When Nolensville’s Bethany Stineman returned home earlier this month from Orlando, she and her family discovered a sweet surprise.
The local fire and police departments escorted them on their drive through the town and on to Summerlyn Drive where family, friends, neighbors and even staff of local schools lined the subdivision’s main street.
They cheered for Stineman’s huge victory at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games. She won not one, but two gold medals.
Stineman stepped out of her car, shocked.
“I wasn’t expecting this at all!” she told her audience of friends, family and media.
Stineman hugged almost every person among the dozens that gathered to celebrate her wins. She even placed her shiny, heavy medals in the hands of a few, letting them feel the empowering weight of achievement.
Earlier this year, Stineman became the youngest and only female competitor from Williamson County, and the first from Nolensville High, to qualify for the Special Olympics USA Games.
After years of cancellations and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her family were ecstatic to finally attend the games. They fundraised throughout the first half of 2022 in order to attend.
And when it was finally time to depart for Florida, even the Town of Nolensville and its board of commissioners honored her.
During the event, Stineman produced the best throw of the shotput competition (5.05 meters), as well as the mini-javelin (13.3 meters).
Stineman’s mother, Pam Stineman, kept…
