Last week deep inside the walls of the National Security Agency (NSA)—a building very few individuals have the privilege to step foot in, much less speak at—Special Olympics Maryland athlete Adam Hays brought the house down. Adam, 26, a member of the SOMD-Frederick County program, was making a presentation about Special Olympics in front of 200 NSA employees who are volunteer coordinators for Combined Federal Campaign, an organization that promotes and supports various philanthropic groups.

Adam’s father, Bill, works at the building and was in attendance for his son’s speech. In his 10-minute presentation, Adam spoke about his past athletic endeavors with Special Olympics, his experiences as a participant in the MSP Polar Bear Plunge, and as a runner in the Torch Run Relay for the Summer Games. He even managed to sprinkle in some humor. When asked about his dip into the frosty Chesapeake Bay for the annual Polar Bear Plunge, Adam curled his lips up and let out a big ‘Brrrrrrrr’; it was the sound he made all 24 times when he entered the water as a Super Plunger in 2010.

The crowd erupted in laughter. At that moment, Bill tapped a woman seated in front of him and said, “That’s my son up there.”

It was a proud moment for Adam and his father. It was also a proud moment for Special Olympics Maryland, an organization which Adam has been involved in for over 15 years.

Adam, pictured left with his father, Bill, currently competes in soccer, softball, cycling, skiing and kayaking for SOMD-Frederick County, and has played basketball and ran track-and-field in the past. Along with juggling his athletic schedule, he is also a part-time worker at the Special Olympics Maryland headquarters based in Linthicum, Md.

Sue Jacobs, a senior director of donor development at Special Olympics Maryland, attended and participated in the presentation alongside Adam and said he did a great job. But what she’ll remember most for the day is Adam’s excitement over speaking in front of his dad at the NSA.

Said an ecstatic Adam: “I had a smile from the time I walked in [to the NSA] until the time I got home,” Adam said. “When I got home my dad said all of his coworkers were really impressed with me and all of my accomplishments. I sure had a lot of fun. It was something I will always remember.”