White County’s Lee finds his competitive spark in Special Olympics

Sports have always been a big part of Deven Lee’s interests and identity.

One tragic day nearly took that all away from him.

A 2014 snowmobile accident left Lee with physical and cognitive injuries that would change his life. It took him years to learn to walk again, and speaking is still a struggle.

Lee played four years of football, basketball and baseball in high school, starting at Pioneer and graduating from Frontier. He attended Danville Community College, where he played baseball and studied to be a teacher. He attended a Cincinnati Reds tryout.

After the accident, though, his natural athleticism and instinct were gone. He suddenly couldn’t draw upon the two things he took for granted as long as he could remember.

Special Olympics is helping to bring that back.

Lee is a member of Team Indiana and will compete in cornhole at the 2026 USA Games in Minneapolis alongside Unified partner Kevin Anderson.

Along with cornhole, Lee participates in bowling, softball and track and field within the Special Olympics Indiana White County program. These opportunities offer a channel for his competitive nature that both Deven and his family feared would no longer be available to him.  

“(Special Olympics) has helped me realize I’m not the only one that has challenges in everyday life,” Lee said.

Lee’s mother, Greta Long, said her son has always loved being an athlete. She recognizes the drive in him and like millions of parents across the country, takes joy from simply watching him compete.

“Being able to play again is so awesome for me and his family to watch,” Long said.

Outside of practicing, Lee finds pleasure in camping, fishing and hunting, especially when sharing those experiences with others. Being part of a team means everything to him. He will give all he has to bring home a gold medal from Minnesota.

“Sports were a big part of my life before, and now I can do most of that again,” Lee said. “(I am looking forward to) just the experience of being involved in the USA Games.”