It was down to the final tense moments for Sean Quinlan competing in the bocce unified male doubles finals during the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in June in Minnesota.
With his ball, Sean took his last shot and scored. He put his team from New Jersey ahead by a point and also unknowingly set them up for victory. The opposing team from Alabama choked on its final shot of the match, handing the championship — and a gold medal — to the Garden State players, 7 to 6.
At nationals, Sean, 47, grabbed another gold medal for the four-man bocce unified team, also part of Team New Jersey, and placed fifth in the bocce medal round. He has Down syndrome and lives in the Basile assisted living apartments in Wayne, N.J., operated by the Department of Persons with Disabilities (DPD), part of Catholic Charities of the Paterson Diocese, N.J.
After Sean made the championship throw in the doubles final, Roger Quinlan Jr., Sean’s older brother, remarked to one of their sisters that their deceased parents probably “helped him.” Sean agreed, while also crediting God’s power.
“I was happy to win two gold medals. While I was playing, I felt the presence of my mom and dad, who always supported me. I could hear them say, ‘Good job’ and ‘We’re proud of you,’” Sean said, getting emotional during an interview with BeaconNJ.com. Their mother, Kathleen, died in 2008 at 64. Their father, Roger Sr., died in 2012 at 69. Sean added, “I also felt that God was with me.”
The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games took place from June 20 to 26, uniting3,000 athletes and 1,500 coaches from all 50 states to compete across the Twin Cities. Sean has competed in the annual Special Olympics games in New Jersey in various sports for more than 40 years, but this was his first time competing in the nationals.
Italian in origin, bocce is a bowling game played on a long, narrow court of sand, clay, grass, or carpet, with bocce balls rolled to stop as close as possible to a small target ball.
In the past, Sean competed in track and field, softball, and bowling in the N.J. Special Olympics. He started playing bocce about 25 years ago in his family’s hometown of Bloomfield, N.J. Today, he plays in Wayne, N.J.
From June 5 to 7, Sean competed in the Special Olympics N.J. in Ewing, winning gold in mixed doubles. That qualified him for nationals. For six months before heading to Minnesota, he trained on Saturdays at the Special Olympics facility in Princeton, N.J. Roger said DPD arranged Sean’s transportation there.
Roger, of Fairlawn, N.J., and his sisters, Barbara, of San Francisco, and Judy, of Wharton, N.J., rooted for Sean at the nationals. The youngest of six, he also receives support from his other siblings: Mother Serafina, a Franciscan Daughter of Mary in Kentucky and his spiritual advisor, and Tracy of Annandale, N.J., and all their families.
“We as a family are proud of Sean. It’s beautiful that he can be independent thanks to DPD. He did this on his own and put in the work,” Roger said. He added that, regrettably, Sean didn’t qualify for the 2027 Special Olympics World Games in Chile.
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In his free time, Sean enjoys walking and swimming during the summer. He is known as a movie aficionado and likes World Wrestling Entertainment. During the day, he works at Employment Horizons in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township, N.J., packaging boxes.
Faith-filled, Sean attends Mass every Sunday and DPD’s Catholic Adult Religious Education program. He is also a 4th Degree Knight of the Marian Council 3801 of St. Mary’s Parish in Pompton Lakes, N.J., which recently honored him for his victories.
A social butterfly, Sean has become an ambassador of Catholic Charities in his promotional materials. Catholic Charities and the Knights also help support Special Olympics.
On behalf of Catholic Charities and DPD, Joanna Miller, DPD’s executive director, said, “We are so proud of Sean and are excited to have our very own two-time gold medalist.”
“Special Olympics provides so much enjoyment and a wonderful sense of competition and community to those with special needs,” Miller said. “We are grateful to the coaches and unified teammates who work so hard alongside the Special Olympians. Congratulations to Team New Jersey on their great success at the USA Games in Minnesota,” she said.
