HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Tristan Brackett almost never found Special Olympics Virginia. His family discovered it by chance — spotting a flyer at a Publix grocery store.
Now, the 17-year-old from Henrico is a standout outfielder on the North of the James softball team, the defending gold medal winners heading into this weekend’s Special Olympics Virginia State Games in the Richmond area.
Tristan competes in six different sports through Special Olympics, but softball is his favorite. His father, Darren, said the family had not seriously considered Special Olympics as an outlet for Tristan’s abilities, assuming the organization catered more to athletes with physical disabilities than developmental ones…