KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Charlie Phillips knows exactly what he’ll do when he returns home to Savannah, Missouri, later this month.
“I am so ready to come back home and show off these four medals to everyone in Savannah,” Phillips said during a FaceTime interview from Berlin, Germany.
Phillips, 26, is in Berlin for the Special Olympics World Games. He competes in powerlifting and won medals for squat, deadlift, and bench press. An interview he conducted with ESPN+ is getting attention for the passion he showed. During the interview, Phillips began to cry.
“I wanted to thank all supporters, my family, my friends, and everyone in the US supporting me,” Phillips remembered his emotions during the interview.
Phillips hopes his performance in Berlin will inspire others to try anything.
“Sometimes people fail, other times people succeed and do the job. I always, always trust myself in the stuff I love the most,” he said. “I’m inspiring everyone. It doesn’t matter where they’re from, what country you’re from; it doesn’t matter what city, what town, or where you’re at on the planet.”
Before he left for Berlin, Phillips met Chiefs head Coach Andy Reid and actor Eric Stonestreet. Both men wanted Phillips’ autograph.