THE LETCHER BROTHERS: Doing life and multiple sports together

The Letcher brothers have been participating in Special Olympics together for more than 15 years. 

Matthew and Ryan Letcher both won gold at the Special Olympics USA Games that took place in Orlando the week of June 5. The Publix Supermarket where they both work hosted a celebratory party in their honor July 20 to commemorate the gold medals.

“They had food and cake, we had about 20 of our friends and the athletes (there),” their mother, Lisa Landsberger, said. “It was a really cool celebration.”  

Publix has been the Letchers’ second home for the last five years after their volunteer work with the Torch Icon Campaign at Publix provided them both with the job opportunity.

“On the first day (of the Torch Campaign) we did so well they asked us if we wanted to actually get a job there, and we said, ‘Yeah, sure,’” Ryan Letcher said. 

Matthew “Matt” Letcher works the night shift in the grocery department and is full time. Ryan Letcher works in the customer service department during the morning shift and is part time. 

“Publix is just such an amazing company,” Landsberger said. “They are so supportive; they let them off for practices, for competition; they are very flexible with their scheduling.” 

That flexibility has helped the Letcher brothers tremendously, because it has provided them with the opportunity to continue attending Special Olympics practices and being involved with sports. 

Matthew, 29, and Ryan, 28, played Little League baseball in their early years. 

“They continued playing up until their developmental challenges became an issue,” Landsberger said. “Then we got them out of regular sports, and that’s how we found Special Olympics.” 

It was when they each were 11 years old that they became involved with Special Olympics and began to practice a wide variety of sports, including basketball, flag football, track and field, swimming, and bocce. 

“It makes me feel so proud that they are doing this together,” Landsberger said. “It’s a lot of sacrifice on my part, especially for the past year.”

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Both siblings grew up with an intellectual disability. According to the Special Olympics website, this term is used “when a person has certain limitations in cognitive functioning and skills, including communication, social and self-care skills. These limitations can cause a child to develop and learn more slowly or differently than a typically developing child.”

“You know they are not your typical 29-year-olds,” Landsberger said. “(Their) skills are not equal to their peers.”

Prior to the USA Games, Landsberger was driving both her sons to practice — Ryan would have swimming practice twice a week 20 miles away from home, and Matt would add a third day of driving for basketball practice. 

“It’s such an accomplishment on their part,” Landsberger said. “You see all the stories of regular Olympians where they get up at four in the morning for training and their parents are driving them one hour each way, I’m like ‘I know what you feel now.’” 

The brothers were excited to participate in their first Special Olympics USA Games together. 

For Matthew Letcher, getting to the Olympics with its Unified 5v5 basketball team The Renegades and winning gold was not without its hurdles. 

“I’m still kind of in shock,” he said. “Our team pretty much went through an overhaul. We lost a lot of people, we gained a lot of people, so we pretty much were starting from scratch.” 

The team attempted to get the players needed for the entirety of the year, but it was not until four months before the USA Games started that the team got established.

For Ryan Letcher, getting gold in the 50-yard backstroke event for swimming also was not without its hurdles. 

“I was sick for a couple of days, and I wasn’t feeling myself,” he said. 

Once the symptoms started to wear off, Ryan Letcher was able to end first during the last event of the last day of the competition. 

“Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Ryan’s medal,” Landsberger said. “We had to divide and conquer, so Frank went one way and I went another. My family was there, my mom went.” 

Looking forward, Matthew Letcher will be taking a break from training and focusing on work. Ryan Letcher is already thinking about the next USA Games and will continue training in different sports to see if he can qualify for the next USA Games that will take place in Minnesota in 2026.