Chicago Skater Will Compete In The Special Olympics World Games

(CBS) Tommy Shimoda is the only athlete from Chicago invited to compete in this year's Special Olympics World Games in Austria.

CBS 2's Dana Kozlov caught up with him rink side.

Inside Morgan Park's sports center, the 24-year-old Shimoda hits the ice one last time before heading to the Winter Games as a speed skater.

The community and his mom are behind him 100 percent.

Barb Shimoda loves seeing her son, who has autism and is non-verbal, fly around the ice.

"For him to be out on this ice, he's just free," she says.

Win or lose, she'll be there, cheering him on, as always.

"Nothing is more important to me in my life than watching him have fun, be out there and compete and feel like a hero," she says.