In March, the University of Delaware’s Morgan Jungling traveled to Austria to compete in the slalom and giant slalom skiing events at the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017.

More than 2,600 athletes from 105 nations participated after pledging the Special Olympics oath, “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

Winning an Olympic gold medal would be a defining moment in most college students’ lives. But Jungling, a student in the University’s Career and Life Studies Certificate (CLSC) program, seems to take it in stride. Although she was nervous when she first left for Austria, she calmly reminded herself over-and-over that she could be successful.

Once she got to the opening ceremonies, any remaining nerves took a backseat to the excitement of being followed by ESPN and getting to meet singer-songwriter Jason Mraz. The other thing that helped her remain focused? “Knowing that all of my teammates in Austria and back home were watching me,” she said.

Jungling took the gold medal in women’s intermediate giant slalom, with a run time of 2 minutes, 19.87 seconds, besting skiers from the Netherlands, Austria and Norway.

As she prepared for the medal ceremony, Jungling received congratulations from Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was meeting with athletes in the staging area. She said she was “happy and excited” to achieve first place and represent the United States on the podium.

Jungling also came in fourth place in the women’s intermediate slalom. “I could have done better, but it was warm, and the snow got slushy. It made me fall down, but I was able to get up in time to finish the race,” she said.

To qualify for the international games, Jungling had to have taken first place at the U.S. Special Olympics competition in Connecticut. “I won two gold medals there and was the only girl on the U.S. ski team to go to Austria,” she said.

UD campus experience

Jungling will be recognized at UD’s College of Education and Human Development convocation ceremony in May when she completes her CLSC certificate program.

CLSC is a two-year postsecondary certificate program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Young adults are given the opportunity to develop and pursue their goals while taking classes at the University of Delaware alongside their peers, working at internships and participating in campus life. 

“CLSC students engage in person-centered planning and are provided with individualized support that includes peer mentoring and staff coaching,” explained Brian Freedman, associate director, UD’s Center for Disabilities Studies.

Jungling is a huge sports fan, attending UD football, basketball and soccer games, as well as participating in Special Olympics. This interest inspired her to pursue a career in exercise science. She is enrolled in Introduction to Exercise Science at UD, where she is doing well.

In addition, she is an active participant in the Best Buddies, Baptist Ministries and Unified Theater (a registered student organization in which students of all abilities write and perform their own plays) programs at UD, and the national service sorority Gamma Sigma Sigma.

“I learned new exercises in my class and from my friends in Gamma Sigma Sigma who work out every Friday,” said Jungling. “These helped me become a stronger skier.”

“Morgan’s enthusiasm and dedication as a proud Blue Hen is a model for all UD students,” said Freedman. “During her two years at the University, she has taken on new leadership roles, become more assertive, and is on a path for success as a future alumna.”

Jungling is working at Walgreens this semester, where she tends the cash register and stocks displays. When she completes her certificate program this spring, she hopes to continue her education in exercise science at Delaware Technical Community College. And, of course, she’ll keep skiing.