Imagine lining up in front of 30,000 fans in Cessna Stadium to run a 15-second race. Most people who’ve grown up playing sports will never have the chance to experience anything like that. Nor do a lot of people understand why athletes train so much for such little time in action. But, for Marquel Russell, of Topeka, Kansas, he didn’t have to imagine it because it was reality, and it wasn’t a new feeling for him. He lives for moments like this. He closes his eyes. He breathes in and out. He’s about to give people the performance of a lifetime.
Maybe it is the added pressure or maybe it is a little bit of fear, but there is some aspect of racing in front of this many people that always propels him to continue racing. He thrives off the energy the other runners would bring, especially if they were just as good or better than he was. He channels that energy and pours it into the 15 seconds he is out on the track.
“When I’m in the starting blocks, I close my eyes and envision how one of my favorite Olympians starts out of his blocks,” Marquel said.
The race is quickly over. He’s crowned the 2021 6A Kansas State Track & Field Champion for the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.79 seconds. He wasn’t a Special Olympics athlete yet, but he’d soon have to make a transformative decision on what the next phase of his athletic career would look like.
Upon graduation, Marquel received college offers to run track, but his dad, Jason Russell said, “We kind of decided to go down a different path because the studying, it’d be very difficult for him. So, we went down the path of Special Olympics and it has tremendously changed his life.”
That decision has probably been the most impactful one he’s made in his young athletic life.
Allen Henderson coaches an elite Special Olympics softball team, the Topeka Stars. A team comprised of high-level softball players who compete yearly in regional events and at the Special Olympics North America Softball Championship.
“About 10 years ago, I started a Special Olympics men’s softball team with some of the athletes who were a little higher ability,” Henderson said. “I wanted to try to elevate the play of the higher-level athletes.”
Due to their success, the Topeka-based team gained popularity and garnered media coverage within the state. After seeing that coverage, Marquel’s grandfather reached out, expressing interest in Marquel joining the team. And while on a walk with his wife, Henderson ran into Marquel, who was doing flips near the school. But here’s the catch—Marquel had never played any level of softball.
“He didn’t think that he was going to be very good at it,” Henderson says. “I told him that we could develop the skills; I just needed the desire and the attitude.”
Marquel’s work ethic, raw athleticism and abilities as an athlete have never let him down, and this case was no exception. His attitude was off the charts, and his effort was there, along with physical strength. One trait he carried that others really couldn’t compete with was his speed. That track speed helps with the base running.
Those key traits played a significant role in Marquel making an impact at the 2022 USA Games in Orlando, Florida, contributing to the Stars’ gold medal in the softball competition.
“Marquel would not be where he is today without that (support),” Jason says. “Coach Allen has been super influential. He always recommends Marquel for different things. He enjoys having him on the team and he’s just a huge supporter of Special Olympics and even Marquel.”
In September 2025, Marquel and the Topeka Stars will be traveling to Oklahoma City—the home of USA Softball —to compete in the 2025 Special Olympics North America Softball Championship.
Four years following his first USA Games, Marquel will be in Minneapolis for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, representing Special Olympics Kansas in athletics. His first time in the state of Minnesota, he’s excited to experience all the different opportunities the Games have to offer.
“Getting to compete at another USA Games, especially for a sport that I live for, you know, it means a lot because sometimes I miss high school track,” Marquel says.
He’ll compete in the 100-meter, 200-meter and long jump events. Beyond what happens on the track, Marquel is excited to meet new people and trade pins with people from all over the country, proving that a USA Games experience cannot be limited to just competition.
“His ultimate goal is to go to World Games at some point, and I think that’s what a lot of people here in this area are trying to push for, hoping that he gets a chance to compete at that high level,” Jason says. “Even at USA Games, it’s going to be a much higher level than what he’s used to, and I think that’s going to be really good, just for him to show off his athletic ability.”
The electricity of a USA Games will be an atmosphere that he’s familiar with from his high school track days and competing for a state championship. The cheers. The pressure. The rubberized texture of the track pressed against his fingertips, almost becoming a part of him. But this time, the goal is a chance at a USA Games gold and the next step in his athletic journey.
