Sport: Golf
Hometown: Seneca, KS
Trista Peterson has been a dedicated athlete with Special Olympics Kansas since she was 8 years old. Over the years, she’s competed in track, swimming, alpine skiing, snowshoeing, golf, and bowling — and she’s also been active in the Athlete Leadership program.
Special Olympics has given Trista opportunities to try new sports and connect with people she never would have met otherwise. “It has helped me stay active in sports beyond high school,” she says.
In high school, Trista was a three-sport athlete — playing basketball, volleyball, and running track — and earned the KSHSAA Spirit of the Sport Award during her senior year. She also made the National Honor Society and participated in clubs like KAYS, FCCLA, and SADD. On top of that, she was a Kansas Youth Leadership Forum Delegate and received a Ruby Rainbow Scholarship to attend college.
Outside of sports, Trista gives back to her community. She volunteers at her local hospital, helps at her parents’ restaurant, and even ran a Sno Cone business to raise money for others. She loves spending time with friends, singing Shania Twain songs, and she taught herself to swim across a 25-meter pool holding her breath the whole way — a fun hidden talent she’s proud of.
Being selected for her first USA Games is especially meaningful for Trista. Representing Kansas at this national stage shows her that everyone is capable of achieving their goals, no matter the obstacles. She’s preparing by practicing golf with her family, taking lessons, and using a simulator her brother built just for her.
Trista also works in the summer at her local grocery store and has previous experience scanning tickets for the Kansas City Chiefs. Currently, she’s a student at the University of Central Missouri, and she’s excited to carry the Sunflower State’s spirit to Minneapolis this June.
