2 Hawaii Special Olympic athletes are gearing up for the World Games in Abu Dhabi

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Two Hawaii residents will represent the United States in the upcoming Special Olympics World Games.

Khiry “Rainie Jade” Thompson and Tyler Morimoto are part of the track and field team. They’re busy training and preparing to head to Abu Dhabi in March to compete.

Thompson is from Kaneohe and has been training year-round in track and field. She joined the Special Olympics in 2013.

Meanwhile, Morimoto is a student at Roosevelt High School and has been an athlete since 2010.

“Representing Hawaii and our country is an outstanding honor for both Rainie and Tyler, and we’re excited to have them showcase Hawaii on a global platform. It’s always a pleasure to see our athletes succeed and to see firsthand their dedication and hard work paying off,” said Dan Epstein, Special Olympics Hawaii COO.

“We hope that the community will join us in supporting them -- either by making a tax-deductible donation or by donating their Hawaiian Miles -- to help make their dream of competing for gold a reality,” Epstein added.

They will be a part of a delegation of 217 athletes and 63 coaches that will make up Special Olympics USA. The national team will compete in 17 sports, including both individual and team formats, as well as Special Olympics Unified sports.

Also traveling to Abu Dhabi is HPD officer Rob Steiner, who has been chosen to represent Hawaii.

He’ll join 87 other Law Enforcement Torch Runners who will pass the Flame of Hope to signify the start of the world games.

For more information on Special Olympics and to donate to the organization, click here.

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