Local woman who spent her life involved in Special Olympics gets inducted into hall of fame
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BOISE — A Hibbard woman who died last year after touching the lives of countless people was recently honored by Special Olympics Idaho.
Gina Munns died in February 2023. She was born with an advanced form of spastic cerebral palsy, and this condition affected her ability to move her muscles and confined her to a wheelchair her entire life. Doctors said she wouldn’t live past eight years old.
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However, Gina defied all odds and not only lived until the age of 44, but also became an outstanding athlete in the Special Olympics.
“She’s got several gold and silver medals and maybe two or three bronze medals from over the years,” Gina’s mother, Rhonda Munns, said.
Gina started participating in the Special Olympics in 1996 when she was a freshman at South Fremont High School and continued until 2022.
She had a love for track and field as well as bowling. Munns competed in the 50-meter wheelchair slalom, which is an event where the athlete uses two lanes and maneuvers their wheelchair through cones. She also raced in the 30-meter wheelchair obstacle course.
“Those (events) are what she got started in and she still did the track and field every year but then she (also) started doing bowling,” Rhonda explained. “We never knew how she could ever bowl but they have ramps for that.”
Over the years, the Munns family has witnessed first-hand how the Special Olympics can change people’s lives. Rhonda said it’s given her a new attitude on athletics, sportsmanship and competition. Although Gina is no longer here, the Special Olympics continue to hold a special place in the Munns’ hearts.
About a year-and-a-half after Gina’s passing, in September 2024, Rhonda received a phone call from one of the directors of Special Olympics Idaho. He told her they wanted to induct Gina into the Special Olympics Idaho Hall of Fame during a ‘Night of Champions Gala,’ which is a fundraiser event held in Boise.
“There are several things they look at when they choose (the inductees) and part of it is how long they participated, hours of training, sportsmanship and attitude,” Rhonda explained. “They choose two to three inductees every year, so they chose Gina and a couple of other girls.”
Gina’s family attended the event on Oct. 19, 2024, where they accepted a plaque on Gina’s behalf. Rhonda also received a lifetime service award since she has helped with the Special Olympics since Gina graduated high school and continues to this day as a coach.
“(Gina) loved Special Olympics and she would’ve been so excited if this would’ve happened when she was alive. I could just hear her screaming for joy that that would happen,” Rhonda stated. “It was such a tender moment when they were talking about her and everything she had accomplished in Special Olympics and then for her to get the award, it was a special night.”
