Olympic Day at the Salem YMCA: A Celebration of Sport, Community, and Inclusion

On Tuesday, June 24th, the spirit of the Olympics came alive inside the Withnell Family YMCA Gymnasium in Salem, Oregon, where players of all ages and backgrounds came together to play, connect, and be inspired by Olympic values.

This free event honored International Olympic Day, and was led by 2x Olympian Sean O’Neill, who was joined by a distinguished team of volunteers and organizations supporting table tennis and inclusive sport across Oregon.

Special Thanks To:

• Willamette Table Tennis Club
  Provided club tables and a team of dedicated volunteers who kept the event running smoothly from start to finish.
• Oregon Chapter of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Association
  Represented by 1980 US Olympian John McArdle and 1972 Winter Olympian Jack Elder, offering Olympic wisdom and encouragement throughout the afternoon.
• Adaptive Sports Northwest
  Brought incredible energy and representation, led by Mat Weber, a passionate advocate for Paralympic table tennis.
• Paddle Palace Table Tennis Company
  Donated cutting-edge STIGA Cybershape paddles as giveaways for lucky participants, helping spark even more excitement.
• USA Table Tennis (USATT)
  For their national support of Olympic Day events and promotion of grassroots growth through events like these.

Enjoy some highlights from the event below:

A Day to Remember

No registration. No barriers. Just people coming together to enjoy the game. From high-level coaching moments to first-time players discovering the joy of table tennis, this event embodied everything Olympic Day stands for: Friendship, Respect, and Excellence.

We’re proud to have been part of it and we hope to see even more paddles spinning next year!

#OlympicDay #YMCA #SalemOregon #TableTennis #AdaptiveSports #PaddlePalace #STIGACybershape #TeamUSA #PingPongForAll #USATT #OlympianImpact #InclusiveSport