For the past seven years, the managers of the Villanova women’s basketball team have been led by head manager Rachel Grace, who is better known by her nickname, RG3.
RG3, who has Down Syndrome, is a Special Olympics athlete in addition to her head manager duties, and has had a lifelong love of athletics. She grew up playing basketball, starting at the age of five, and later found soccer.
“I’ve seen her play basketball and soccer,” Maggie Harris, friend of RG3 and Special Olympics soccer committee member, said. “She’s amazing at both of them. She’s famous for her threes in basketball… she’s amazing at everything she does.”
RG3, from what she can recall, has participated in Special Olympics since she was a young teenager and hasn’t missed a single year of Villanova’s Fall Festival since she started.
These days, RG3 plays soccer for the Montgomery County Knights, a local recreational soccer club. While she often moves around the field, she typically plays at striker, scoring goals and assisting teammates.
“I’m a striker, so I usually have a good shot of getting some goals,” RG3 said.
RG3 has an infectious energy and love for the people around her. She appreciates the little things in life. Harris has been honored to experience RG3’s bigger-than-life personality throughout her time at Villanova.
“Once, after she won a game, she came up to me and hugged me, and it was just awesome. I feel like she really shows her appreciation for people through hugs,” Harris said. “I saw her in [Dougherty Dining Hall] and she literally gave me six hugs… when she feels for you, she’ll let you know, which is awesome and very heartwarming.”
RG3 loves every part of Fall Fest weekend: the games, the energy and the connections she gets to make with other athletes and volunteers. She especially enjoys making new friends each year and sharing her love of athletics with others.
“What I love about Special Olympics is that you get to meet new people and create friendships,” RG3 said. “It’s like the whole point of being there. To share the love of the sport, but also make friends doing it.”
RG3 is known as the hype person at Villanova. She cheers everyone on, whether it’s her players, fellow managers, or teammates.
“If someone makes a shot, she always hypes them up. She’ll high-five them and cheer them on, even during practice. She’s just a source of energy,” Harris said. “Whenever you see her, it’s gonna put a smile on your face. She’s always very energetic. If I were having a bad day, I would see RG3, and it would be a good day. Her energy is very contagious.”
Beyond her love of the game, RG3 also emphasizes the importance of the message of inclusion that Fall Fest celebrates each year. RG3 enjoys Fall Fest because it serves as a platform for her and others to emphasize the value of inclusion and accessibility in sports. For RG3, Special Olympics is a space where she can play the sports she loves and always feel included.
“For Special Olympics, for me, I’d have to say that we don’t have to be excluded now from playing sports,” RG3 said. “You don’t have to feel excluded because you get a shot of playing in Special Olympics.”
That is what the Special Olympics committee strives for and values. RG3’s message can be seen across the entirety of Fall Fest sports.
“So many athletes come to Fall Fest and the vibes are just embracing everyone’s abilities instead of looking at their disabilities first,” Harris said. “They worked so hard to get here… It’s just acknowledging the hard work that they put in, not just looking at their disability, but embracing them for their character.”
Throughout her entire life, RG3 has felt the unyielding support of her parents, who have encouraged her to be a role model for other people with Down Syndrome.
“What my parents always told me is that I’m a good role model for people with Down Syndrome,” RG3 said. “Being a role model is like putting your foot forward…and just supporting everyone.”
As Fall Fest weekend is fast approaching, RG3 has a message for her fellow athletes:
“Believe in yourself, show who you are, always follow your dreams, and keep living it.”
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