Rolando has participated with Special Olympics for more than 45 years.  He started with Track & Field in San Jose when he was only 8 years old.  When his family moved to Lincoln in 1990, he became involved with many more sports.  He tried basketball for the first time, softball, bowling and his favorite sport: bocce ball!  Rolando has had to travel to different areas to participate in his sports because Lincoln didn’t offer everything he enjoyed.

 

He graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in San Jose, where he loved school so much he only missed 2 days in his 4 years (because of family funerals).  Rolando has had many jobs, and currently works for Walmart and Studio 700 where he makes and sells many paintings, jewelry and ceramics.  He rides the bus for over 2 hours to work so he can talk with people on the way, and wants to make everyone he meets happy. Rolando works every day of the week so he can participate in Special Olympics on the weekend. 

 

Rolando lives with his mom, Ruth; his uncle, José ; his younger brother, Armando; and his cousin, Clemente: who are all special needs.  He is a tremendous help to his mom in caring for all of them. He has a brother, Rudy, and a sister, Yvette.  Rolando’s father passed away and he misses him dearly.  They would always walk their dogs together at Folsom Lake.  He loves watching DIY shows, Animal Planet, the Giants, the Kings and softball! 

 

Anyone who has had the pleasure to meet Rolando will tell you he has a tremendous sense of humor, a heart of gold and is a genuine delight to be around.  One of his coaches said his quick humor and hugs can “turn a frown upside down.”  He is a man of few words and there is a special gentleness about him, and he truly cares about everyone. He has many friends and always wants to help anyone who may be struggling. Rolando is a great help to his coaches, teammates, friends and family.  He is truly the epitome of a Special Olympics athlete!