[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/12\/upmc-life-changers-jesse\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/12\/upmc-life-changers-jesse\/","headline":"UPMC Life Changers: How Special Olympics Gold Medalist Jesse Rohrer Inspires Others","name":"UPMC Life Changers: How Special Olympics Gold Medalist Jesse Rohrer Inspires Others","description":"

Jesse Rohrer, a kitchen steward at UPMC Harrisburg, won a gold medal in alpine skiing at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in 2025. Learn his story.<\/p>","datePublished":"2025-12-22","dateModified":"2025-12-22","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","name":"UPMC","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1_7exu42m2.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1_7exu42m2.jpg","height":1080,"width":1920},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/12\/upmc-life-changers-jesse\/","about":["Living and Wellness","UPMC Stories"],"wordCount":1408,"articleBody":"Jesse Rohrer remembers the first time he learned about Special Olympics. It was the spring of 1997, when he was 7, and a teacher suggested he try track and field at his local club.\u201cThey started me off with athletics like the 50-meter dash, standing and running long jump, and softball throw,\u201d says Jesse, 36, a kitchen steward at UPMC Harrisburg\u2019s Seven Bridges Caf\u00e9. \u201cIt all started there, and I enjoyed it.\u201dAlthough he didn’t realize it then, he was beginning an athletic career that would lead to him winning a gold medal in alpine skiing at the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Torino, Italy.Today, the gold medalist and Special Olympics ambassador serves as an inspiration to others and an advocate for people with special abilities.\u201cSpecial Olympics is important for athletes and people who have intellectual disabilities,\u201d Jesse says. \u201cIt gives them the ability to show their ability.\u201d\u2018I Have an Ability\u2019Before joining Special Olympics, Jesse was a shy first grader. But competing and practicing with other athletes helped Jesse, who was born with autism and attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), come out of his shell.\u201cEventually, I opened up, and I enjoyed it,\u201d says Jesse, who faced bullying in school because of misconceptions about autism and ADHD. \u201cWhen I got to meet new people and make new friends, that really helped. I do not have a disability. I actually have an ability. That\u2019s what I learned through Special Olympics.\u201d\u2018The Ultimate Dream\u2019After his introduction to alpine skiing in the 10th grade, Jesse took to the sport quickly. \u201cI’m built for speed,\u201d he says. \u201cI pretty much picked it up right from the start.\u201dHis road to the world stage began at the 2023 Special Olympics Pennsylvania Winter Games, held at Seven Springs Mountain Resort. Competing at the novice level, Jesse won gold medals in the giant slalom, speed slalom, and super giant slalom (super-G) events.That fall, a regional Special Olympics director looking for potential alpine skiing competitors for the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 reached out to Jesse.\u201cShe called me and asked me if I knew anybody who competed in skiing on novice,\u201d he says. \u201cI told her, \u2018You\u2019re talking to one of them right now.\u2019\u201dWhen she asked if he was interested in going to Italy for the Special Olympics World Games, Jesse immediately said yes.\u00a0\u201cOh, my goodness \u2014 my heart was racing,\u201d he says. \u201cThat was the ultimate dream.\u201dBut first, he had to qualify. After competing in the United States team trials in April 2024, he thought he\u2019d fallen short. Then, that July, good news arrived: He\u2019d made the team.\u201cIt was a huge weight off my shoulders,\u201d he says.\u2018The Best Feeling in the World\u2019To prepare for the World Winter Games, Jesse joined a gym and spent the summer and fall of 2024 building his endurance on the treadmill and through strength training for his arms, legs, abdominals, and other muscles. When winter came around, he began skiing twice a week in preparation for Italy.To accommodate his training, his supervisor, John Noonan, executive chef at UPMC Harrisburg, adjusted his work schedule. Co-workers also picked up some of his shifts.\u201cThis was very important to him, and obviously, it was a great honor for us to have a future gold medalist on our staff,\u201d John says. \u201cSo, we wanted to do whatever we could to help him out.\u201dA few days before the World Winter Games began in March 2025, Jesse and his parents left for Italy. Jesse enjoyed spending time with his American teammates and meeting and trading pins with Special Olympians from other countries.Jesse was also assessed at the intermediate level \u2014 one level up from where he\u2019d previously competed. Over the course of five days, he participated in preliminaries and finals for slalom, super-G, and giant slalom.On Thursday, March 13, Jesse competed in the finals for super-G, an event that requires making turns while traveling downhill at high speeds. Although the slopes in Italy were very different than what he was used to back home, he completed the course in 47.77 seconds \u2014 \u201cthe fastest I’ve ever gone,\u201d he says.His time was also 0.33 seconds faster than his next-closest competitor, earning him the gold medal.\u201cWhen I found out that I won gold, I was very proud of myself,\u201d Jesse says. \u201cI said to myself, \u2018I did it.\u2019 My parents were with me, and when they saw me stand up on the podium and receive my gold medal, they were really proud of me. They were really happy for me.\u201dStanding on the top level of the podium with his gold medal was \u201cthe best feeling in the world,\u201d he says.Back home in Harrisburg, Jesse\u2019s co-workers were eagerly awaiting news from Italy. When they learned he\u2019d won the gold medal, it set off a celebration.\u201cOur manager was refreshing his computer pretty much every five, 10 seconds,\u201d John says. \u201cHe sent out a group text, then he made sure he came out and told all of us, and everybody in the kitchen just kind of erupted. It was a great feeling to see somebody from our team accomplish something that nobody else has, as far as I\u2019m aware of, in this hospital.\u201d‘Jesse Is Definitely One of the Most Important People Here’Special Olympics taught Jesse teamwork, which prepared him for his job at UPMC.As a kitchen steward, he\u2019s always moving. He\u2019s the lead dishwasher for the cafeteria and removes cardboard and trash. Twice a week, he helps unload the delivery truck with supplies for the kitchen.\u201cI would describe Jesse’s role here in the food service department as extremely vital,\u201d John says. \u201cAnyone that\u2019s ever worked in a restaurant knows when the dishwashing team stops, the whole restaurant stops. So, Jesse is definitely one of the most important people here.\u201dBesides his day-to-day responsibilities, Jesse\u2019s personality helps lift his co-workers. Long gone are the days of the shy 7-year-old. He\u2019s now the lifeblood of the cafeteria \u2014 cracking dad jokes, quoting movie lines, and doing whatever he can to brighten people\u2019s days.\u201cWhat I enjoy the most about my job is making people smile,\u201d he says.\u2018There\u2019s Absolutely Nothing That I Can\u2019t Overcome\u2019Since winning gold in Turin, Jesse has become something of a celebrity around UPMC Harrisburg. You can find a shadow box celebrating his achievement outside the elevators on the 11th floor of the hospital, and John created a specialty burger in the cafeteria in honor of Jesse\u2019s gold medal.Jesse has even signed autographs for people \u2014 but is taking his notoriety in stride.\u201cFame is a four-letter word, like tape, or zoom, or face,\u201d he says. \u201cBut ultimately, what matters is what we do with it.\u201dJesse has chosen to use his fame to inspire others as a Special Olympics ambassador. Many people don\u2019t realize that Special Olympics is year-round and offers a wide range of sports.\u201cI feel very special to spread the word about Special Olympics and get younger kids involved,\u201d he says. \u201cThey don’t have disabilities \u2014 they have abilities.\u201dAccording to John, Jesse also inspires others around the hospital with his hard work and positivity. He\u2019s always there to offer a friendly word, a joke, or even a hug if needed.\u201cI would say his gold medal kind of reflects on how big a heart he has,\u201d John says. \u201cA lot of people don’t get to see all the little things he does every day to make sure everybody’s happy.\u201cHe’s very keen on picking people up when somebody\u2019s having a rough day,\u201d John adds. \u201cHe definitely brightens the room regardless of who it is or how many people are involved.\u201dJesse reached another milestone in September 2025 \u2014 his 15-year work anniversary at UPMC Harrisburg. This proud moment surely stemmed from joining the Special Olympics almost 30 years ago and the self-confidence he has gained as a Special Olympian.\u201cThere’s absolutely nothing that I can\u2019t overcome,\u201d Jesse says. \u201cWhat keeps me going is the confidence and the ability to just do my best in Special Olympics and outside of Special Olympics \u2014 and most importantly, have fun.\u201dSourcesSpecial Olympics Pennsylvania. Sports Offered. Accessed October 2025. https:\/\/specialolympicspa.org\/sports\/sports-offered. SpecialOlympicsPA.orgSpecial Olympics. Competitions: Alpine Skiing. Accessed October 2025. https:\/\/results.specialolympics.org\/world-games-turin-2025\/competition-schedule\/alpine-skiing. 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