Local swimmer to represent Washington County in Special Olympics
Courtesy of Katy Day
Katy Day and her coach, Quimber Nutter, celebrate Katy’s victories at the 2018 state competition on Penn State’s campus. Nutter plans to cheer Day on from the sidelines when the swimmer competes in the 2022 USA Games in Orlando next June.
Courtesy of Katy Day
Katy Day’s twin sister Corrine, right, is one of the swimmer’s biggest cheerleaders. The sisters are pictured here at a regional meet on Carnegie Mellon’s campus.
Courtesy of Katy Day
Washington County swimmer Katy Day proudly wears a gold medal after competing at regionals on Carnegie Mellon’s campus a couple years ago. To qualify for the Special Olympics USA Games, an athlete must win gold at a state event; the athlete’s name is then entered into a random drawing and those selected head to the games.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Though Katy Day will represent Washington County on the Pennsylvania State swim team at the 2022 USA Games, her first love is soccer. The highly competitive athlete competes in soccer during the fall, field hockey in winter and swims during the summer season.
While the 2020 Summer Olympics is coming to a close, training for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games is just beginning.
And Washington County will be well-represented at those games in Orlando, Fla., scheduled for June 5 to 12.
“I’m just so proud of everybody,” said Jody Knight, program manager for Washington/Greene County Special Olympics. “I can’t remember the last time we had an athlete from our area make it to the USA Games. They’re super-excited about going and being selected.”
Representing Washington County in the games next year are swimmer Katy Day, a 2016 Canon-McMillan graduate, and coach Andy Knight, who will serve as the state team’s golf instructor.
This is the first time either has been selected for the Special Olympics USA Games and, according to Hailey Fuzak, Special Olympics PA marketing and public relations manager, the first time an athlete from Washington County has represented the area in the games.
“First I was kind of in shock,” said Day, who began swimming five years ago when she joined Washington/Greene County Special Olympics. “And then it’s like, kind of screaming and I hugged my sister.”
Day watched with her parents, Kelly and Brad, and her twin sister, Corrine, as her name was called during the live selection earlier this summer. Special Olympics athletes who win gold at a state event are entered into a drawing, and those individuals whose names are randomly pulled head to the USA Games.
“She was the last one called. We were watching the names tick down, and I thought it was in alphabetical order. When it got past the Ds or even the Ks, I was like, ‘Oh, Katy, I don’t think this is it,'” her father said. “But they were actually doing it by county. She was the last one called out. When we saw Kathryn Day, we just erupted.”
Day’s participation in the 2022 USA Games is a family affair. Brad Day said his daughter joined the Washington/Greene County Special Olympics on her own. He and his wife drive Katy to and from weekly practices at the Mon Valley YMCA, an hourlong commute they’re more than happy to make, and Katy’s sister is making a huge sign to hold in the stands during the 2022 games.
“I heard about (Special Olympics) from my friend. I asked if they had soccer. She said, ‘I don’t know,’ so I looked it up online,” said Day. When soccer wasn’t an option (it was added to the program three years ago), “I was like, swimming sounds fun! I’m just gonna swim!”
Day’s coach, Quimber Nutter, is a lifelong swimmer who began coaching for the WGSO the year Katy joined.
“She had no clue (about) swimming,” said Nutter. “She wanted to get in the pool and she just took to it. She’s a very natural swimmer.”
Day’s favorite race is the 100-meter backstroke, and even though she dislikes the butterfly stroke, she often competes in the individual medley, in which athletes swim all four strokes: back, breast, butterfly and freestyle.
Nutter said Day will most likely compete in the backstroke and individual medley races at the 2022 games.
Day said she’s nervous about competing, but she is excited to get in the water in Orlando.
When asked what she’s most looking forward to, Day said, “meeting my new team and swimming against the best in this country.”