Participants spread their arms as they jump into the cold water at the 2025 Chilly Cowboy.

Chilly Cowboy celebrates fourth annual polar plunge

Monday, February 24, 2025

Media Contact: Jeff Hopper | Communications and Media Relations Manager | 405-744-5827 | jeff.hopper@okstate.edu

Over the last four years, Oklahoma State University has raised $150,000 for Special Olympics Oklahoma through the Chily Cowboy polar plunge event.

Each year, student-athletes, athletic directors, coaches and OSU administration take on the polar plunge as a way to show support for Special Olympics.

Men's basketball coach Steve Lutz was the first to take the polar plunge on Feb. 17 to kickstart this year's freezing fundraiser.

“If you ever wondered what the cold plunge was like in the morning, this is a great way to find out and support Special Olympics,” said Lutz, who is in his first year at OSU, so this was his inaugural plunge. “Special Olympics is a huge part of our campus and our programming here. It's just amazing that we're going to have over 5,000 athletes here this summer, so being a small part of that is worth everything.”

The money raised stays within Payne County to aid athletes, programs and the summer games.

Chelsea Fitzgerald, a former OSU softball player and Chilly Cowboy co-founder, decided four years ago to create a polar plunge event special to OSU. She wanted this fundraiser to support the Special Olympic athletes within the Payne County community.

“It has been an honor to watch it grow with the help of the loyal and true community,” Fitzgerald said. “So from day one, our mission has always been to create something that outlasts our time here at OSU and create a positive impact in our community for years to come.”

OSU and Stillwater have hosted the Special Olympic Games every summer for the last 40 years. Chilly Cowboy has helped to continue this partnership, which has made an incredible impact on the Payne County community. It provides much-needed support for programs like OSU Unified and the summer Special Olympics.

“It's inspiring to see this incredible organization that helps individuals with disabilities discover their abilities through the power of sports,” said Chad Weiberg, director of athletics. “Athletics has a unique way of bringing people together. Of all abilities, right? It fosters inclusion, teamwork, and a sense of belonging. Sports connects us all, transcending differences and creating opportunities for meaningful relationships and shared experiences.”

OSU is proud to be the first Special Olympics unified college in Oklahoma since 2022. This program allows Special Olympic athletes to come together alongside OSU Unified partners to compete in various sporting events hosted by OSU intramural sports.

OSU Unified is a collaboration between the OSU Center for Developmental Disabilities, OSU Department of Wellness and the OSU Unified Sports Club. It has given Special Olympics athletes the ability to stay involved with a variety of sports like cornhole, flag football and bowling even after the summer games are over.

Events like the Chilly Cowboy and Special Olympics allow people with disabilities to join a team. They give these individuals an opportunity to be part of a larger organization and feel included.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to support our community and to support a fantastic cause. OSU has been involved in it for a number of years, and I'm proud to be part of that tradition,” said Dr. Melinda Cro, College of Arts and Sciences dean.