Major: Digital Broadcast Journalism
When Lily Goodfellow was in the third grade, she began reading books about sports and became a fan of football quarterback Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets.
Her mother, Nancy, had no idea what sparked this sudden interest, but it proved to be no phase. Goodfellow, who has Down syndrome, is an avid sports lover and athlete. She has participated in numerous sports over the years, both in her community and with Special Olympics, including swimming, track and field, soccer, basketball, and softball.
“I love sports,” she said. “I am an ambassador for Special Olympics and give speeches about all of the sports I compete in and how much I love Special Olympics.”
Now she is pursuing her dream as a reporter. Having completed the Media Literacy and Journalism certificate at College of DuPage, she has been selected as a field reporter for Special Olympics IL at the Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota in June 2026.
Her reporting career began when she was a student at Naperville Central High School. Goodfellow tried different clubs, including theater, but nothing was a good fit until she joined Hawk TV, the in-school television network. She hosted a segment called “Lily’s Inclusion Corner,” which focused on the accomplishments of her Adapted PE peers and Special Olympics athletes. The segment’s success led to sideline interviews and game updates at the high school football games, her mother said.
“It combined her love of sports and interviewing with being in the spotlight, which Lily also enjoys.”
Goodfellow even used her reporting experience when she participated in the Illinois Miss Amazing competition, which invites girls and women with disabilities to share their abilities. She highlighted segments of her work from Hawk TV and Special Olympics and was twice named Illinois Miss Amazing Teen Queen.
When it came time for college, Goodfellow took advantage of COD Connect, a bridge program between Naperville School District 203 and COD that helps students with intellectual disabilities transition from high school to college. It was through this program that she was introduced to Jim Fuller, adviser for The Courier, and learned about the student newspaper. She told her mom, who reached out to Fuller and asked about opportunities.
Fuller encouraged Goodfellow to join the newspaper staff. He then contacted COD Director of Athletics and Recreation Ryan Kaiser and Sports Information Coordinator Mark Reinhiller, who were happy to identify the athletes to spotlight and provide a safe environment where Goodfellow could interview them.
WGN Feature on Lily Goodfellow
“Once the plan was in place, Lily revived our Athlete of the Week feature that had been dormant during the pandemic,” Fuller said. “The articles were better than ever and she never missed a deadline. I truly believe with each athlete feature she took another step toward fulfilling her Special Olympics dreams. It was a joy having her on staff.”
In addition to her academics and work for The Courier, Goodfellow emceed the annual Special Olympics Polar Plunge in Yorkville and covered the IHSA boy’s state track finals, which had Special Olympics Illinois unified teams competing.
She also continued as an athlete, competing in track and field with Special Olympics Illinois. Through the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association, she was part of a group of athletes who met with COD football players for training and conditioning. She spotlighted the entire team and the coach as Athletes of the Week.
“It was super fun,” said Goodfellow, the only female in the group. “I asked if anything surprised them by their work with people with disabilities, and they were all surprised by how strong I was!”
Goodfellow has worked as a greeter for several seasons with the Chicago Cubs thanks to Angels for Higher, an organization that facilitates the hiring of individuals with Down syndrome to work as greeters at venues around the country. She then started at the United Center for both Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks games as well as with the Chicago Stars.
She also began her own YouTube channel called Lily’s Sports Beat, where she interviews professional and Special Olympics athletes and others who work in professional sports. One of her biggest stars was Connor Murphy of the Chicago Blackhawks, and she would love to interview Caitlin Clark.
Her dream of covering the Special Olympics became a reality when Goodfellow was selected to be trained as a broadcaster for Gaming for Inclusion, an annual esports tournament sponsored by Special Olympics, Xbox and Microsoft. She spent one week in September 2023 with two other athletes in New York City training at the Microsoft Experience Center and then went to Los Angeles to film the Celebrity Showcase tournament. She was invited to return to Los Angeles to cover both the 2024 and 2025 finals.
In addition, she was asked by Special Olympics to broadcast a charity esports tournament alongside a professional broadcaster in Las Vegas in January 2024 at the Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party, and she co-emceed the Special Olympics Ducky Derby Festival and the Champions Ball, both in Chicago in 2024.
For her work, Goodfellow was nominated for and won a Women in Esports award.
As she looks forward to reporting at the Special Olympics USA Games, Goodfellow continues to use her career to spread awareness about the accomplishments of athletes with and without disabilities.
“I want all people to be included,” she said. “I love what I do.”
Learn more about the Digital Broadcast Journalism program at College of DuPage