Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame Challenger Award Inductee Joshua Dillon Excels in Multi-Sport Special Olympics
By Space Coast Daily // May 6, 2025
Joshua is the epitome of the Special Olympics motto: Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.
ABOVE VIDEO: Many competitions, ribbons, medals, and two brain surgeries later, Josh Dillon has refused to allow regularly occurring seizures to slow him down. He inspires anyone who comes into contact with him, leaving a smile and joy in their hearts.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame selection committee announced that the 2025 induction ceremony will occur on Saturday, May 24, at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne. This will be the first in-person induction since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. To make a reservation for the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com or call 321-323-4460. CLICK HERE to see the 2025 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame Class.
Many competitions, ribbons, medals, and two brain surgeries later, Josh Dillon has refused to allow regularly occurring seizures to slow him down. He inspires anyone who comes into contact with him, leaving a smile and joy in their hearts.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Special Olympics Florida offers athletes a fair opportunity to develop and demonstrate their skills and talents through sports training and competition, and by increasing the public’s awareness of their capabilities and needs.
Intellectual disability does not discriminate.
Athletes who participate in Special Olympics come in all ages, ethnicities, and economic and social backgrounds, which leads us to this inspiring story about our 2020 Challenger category honoree.
Joshua Dillon arrived in this world perfectly healthy and strong in August 1999. He was full of fire and determination and participated in all the normal activities for a young American boy.
But one tragic day in January 2006 changed all of that forever as Josh’s parents received a phone call from Manatee Elementary alerting them that Josh was having multiple seizures and was en route to the hospital.
After weeks of seizures, testing, and intubation, it was determined that he had contracted West Nile virus, which led to his brain swelling so much that uncontrollable seizures would not stop occurring.
By the time the swelling subsided, Joshua’s brain had “learned” to have seizures, and he was diagnosed with intractable epilepsy, with permanent brain damage.
He experienced all the same things you or I may feel in this horrid situation: fear, depression, anger, physical pain, but he refused to allow that to defeat him.
This is where Joshua’s inborn fire and determination would take over.
Despite his regularly occurring seizures, he resumed school and church activities and continued to play Little League and Upwards basketball until he aged out. But as his teen years began, Josh was feeling more and more isolated and spending more and more time on the couch.
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Other than epilepsy, Josh is a physical specimen and an exceptional athlete.
A family friend informed Josh’s parents about Special Olympics Brevard, telling them about all the local opportunities for competition and fellowship with other Special Olympic athletes and families.
One Saturday morning, Josh showed up at a track and field practice, led by Coach Bob Rall, Coach Randy Butcher, and many other dedicated volunteers; his heart and his face lit up!
He went on to compete in the 1x100m sprint and the long jump, placing first in both events.
Joshua’s athletic endeavors would take off the following year, as he entered Viera High School.
Viera’s Special Ed department had one of the best teachers in Florida, Santana Huppe, who also headed up Viera High’s Special Olympics Unified Sports program.
This Unified Sports program allows normally developing students to interact with, compete with, and mentor athletes with intellectual disabilities, creating camaraderie, leadership skills, and lifelong friendships.
Santana and her husband, Paul, convinced Josh to participate in Special Olympics Unified Team Sports year-round. Josh excelled like never before, winning many events and making many good friends along the way!
In the years since, Josh has actively participated in track, basketball, volleyball, bowling, softball, swimming, golf, and football—you name it, Josh has conquered it.
Many competitions, ribbons, medals, and two brain surgeries later, Josh has refused to allow regularly occurring seizures to slow him down. He is an inspiration to anyone who comes into contact with him, leaving a smile on their faces and joy in their hearts.
Joshua is indeed the epitome of the Special Olympics motto: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” Josh is brave, and he is a winner!
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THE 2025 SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME Banquet and Induction Ceremony will occur at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne on Saturday, May 24. FOR INFORMATION about the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame, or to make a reservation, e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com or call 321-615-8111.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MEMBERS OF THE SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME
The 2025 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner and ceremony is sponsored by Health First and presented by Tom and Suzie Wasdin
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA—The Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame selection committee announced that the 2025 induction ceremony will occur on Saturday, May 24, at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne. This will be the first in-person induction since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner and ceremony, sponsored by Health First and presented by Tom and Suzie Wasdin, will be held on the evening of May 24. The Meet-and-Greet will begin at 6 p.m., and dinner and the program will start at 7 p.m.
Tom and Suzie Wasdin are longtime Brevard County entrepreneurs, community supporters, and philanthropists. Tom, an NCAA Final Four basketball coach and Brevard Sports Ambassador, was inducted into the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
The meet-and-greet will include an opportunity to talk with the area’s sports royalty. Dinner and the induction proceeding, which will include compelling video tributes to each inductee, will follow.
The Brevard County High School Breakfast of Champions recognition awards will be held Saturday, May 24, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., also at Eastern Florida State College.
During the Breakfast of Champions, more than 40 awards will be presented to the best of the 2024-2025 male and female high school student-athletes in each sport. For sponsorship information, call 321-323-4460 or e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com.
Both the Breakfast of Champions and the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame events will be streamed live on Space Coast Daily TV.
Health First, Erdman Automotive, Eastern Florida State College, All Points, Clear Choice Health Care, Brevard Public Schools, Space Coast Office of Tourism, EDC of the Space Coast, 4Ever Young Merritt Island, and Savings Safari sponsor the 2025 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction event and the Brevard County High School Breakfast of Champions recognition awards.
To make a reservation for the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com or call 321-323-4460.
INDUCTEES SELECTED IN FOUR CATEGORIES
Nominees are chosen in four categories: professional sports, college sports, high school sports, and amateur sports. Special honorary recognition is also bestowed upon individuals and groups that have made significant contributions to sports on the Space Coast.
SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2025
■ PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Jamel Dean, Football; Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Wrestling; Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Football; Randy Pobst, Auto racing; Juwaan Taylor, Football
■ COLLEGE CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Paulette King, Basketball, Dylan Lewis, Soccer; Steve Freeman, Soccer; Bryan Cook, Baseball
■ PREP CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Lexy Denaburg, Volleyball; Andi Sellers, Soccer; Kaira Simmons, Track & Field; Jayvan Boggs, Football
■ AMATEUR/RECREATION CATEGORY INDUCTEE: Alli Penovich, Free Diving; Peter Blount, Track & Field; Caylor Williams, Wrestling
■ COACHING CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Doug Butler, Cross Country and Track; Gerald Hodgin, Football; Jim Oler, Basketball; Don Smith, Basketball
• SPORTS OFFICIAL INDUCTEES: Ted Ruta
• SPORTS JOURNALISM INDUCTEES: Steve Vaughn
• SPORTS DEVELOPMENT INDUCTEE: Loren McClanahan
■ LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT INDUCTEES: Larry Garrison, Clint Hurdle
■ SPORTS AMBASSADOR AWARD INDUCTEE: Rusty Buchanan
■ CHALLENGER AWARD INDUCTEE: Joshua Dillon
■ TEAM OF THE YEAR: Cocoa Tigers Football
■ LEGACY CHAMPIONS: Merritt Island Baseball, 1999-2000
■ SPECIAL TRIBUTE: Tim Wakefield
Space Coast Daily created the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 and has inducted over 200 of Brevard County’s most outstanding athletes, coaches, and sports personalities. Eastern Florida State’s Titan Fieldhouse on the Melbourne Campus hosts the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame. Portraits of the Hall of Famers are displayed on the wall in the building’s main hallway, which runs parallel to the gym and outside the athletic department offices.
To make a reservation for the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com or call 321-323-4460.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MEMBERS OF THE SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME
SPACE COAST DAILY TV: Tim Wakefield talks about his induction into the first class of the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame. Space Coast Daily created the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 and has so far inducted more than 200 of Brevard County’s most outstanding athletes, coaches, and sports personalities.
