My name is Gianni Mercado and I have been apart of Special Olympics community since 2012. I learned about Special Olympics in middle school where I competed in Track & Field and from there I realized they had swimming and I have been competing in swimming for the past 13 years. I have earned many medals over the years at county and state competions and I even won a Bronze medal representing Team Florida in the US Games in 2022 for the 500 freestyle. I am so grateful for Special Olympics because it has given me the opportunity to not only travel to out of state competions but also out of the country. I was selcted in 2023 to compete in the Nevis to St. Kitts Open Water Cross Channel Swim, in which I had a partner and we split a 4K Open Water swim. This was such an amzaing experience and this would not have be possible without the support of the community. I have had the opportunity to compete in basketball, golf, surfing, open water swim and alpine sking.I am looking forward to competing in the upcoming SouthEast Winter games for Alpine Sking which will be held in February 2026 in North Carolina at the Appalachian Ski Mountain. In order to make this happen I need everyone's support to hit my goal. Please consider donating today to not only help me but all the other amazing athletes I train with on a weekly basis. We are all grateful of the support and remember that your generosity enables people with intellectual disabilities to experience the power of sports every day.

Did you know that nearly 70,000 unified partners and athletes with intellectual disabilities receive health exams and compete in year-round sports competitions at no cost to them or their families?  By raising funds, even more athletes will get to experience the joy of sports through the programs of Special Olympics Florida.

You can help! Please click DONATE NOW to make a quick, secure online donation, for my participation in the 2024 Sallarulo's Race For Champions.   

If you prefer to give by check, please mail your donation to the address below and be sure to add a note with my name and “Sallarulo's Race” so it gets credited to my page. Please remember to ask your employer if they will match your donation. 

Special Olympics Florida - Broward County
Nova Southeastern University
Attn: Sallarulo's Race
3301 College Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314