Senior
Colin next to all of his medals
Special Olympics trailblazer Colin Bailey still going strong after 40 years By Zoe Braithwaite, Special Olympics New Zealand
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Colin Bailey continues to be a role model and trailblazer for people with Down syndrome, 40 years after he became New Zealand’s first ever Special Olympics athlete. A Hutt Valley athlete, Colin, who has attended every Special Olympics National Summer Games since its inception in 1985, has many stories to tell. In December, Colin will again be attending the Freemasons New Zealand Special Olympics National Summer Games, his tenth games, where he will be competing alongside 1,200 athletes in ten sports across eight venues in Hamilton. “Colin is an amazing person in his own right, but he holds a very special place in our community,” says Carolyn Young, Chief Executive Officer of Special Olympics New Zealand. “Colin and the other pioneers showed the way for thousands of athletes who have followed his great example, so we are extremely grateful to him and those supporting him.” Colin’s Special Olympics journey started in 1982, when he was spotted by visiting American doctor Dottie Fitzgerald. They
encouraged the talented young swimmer and his coach Grant Quinn to attend the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Baton Rouge the following year, as well as starting a New Zealand branch. That fateful meeting changed both of their lives forever, and one year later Quinn, Colin and his three team-mates found themselves on their maiden plane trip to the United States. Colin, who recently turned 60, says he best remembers the stunned crowd in Louisiana, as the small, but boisterous Kiwi contingent burst into a haka at the closing ceremony. More importantly, the young swimmer made an even bigger impression in the pool, getting a special tribute from Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of John F Kennedy, as well as praise from four-time Olympic champion John Naber who could see no flaw in Colin’s impeccable technique. Colin and his team may have returned with a bagful of medals, however his fondest memories are not from the pool, but from making new friends from all around the world.
