What began with a single email has grown into a nationally recognized movement of inclusion at Decorah High School. After a Special Olympics Iowa representative encouraged Decorah Special Olympics Coach John Dunt to consider pursuing Special Olympics Unified Champion School status, Dunt consulted with Principal Brad Hurst and Activities Director Adam Riley—launching a year-and-a-half journey that has now earned Decorah High School National Unified Champion School Recognition.

Unified Champion Schools must meet ten standards across three key areas: Unified Physical Education, Student Leadership, and Whole-School Engagement. Decorah High School had long maintained a strong Unified Physical Education program. To build the remaining components, Dunt partnered with the DHS Student Leadership Committee, sparking a wave of student involvement.

“It has been amazing,” said Dunt. “The first meeting we had, there were so many students who wanted to get involved. This year, I’ve had students come up to me in the hallway asking how they can participate.”

Students echoed this excitement. Senior Mady Lippe shared, “I chose to become part of Unified Champions because every person should be given the same opportunities in life— inclusion matters for all, and who doesn’t want to have fun?” 

Senior Ari Albert added, “Being a Unified Champion means that I get the wonderful opportunity to participate with my classmates, creating long-lasting relationships and memories.”

From its start, the Unified Champions group—composed of Special Olympians and their peers—met monthly to plan inclusive events and expand awareness within the school. Their first major accomplishment was launching Decorah High School’s First Annual Inclusion Week, followed by the school’s first Unified Basketball Game, pairing Special Olympians with varsity boys’ and girls’ players.

The momentum continued. Last year, with support from Head Football Coach Mike Tangen, the group created a new Homecoming tradition: a flag football game where Special Olympians and senior football players played in front of the entire school. “I believe the football players have as much fun as our Special Olympians do,” Dunt said. “All of the smiles are so genuine and contagious.”

Students also produced a video for the Second Annual Inclusion Week, which was shared by Special Olympics Iowa and viewed more than 1,200 times.

A significant highlight came when the group—joined by coach Shannon Quandahl—traveled to Des Moines to play a Unified halftime basketball game at Casey’s Arena during the Boys’ State Basketball Tournament. Sophomore Special Olympian Emily Green shared, “You can have wonderful memories. My favorite memory was the basketball game on March 13, 2025. We took the whole group to Des Moines and took pictures after.” 

Senior Special Olympian Donnie Hrdlicka agreed, adding, “Going to Wells Fargo for state basketball was a lot of fun!”

Later in the spring, the team partnered with Boys’ Track Coach Brian Waskow to host two Unified Shuttle Relays during home track meets.

One requirement for Unified Champion School status is the ability to self-fund. With an initial grant from Special Olympics Iowa, the group sought a creative way to build sustainability. The result was the Cool School Polar Plunge, hosted on campus. The event raised more than $15,000, split between Special Olympics Iowa and the Decorah Unified Champions program.

“It was so popular that I was stopped by students for days asking if we would do it again,” said Dunt. “Students who were reluctant the first time now want to take the plunge.”

With support from Liz Fox, Dunt submitted the official application to Special Olympics North America. In September, the school received word: Decorah High School had earned the prestigious designation of National Unified Champion School. The school’s Special Olympics team was officially presented with the recognition banner at the State Bowling Tournament in Waterloo on November 22.

The program’s growth is far from slowing. This winter, the Unified Champions plan to host intrasquad halftime games during varsity basketball events, return to Des Moines for another Unified basketball appearance at the state tournament, participate in additional track relays, and expand to more sports.

The group also hopes its example inspires neighboring schools. Junior Nate Rhodes shared, “It truly shows that any school can do it. We are very isolated from other nationally recognized schools, and I hope it can spread.”