Auburn High School senior Tyler May recently converged on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. to support the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act.

May represented more than 10,000 Special Olympic athletes from Washington state. The bill would reauthorize the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004 and provide assistance to Best Buddies to support the expansion and development of mentoring programs.

Special Olympics Washington CEO Beth Wojick invited May to the May 6 event.

May and other Special Olympics representatives from throughout the nation had the opportunity to share the importance of Special Olympics with elected leaders, including U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D) and U.S. Representative Dave Reichert (R).

May also visited the Pentagon, Washington Monument, White House and Congress.

May says he believes individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities should have the opportunity to compete at the highest level of sport and be recognized for their efforts. As a young man with autism, May embraces his disability and is unabashed to share his golfer’s handicap. In fact, May has won back-to-back gold medals at the Special Olympics Washington State Golf Championships and is the current record holder.

Additionally, May was invited to play in the 2012 Jim Mora Celebrity Golf Classic alongside Mack Strong.

“The first hole was a par 3, 110 yards. I got out my gap wedge and put the ball within 20 feet of the pin. No one hit the green except me,” May said with a smile. “We mean business as Special Olympians.”

May is not only a standout Special Olympian, he also is the MVP of the Auburn High golf team. Earning a spot on the varsity squad as a sophomore, May has led the team in skill and attitude.

Off the course, May excels in math and science. He enjoys bowling and catching up on the latest San Francisco 49ers and Giants headlines.

May hopes to pursue a career at Tacoma Rail as a locomotive engineer. He has volunteered with Tacoma Rail and even operated two steam locomotives on his tenth birthday.

May attributes his success to the Special Olympics athlete’s oath: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”