Episode Details

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is a program that brings students of all abilities together, working as a team, building trust, and a lifelong love of sports and respect for one another. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to Weber State University, where Jordan School District students hit the court in a Special Olympics Unified Sports statewide basketball tournament. It is a tournament where everyone involved walks away a winner because of their hard work, big hearts, and compassion for one another. Hear what Utah Governor Spencer Cox and First Lady Abby Cox have to say about these amazing athletes.

We are here at Weber State, at the Unified Sports State Basketball Tournament, talking with the Governor and First Lady. Maybe this question answers itself because it's such a great event. You could be in a lot of different places today doing a lot of different things. Why be here right now?

Governor Spencer Cox:
Yeah. I'm supposed to be in a lot of different places, but this is the happiest place on earth right now. It's the happiest place in Utah. It's just incredible to see these student athletes coming together with their coaches and their families. And it's a permanent smile everywhere you go. Everyone is happy and we love it.

Anthony Godfrey:
And this has been one of your Show Up Initiatives right from the start. Why focus on Special Olympics and Unified Sports?

First Lady Abby Cox:
Well, as a former special education teacher, this is absolutely dear to my heart. It's also something that I experienced as a young person growing up. I had friends with disabilities that I saw in my congregation, in my school, in my community. This is an inclusion revolution and it's the most joyful, wonderful thing that we can do for our students.

Anthony Godfrey:
This has been rocket fuel for our inclusion efforts, your support for this program, and it's just moved us forward very quickly. What impact have you seen in your own life and in the lives of those you've encountered as you've been involved in this effort?

First Lady Abby Cox:
Yeah, you know, in my own life I couldn't do anything more joyful. Every time I come, my soul is filled up. Every time I'm around my friends with all different abilities they teach me what love, what belonging really looks like. And the most important thing I've seen in our schools is that not only are we friendly to people that are different or have a different story, but they're becoming friends, not just friendly. There's a difference. Full inclusion means we're friends, not just friendly.

Governor Spencer Cox:
Yeah. And this is, Abby says this all the time. This is the medicine that our society needs right now. And there's so much division out there, so much hate. And you don't see that here, right? It's changing who we are as people and these peer, the all ability peers, both the peers and our students with disabilities playing together. There's a bond that's formed there that is just so powerful. There's a sense of community, a sense of belonging, as Abby mentioned. And everybody's better because of it. We were talking to parents earlier, parents of students