Jane has been working at Ameristar St. Charles for 25 years and has been competing in the Special Olympics since 1991. That made her the perfect person to start carrying the torch when Ameristar started hosting the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. Runners carry the Flame of Hope across the state until they reach their final destination at the State Summer Games. Missouri’s 2022 Games run May 20-22 in Columbia, Missouri. Jane has been leading the pack of runners in the Jeff Ottenad Memorial leg of the run since 2005.

Jane works in the sanitation department at Ameristar. She washes dishes, cleans, sweeps, and takes out the trash. She says cleaning is her favorite part of the job. Jane works with a Vocational Case Manager from Community Living’s Employment Services program to ensure both Jane and her employer continue to be happy with her work.

Jane started competing in the Special Olympics when she was young. Over the years, she’s participated in skiing, bowling, basketball, tennis and soccer. She says skiing and bowling are her favorites. She learned how to ski and practices at Hidden Valley. She’s competing in bowling again this year after earning a silver medal in the same event in 2021. Her average game score is right around 200 and she’s been practicing weekly.