We imagine winners and athletes as icons we see on television or social media — superstars and phenoms, idolized by thousands. But winners and athletes aren’t always global sensations; some may live in your community.
Santa Rosa Junior College graduate and current student Teralyn Pomerinke, 48, recently brought home a gold medal in basketball from the Special Olympics playing forward on the Northern California team. Having graduated for the first time in 2022 with an administrative assistant certificate and walking the stage in spring 2023, Pomerinke is back currently studying business administration at SRJC, as well as being an athlete leader with the Special Olympics Northern California.
Special Olympics is a nonprofit dedicated to enriching the lives of people with intellectual disabilities via education, sports and health. Its programs aim to improve awareness, acceptance, health and wellbeing for those with intellectual disabilities.
Being an athlete leader entails being an ambassador for the Special Olympics and being a public advocate for people with intellectual disabilities. Pomerinke is vocal in her support for her community, stating that she wishes special athletes were “treated equally.”
SRJC business instructor Ryan Wenzel has the same wish.
“I’d like Teralyn’s story to be viewed by the community the same as any of our students who win a gold medal at the Olympics,” Wenzel said. “She isn’t a ‘disabled athlete’ or a ‘special athlete’ or a ‘woman athlete’ — she is an athlete who went to compete with the best in her class and won.”
Pomerinke’s hard work paid off when she took home a gold medal in basketball. The gold medal game went into double overtime, which Pomerinke recounted as her favorite moment of the final game. “It was amazing; it was a great experience,” she said. “I love the Special Olympics. They always support me. I was just cheering my team on. We did what we could. I’m very proud.”
Wenzel said, “Teralyn’s determination and tenacity are amazing. She knows what she wants and is willing to do what she needs to get there. I’d say that same trait serves her well on the court. She won’t give up until the buzzer hits, and she refuses to lose.”
Pomerinke is not only a business major and a gold medalist. She gave a speech in front of the State Legislature and the governor of California on March 11, 2024, about helping raise money for the Special Olympics in a three day “capital day” event.
The gold medal that hangs around Pomerinke’s neck doesn’t tell the whole story of how successful she is. She faces challenges every single day and perseveres to overcome anything that is thrown at her.
“She faces challenges every day; every disabled person does,” Wenzel said. “The world isn’t designed for us, it’s designed for able-bodied people. When faced with these challenges, Teralyn does what she always does — work harder than anyone else until she overcomes those challenges.”
