Team Arizona packed some serious hardware for the flight home from Minneapolis.
Special Olympics Arizona reports that its athletes earned 40 medals at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, including 22 gold, 10 silver and eight bronze. The national competition brought together about 3,000 athletes, 1,500 coaches and 75,000 fans from all 50 states.
Arizona’s delegation included more than 133 athletes, Unified partners and coaches. The official results roster lists 87 Arizona athletes competing across 11 sports, from athletics and basketball to swimming, powerlifting and volleyball.
Powerlifting delivered one of the week’s biggest flexes.
Sara Doughty of Kingman collected four medals, including two gold and two silver, while Mesa athlete Zakarias “Zak” Hollingshead earned three gold medals. The pair combined for seven trips to the podium. Official Games records confirm both athletes competed for Arizona in powerlifting.
Hollingshead also broke a national record with a bench press topping 400 pounds, according to Special Olympics Arizona. That is not just strong. That is rewrite-the-record-book strong.
“This was such a great week and a moment that our athletes will cherish forever,” Special Olympics Arizona President and CEO Jamie Heckerman says. “I am so proud of Team Arizona, they competed, they had fun, they overcame challenges, and most importantly, made new friends and really showcased what Special Olympics is all about: becoming champions for a more inclusive world.”
Athletics led Team Arizona’s medal charge with 13 golds, two silvers and five bronzes. Arizona also reached the podium in bocce, cheer, golf, powerlifting, softball, swimming and volleyball.
The USA Games featured 16 Olympic-style sports, but the real win stretched far beyond the medal count. The week gave athletes a national stage to compete, connect and show exactly what inclusion looks like in motion.
For Team Arizona, Minneapolis delivered podium moments, new friendships and enough hometown pride to fill an extra suitcase.
Insider Takeaways
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Team Arizona flew home with 40 medals and absolutely no room left in the carry-on. The final haul included 22 gold, 10 silver and eight bronze medals.
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Zak Hollingshead benched more than 400 pounds and powered his way into the national record book. Sara Doughty and Hollingshead combined for seven powerlifting medals.
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Athletics owned the podium with 20 of Arizona’s medals, including 13 gold.
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Arizona competed across 11 sports with athletes, Unified partners and coaches representing the state.
To learn more, visit specialolympicsarizona.org.
