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Wayne woman claims three medals at Special Olympics
Wayne woman claims three medals at Special Olympics
Elizabeth Faragi , NorthJersey.comFri, Jul 17, 2026·3 min readA Wayne resident recently won gold at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.
Samantha Ramirez, a 25-year-old swimmer with Down syndrome, won two gold medals and one bronze at the event in Minnesota at the end of June.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRamirez won gold in the 4x25 yard freestyle relay and the 25-yard backstroke. She won bronze in the 50-yard butterfly.
"I'm feeling very proud of myself, I feel like I'm a champion," Ramirez said. "I'm proud of my teammates and I'm feeling inspired."
Her time in the 50-yard butterfly was 51.50 and her time in the 25-yard backstroke was 27.05.
Linda Barnes, the assistant coach for the Cyclones, the swim team for special needs adults that Ramirez swims for, said that butterfly and backstroke are her best events.
"It's a joy to watch her," Barnes said. "It's a joy to see how she always wants to improve herself and how she roots for other people. She just (has) good sportsmanship."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRamirez said the butterfly and backstroke are her favorite events. She also really enjoys diving into the water.
Her times to qualify for the 2026 games was 25.03 for the 25-meter backstroke and 23.32 for the 25-meter butterfly, according to Barnes.
"Competing is like my entire life. It's been amazing," Ramirez said. "I had a really good experience there."
Part of going to the Special Olympics is being on your own. While Ramirez's parents were out there with her, they were not allowed to be with her. Athletes have to be able to be on their own for a week without their family. She spent a lot of time with her teammates and bonded with them.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I love talking to them," Ramirez said. "I always talk about my personal stuff with them and I have this really strong bond with them."
Ramirez's mother, Cindy, admitted she was initially nervous for Ramirez to go, but she's really proud of how well she did.
She loved "watching her teammates and her just love on each other when they did win," Cindy said. "Even when they didn't (win,) it was all OK. It was just like, 'we love you' and they're high fiving each other."
Ramirez has been swimming competitively for about 10 years, according to her mother, but she's been in the water even longer.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"She's been in the pool since she was a baby," Cindy said. "I don't even think Sam took swimming lessons, to be honest."
Ramirez has always been very goal-oriented, according to Cindy and Barnes. She's always looking to improve.
"She's looking to improve herself," Barnes said. "She really listens to coaching and when we're telling her things that she should do different, she really listens and tries her hardest. She's great."
Cindy explained Ramirez has always been inspired and determined to do things.
"Somebody said, 'Oh, maybe you can go to the Olympics,'" Cindy said. "She was like, 'I want to go to the Olympics.' And she did it."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRamirez said her next goal is to be on Broadway and dance.
"It's really amazing to see your child accomplish goals that they work so hard at or they're so passionate about," Cindy said. "Down Syndrome is low muscle tone. Swimming is all muscle. I'm proud of her and I am inspired by her."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Wayne woman claims three medals at Special Olympics
Story byThe Bergen Record