CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the Olympic flame gets lit ahead of the 2024 Summer Games, former Carolina Panther Greg Olsen joined Philip Blount, a Special Olympics athlete and World Games gold medalist, in Charlotte for a fundraiser event intended to help students with disabilities.
The event raised money for the Philips Academy, a school named for Blount that helps students with language, learning, or cognitive disabilities. First opened in 2005 with just two students and two staff members, the school today has about 70 students and over 80% of graduates are working jobs.
“What you want for your child, is them to be given every opportunity for them to become the best they can be." Jane Blount, the co-founder of Philip’s Academy, said.
Olsen was the keynote speaker of Tuesday's event, which was held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.
"To invest in these children and see their potential that no one else sees, that takes vision," Olsen explained.
This is a vision that has benefited families like Shalonda Maldonado and her son.
“Kind of a silver lining, like I know that he’ll be okay, he’s learning things that will make him more independent," Maldonado said. "At Philip's, he seemed to find his voice."
The work has been so impactful for Maldonado, that she now teaches at the school.
“Philips Academy is magical to me," Maldonado said. "You can see the gradual changes, little by little, month by month and it’s a phenomenon thing to be a part of.”
That magic of Philips Academy helped Philip get the gold at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin.
“I know what it’s like to be considered different," Blount said.
He was front and center at the fundraiser event, and in 2023, he was the center of attention during the Special Olympics.
“We had to train till we were blue in the face," Blount said.
WCNC Charlotte watched Philip train, last year. His efforts landed him a gold medal in the shot put.
“[There was] such big competition, like you’re facing the world," Blount said.
Blount offered advice to other athletes now prepping for the Paris Olympics: “Train hard, excel,"
Tuesday's event is roughly a hundred days before the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony on July 26.
The Special Olympics World Games were last held earlier this year in Calgary, Canada, where athletes competed in winter sports. The World Games will be held again when Minnesota hosts summer sports in June 2026.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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