By Zach Spicer | December 11, 2025 |
Growing up with 13 siblings, Maria and Ted Segrist are familiar with being part of a big family.
Now among the 100-plus members of Team Indiana going to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota, the Segrists are part of an even bigger family.
Maria, 73, the third child of John Henry and Angela Segrist, and Ted, 56, the 14th child, are on the bowling team. Ted is a Unified partner for Maria, and they represent Special Olympics Indiana Ripley-Ohio-Dearborn Counties.
This is their first time on Team Indiana.
“This truly is a bucket list item,” Ted said. “With Maria being 73 years old, we are blessed her health allows her to travel and participate in the things she loves. I hope we can make our counties proud.”
Maria is ready to experience USA Games.
“I have never been to Minnesota,” she said. “I am happy I get to go and go with my brother. I cannot wait to see the university and the city and meet new friends.”
Ted said he’s excited to take his sister on this special journey.
“I know our mom would be so proud of us and this opportunity,” he said. “I think I will really enjoy seeing new experiences through Maria’s eyes.”
The Segrists were born and raised in Norwood, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati. Their mother was a stay-at-home mom, while their dad worked at a Ford assembly plant.
With 15 kids, Ted said the Segrist home was never quiet.
“While not all the kids lived under the roof at the same time, very few of the kids moved far away, often just blocks from the childhood home,” he said. “Another sibling still lives in the same house we were raised in that our parents bought in 1950.”
Maria attended Catholic school until eighth grade. This was a different era with education. There were no special needs classes. Children with disabilities were placed in separate schools or institutions, and there was little to no support for their education.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1975 brought more clarity and structure to special education, ensuring students with disabilities received the support they needed in the least restrictive environment.
“Our family, like many with special needs children, were scared to ask for help or be labeled as complaining,” Ted said. “There was a real fear that Maria would be sent to live in an institution. This strengthened the resolve from our parents that Maria be treated like any other child.”
For most of Ted’s childhood, Maria was in the Pacific Northwest. She left in 1974 with a family friend who was experiencing health issues. She asked if Maria wanted to accompany her on the trip, and Maria jumped at the chance to go.
She became a nun with Little Daughters of the Immaculate Conception, part of St. Francis of Assisi, and fulfilled her vocation primarily in Spokane, Wash., and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
While in Spokane, Maria was at Mount St. Michael, where she worked in the kitchen and assisted with child care duties.
“She was well-versed after helping with so many younger siblings,” Ted said. “Being raised Catholic, Maria has always had a spiritual and religious side.”
During her time there, Maria joined Special Olympics for about six years. As a young adult in her 20s, she participated in swimming, bowling and cross country skiing.
“Maria has always been a social butterfly and was eager to meet new people and try new things,” Ted said. “Special Olympics was a perfect addition.”
Growing up with 11 boys, Maria learned many sports and gained a competitive edge.
“The Segrist family was often their own team when it came to neighborhood sports,” Ted said. “When Maria came home to visit, she participated in whatever games were going on in the neighborhood. Whether it was baseball, kickball, horseshoes or games they made up, the boys never let Maria have any slack.”
Maria moved back to Norwood in 1987 to help care for her father when he became ill with lung cancer.
That same year, Ted left for U.S. Army basic training in Oklahoma.
“For a kid that lived in the city and spent summers at my aunt’s farm in Kentucky, this was quite a shock,” he said.
Ted served as a Pershing II nuclear missile crew member in the 4th Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 56th Field Artillery Command, stationed in Heilbronn, West Germany.
Upon leaving the Army, Ted returned to Norwood.
After the Segrists’ father died, their mother had to raise several of her grandchildren in addition to her own children who were still at home.
“For me, I liked having younger kids in the house,” Ted said. “I had only had one younger brother, so I enjoyed having two more younger nephews around. As my older siblings were having kids and everyone still lived in the same area, family remained important, and our childhood home was the hub.”
Ted lived in Cincinnati for a few years before building a house in Burlington, Ky., to be closer to work. He was a press operator in the printing industry for 25 years.
Maria tried living on her own for a while, but the family decided it was best to have her live with a sibling as she aged and needed more assistance.
“When the plant closed due to COVID, I found myself semi-retired and able to spend more time at home,” Ted said. “This has been a blessing, as Maria is getting older and needs a little more help.”
Ted and his wife, Jen, found a larger home in Aurora so Maria could move in with them.
“As adults, I have always looked out for Maria,” Ted said. “It just became a natural fit that she would move in with me when the time came. Our mother was getting older, and she was always worried about who would take care of Maria.”
In 2015, Maria became active in Special Olympics again, participating in bowling, cornhole and snowshoeing. She also enjoys the Polar Plunge.
In 2019, Maria wanted to try Unified bowling, and Ted became her Unified partner.
“Over the years, Maria always had fond memories and stories from her time in Special Olympics in Spokane,” Ted said. “Maria will try to tell you that as the oldest sister, she is the boss and simply told me I would be participating.”
Ted said their bond as siblings helps since they grew up playing sports in the neighborhood and have a competitive nature.
“We can tell when the other person needs encouragement or just a moment to themselves,” he said. “We can read each other well, but we can also get on each other’s nerves as only siblings can.”
Ted also helps coach cornhole and volunteers with the R-O-D program.
“Special Olympics is an incredible organization,” he said. “Our family loves the positivity and inclusive nature of Special Olympics. Maria has had many opportunities to try new things and have amazing experiences. We love the social aspect as much as we love the sports. For us, Special Olympics is as much about the fellowship as the sports.”
He said they have met and formed friendships with great people.
“I like seeing Maria be able to have fun,” Ted said. “Many people in their 70s no longer have sports they can participate in. Bowling allows us to get out, exercise a little bit and have fun with friends.”
