Palmer special athlete headed to Berlin for next-level competition

A decorated national athlete from Palmer is preparing to compete on the international stage.

After medaling in three events in the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Fla., Gretchen Winter is headed to Berlin this month to compete in the Special Olympics World Games, scheduled for June 17-25. A runner who has been successful in the 400-, 800-, and 1,500-meter races, Gretchen joins Eagle River powerlifter Bobby Hill as the only Alaskans on the 201-member delegation traveling to Germany this summer.

“I’m extremely excited and grateful to be going,” Gretchen said. “It was definitely an answer to a prayer.”

Her mother, Heidi Winter, explained the competitive structure of the selection process, which originally left a single opening for an Alaskan, and it had to be a powerlifter. It wasn’t until after selections had been made that things changed and an additional spot on the team opened for an Alaska runner.

As a high-functioning Special Olympian, Gretchen, 30, has the levels of both talent and independence that made her an ideal candidate for the opening, her mother said. “We are extremely proud of her.”

Add to that a dose of generational pride. Gretchen’s father, Wolfgang Winter, noted that his daughter will be competing at the same stadium that housed the 1936 Olympics, where his father was part of a gymnastics exhibition as a 16-year-old.

“We are very blessed,” he said. “In spite of her disabilities, she perseveres. We’re looking forward to Gretchen showing her stuff.”

She will run her events on the same track that Jesse Owens, widely regarded as the greatest track and field athlete in history, won four gold medals.

“I hope to win some gold medals while I’m there,” Gretchen said.

Those opportunities will come for her in the 800- and 1,500-meter events, and in a new event for her – the 4x100 relay, a sprint. Gretchen’s birthday falls on June 23, while she’ll be in Berlin. So the possibility of a birthday medal is especially exciting to her.

“That would be the highlight of the whole trip,” she said.

No stranger to competition, Gretchen was a three-sport student-athlete at Palmer High School, where she was part of the track, cross-country running, and cross-country skiing teams. She’s also an accomplished half-marathoner.

But it wasn’t until she went away to college in Wisconsin that she became involved with Special Olympics, her mother said.

“Running has always been my passion,” Gretchen said. “Special Olympics has given me a lot of self-confidence and given me a place to shine, in terms of running.”

Despite her prowess at longer distances, she said her favorite race is the 800 meters, because of her admiration for Athing Mu, who won gold in the event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics at the age of 19.

“She is one of my favorite athletes. She’s a Christian and she’s very inspirational to me when it comes to the 800,” Gretchen said. “She runs with joy. I want to run with joy in the 800 just like her.”

But it’s not all about the competition. Off the track, Gretchen said the opportunity to meet people and develop lasting friendships has been an important aspect of her Special Olympics experience that she looks forward to continuing in Berlin.

“I’m excited and a little nervous at the same time,” She said. “I want to do well and make my family proud.”

Special Olympics World Games is the flagship event of the Special Olympics movement, which promotes inclusion, equality and acceptance around the world. Alternating every two years between winter and summer games, the event will feature more than 7,000 Special Olympics athletes from over 190 countries who will compete in 26 Olympic-type summer sports.

In Alaska, Special Olympics serves more than 2,000 athletes in nine communities and more than 80 schools around the state through local community training programs.

“This is an incredible opportunity for Gretchen to demonstrate her athletic abilities, compete at the highest level on the world stage, and have life and cultural experiences that will stay with them for the rest of her life,” said Sue Perles, Special Olympics Alaska President/CEO. “I encourage every Alaskan to join me in cheering for Gretchen and to take pride in knowing that she will represent our state and our country with excellence and honor.”