All About Scott McCullough
By Martha Boddy
From the fields of Nashua, New Hampshire USA to the fields of Turin, Italy – it is time to shine a light on one athlete who will be representing the Granite State. His name is Scott McCullough.
Scott is a 48-year-old athlete who will be heading to Turin, Italy in March of 2025 to compete in the Winter World Games. Besides representing the USA, he is the one selected to represent New Hampshire at these games.
Scott started Special Olympics 40 years ago. He started when a friend from school told him about Special Olympics and being on a team. Scott states when he was 8 years old, he was with the Nashua Public Schools team and when he aged out of that team, he went to the Nashua team where he is still a team member.
Some sports Scott likes to do are basketball, bowling, softball, track and field, and cross-country skiing. His favorite winter sport is snowshoeing.
Scott works with Special Olympics New Hampshire (SONH) as a leader to show other athletes how to be strong and to have fun. Everyday Scott works on pushing through and overcoming people who say mean things about him. He has learned to stand up for himself and others.
Scott been very active in many things through Special Olympics and more. Scott served on SONH Board of Directors from 2011 to 2014. He is also SONH Athlete Leadership.
Scott is a Best Buddies Ambassador, too, and part of Citizens Adult Friendship program and very proud of being picked as Best Buddies Champion of the Year and Inclusion of Peer in November 2023. He also Has an opportunity to go to the Best Buddies International Conference (BBLC) July 2023. While there he learned to be an advocate for others, how to write and deliver speeches. He also met a lot of new friends there.
Some other cool things Scott has accomplished is being a Knights of Columbus 3rd and 4th Degree Member and if that not enough, Scott also produces and co-hosts a local tv show called “Special Talk with Scott McCullough”. It’s available on YouTube.
When I asked him who was his biggest cheerleader was, Scott said the President and CEO of SONH, Mary Conroy. He wants to thank her for believing in him.
When asked for three words he wants people to know him for, he said: Friendly, Helpful, and Kind. He is all of those!
Scott is very excited to be going to the World Games for New Hampshire and for the USA. The USA team has a surprise for the athletes and Scott hopes to get a WWE belt because he likes WWE. His favorite WWE star he is Drew McIntyre not only because he is a Special Olympics ambassador, but he has always been Scott’s go-to guy when watching WWE.
When asked if he was nervous, Scott said yes. He is nervous about stepping over the line before they say go.
He is very excited about the World Games and having team members from all over the US from Rhode Island to Oklahoma. He is also excited to meet the other Special Olympics athletes from all over the world.
Scott has got some advice from US coaches and local team coaches – be confident, do a really, really good job, and be on time. His USA coach is from New York and is named Chris Johnson. She is a big Yankees fan where Scott is a Red Sox from being in New England but they both agree to not let it get in the way of competition.
Scott was told he was nominated when he went out for supper and had a Zoom call telling him he was nominated. He officially found out he made the team at the Heroes Cup on August 3, 2024.
Scott has family going to Italy to watch him. His father and two sister and their husbands are going. He is nervous because he only knows three words in Italian. I ask him if he could meet one team which team he would like to meet he said Team France.
When he thinks back from where he started to where he is now, he wouldn’t think he was going to the World Games and represent not only the USA but our state of New Hampshire.
I wish Scott all the luck and to enjoy your time. I will be rooting for him!
“Way to go, Scott, and have fun!”
About the author: Martha Boddy has been an athlete with SONH on the Exeter team for 30 years. She is involved with our Athlete Leadership Program which helped her gain the confidence to build strong friendships and connections within our community. Martha recently completed Special Olympics North America’s 6-month athlete storytelling training series where she learned skills in communications and marketing.