HighFIVE: Andie Zitek

Multi-sport athlete Andie Zitek has been named 2024 Special Olympics Colorado Female Athlete of the Year

Sports have always been an important part of Andie Zitek’s life, but as an adaptive athlete, she said she struggled playing on typical teams as a youth. When she was in fourth grade, one of her teachers suggested Special Olympics, which Andie says was “life changing”. 

Now 33, the Denver native has been a Special Olympics athlete for more than 20 years and was recently honored as the 2024 Special Olympics Colorado Female Athlete of the Year. 

“Being named Female Athlete of the Year and being inducted into the Hall of Fame is such an amazing honor. I am really proud to have been recognized for all my hard work and accomplishments,” says Andie.

Andie’s career as a Special Olympics athlete started with basketball, but over the years she added swimming, soccer, track and field, skiing, flag football, volleyball and tennis to her list of sports – as well as singing the national anthem at many Special Olympics Colorado events. While she has enjoyed participating in all sports, some of her greatest success has come with tennis.

“I started playing tennis in a summer tennis league when I was about 8,” says Andie. “I played tennis my senior year at Denver South High School. Fortunately, you didn't have to try out. If you went to practice, you could be on the team. I think I played in one or two matches. Then, a couple of years later I started playing on the Special Olympics team.”

Since then, Andie has represented Colorado in tennis in the Special Olympics USA Games in both 2018 in Seattle and 2022 in Orlando. Andie brought home a gold medal in mixed doubles with her partner, Chaz Moss, in 2018 as well as silver medals in singles in both 2018 and 2022. 

“The USA games were so much fun. It was such an amazing experience meeting athletes from all over the US. I met and made so many new friends.” 

Andie was also a featured athlete in the 2019 USTA Colorado Breaking the Barriers Rise to the Possible, an exhibit highlighting adaptive tennis in Colorado. Andie says, “I really enjoy the exercise I get when playing tennis and I really like competing. I know it’s not all about winning but that is one of the things that keeps me competitive…I really like it!”

In addition to her athletic involvement, which includes participating in the 2020 and 2021 Unified X Games in Aspen in skiing and playing on three Colorado Rapids Unified soccer teams, Andie has embraced many other opportunities with Special Olympics. She is a Fitness Captain, leading her sports team in activities related to fitness and a healthy lifestyle. She is a member of the Young Professionals Board, a group committed to raising funds and awareness to help end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. She graduated from Athlete Leadership University, a program focused on developing inclusive mindsets, providing skillsets, and practical tools with the aim of building capacity and strengthening leaders' abilities to achieve inclusion globally. 

“I’ve enjoyed the classes I’ve taken with Athlete Leadership University. It helped with my communication and speech writing. My main project focus was Unified Sport in Lower Schools. I think it’s really important to start the inclusion at a young age and not wait until high school,” says Andie.

Andie was on the Dean’s List every semester while earning certificates in Food Service and Child Care from the University of New Mexico Roswell. She currently works as a floating teacher at Warren Village.

Andie is proud that her entire family is involved with Special Olympics. Her brother Erik has coached many sports teams and was on the Development Committee of the Special Olympics Colorado Board of Directors. Her brother-in-law, Grayson, has coached snowboarding and soccer, sits on the Special Olympics Colorado Young Professionals Board with Andie and was recently elected to the Special Olympics Colorado Board of Directors. The Zitek family was recognized as the Special Olympics Colorado Change Makers Family of the Month in May 2022.

While Andie’s accomplishments on the court (and slopes, fields, etc…!) are impressive, it is her incredible sportsmanship, dedication, and kindness toward her fellow athletes that set her apart. These qualities also earned her the just announced honor of being named the Big 12 Conference Special Olympics Female Athlete of the Year, as part of a new relationship between the Big 12 and Special Olympics. 

Andie often talks about how much it means for her to feel included, and she makes sure she helps others feel the same way. “You can do anything you want whether you have a disability or not and you can do whatever you put your mind to”, says Andie.

To learn more about Andie’s 2024 Special Olympics Colorado Female Athlete of the Year honor, check out this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULCfeS_ktvQ.

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