we walked down to the stadium the whole way."

Dempsey recently went through two days of training in the Tri-Cities to be an ambassador.

"I realized the troubles that I went through," Dempsey said. "I could show everybody; if I can do it, you can do it too."

He said it's important to him to spread the word about the Special Olympics.

"It'll change your life," Dempsey said. "The most enjoyable part is...there's nothing bad in the Special Olympics; you're not judged."