Adams County athlete Darrell Grooms wins gold, bronze at Special Olympics

Darrell Grooms brought home two medals from the 2026 Special Olympics Ohio State Summer Games, giving Adams County a hometown name to celebrate on a statewide stage. Grooms earned bronze in the Softball Throw and then won gold in the 100M Dash at the games on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus.

The Summer Games ran May 29-31 and drew more than 2,400 athletes and Unified partners from across Ohio. Special Olympics Ohio describes the State Summer Games as its largest annual event, part of a year-round program that serves about 20,000 athletes in all 88 counties and offers 19 Olympic-style sports.

Grooms competed in the Softball Throw and the 100M Dash as part of Highland County Special Olympics under Nathan Boatman. Highland County Special Olympics says 114 athletes take part in its program, which includes basketball, unified softball, track and field, flag football, bowling, unified golf, bocce and cornhole. That network of athletes, coaches and volunteers gave Grooms a path to compete far beyond local gyms and fields.

For Adams County readers, Grooms is already a recognizable figure through his work with the Venture Hawks, where he has been a standout in local sports coverage for years. His medals at the State Summer Games showed a different side of that same competitive drive, moving from familiar county hardwood to one of the biggest Special Olympics stages in Ohio. The result underscored how local achievement often depends on a wider support system, from county programs to regional coaching and the statewide structure that Special Olympics Ohio says is built around training, competition, courage, joy and friendship.

Grooms’ finish also reflects the reach of Special Olympics programs in southwest Ohio, where county lines do not limit opportunity. His bronze and gold were personal victories, but they also put a spotlight on the athletes, coaches and organizers who make it possible for residents with disabilities to compete, travel and be seen. For Adams County, Grooms’ trip to Columbus was more than a medal count. It was proof that local talent can break through on a much larger stage when the right program support is in place.