SPECIAL OLYMPICS BC SNAPSHOT
Meet Athlete
Ashley Adie BC’s New Car Dealers are among Special Olympics BC’s longest-standing champions. It’s our privilege to introduce you to SOBC athletes and coaches from around the province. Their stories show the difference you make by supporting Special Olympics— you help create experiences of joy, friendship, empowerment, skill development and health improvements for more than 5,200 athletes with intellectual disabilities in 55 BC communities. Ashley Adie says being a Special With the New Car Dealers Olympics BC athlete has helped her Foundation / Special grow as a person. “It’s given me purpose. It’s given me a Olympics BC Auction reason to look forward to the day, something to commit myself to,” she says. “It’s Over the last 30 years, the New not just the competitive aspect—it’s the Car Dealers Foundation / Special atmosphere. It doesn’t matter what your Olympics BC Auction has raised differences are, what your background over $5 million to support Special is, or how disabled you are—everyone is Olympics BC’s life-changing, yearinclusive of one another and encouraground sport programs for individues each other. It is so welcoming!” als with intellectual disabilities, and Before joining Special Olympics, Adie the empowering work of the New kept to herself, felt isolated and didn’t Car Dealers Foundation. have many friends. Through Special Olympics BC, Adie says, she has found To make a difference by getting a place where she belongs and feels involved in this important event, accepted. She has also developed confiplease contact Christina Hadley, dence and social skills that have helped SOBC Vice President, Fund her in all aspects of her life. Development & Communications, by phone at 604.737.3073 / “My social circle has expanded tre1.888.854.2276 toll-free or by email mendously!” says the dedicated Special at chadley@specialolympics.bc.ca. Olympics BC—Campbell River athlete. Ashley Adie giving her all in the snowshoeing events at the 2019 Special Olympics BC Winter Adie is one of 143 Special Olympics Games in Greater Vernon. Team BC athletes training to compete at the 2020 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Thunder Bay from February 25 to 29. Here, athletes with intellectual disabilities from across the “It’s an explosion of electric positive energy!” country will be vying for opportunities to advance to the 2021 Adie participates in several sports in her community’s yearSpecial Olympics World Winter Games in Sweden. They will also round Special Olympics programs, and as a Team BC athlete she be developing important skills, self-confidence and meaningful has committed to training at least three days a week—which she friendships. often exceeds. Her goal for Thunder Bay is to achieve new per“I feel honoured to be part of the team,” Adie says. “I am just resonal bests. While she would love to win a medal, she says a new ally looking forward to representing BC, and showing the country best time shows her she has improved, and that all her hard work what I’ve got and what the snowshoeing team has to offer.” has paid off. Adie has competed at National Games before, as a Special Learn more about Adie and Special Olympics Team BC 2020 at Olympics Team BC 2018 track and field athlete, and says it is an soteambc2020.ca. incredible experience. “It’s almost surreal to go to Games—you are there because you Please visit specialolympics.bc.ca to meet more SOBC athletes have worked so hard. I find it exciting, humbling and eye-opening.” and learn more about the Special Olympics programs in your Adie says hearing the crowd and feeling the adrenaline rush community. before a race at National Games is like nothing else.
Make a difference
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Signals Magazine January–March 2020
