Winning at Life by Debbie McKeown
It’s easy to get excited about the 2011Special Olympics World Summer Games when you consider the scale of this global event. This summer from June 25 to July 4, 7500 Special Olympics athletes from all corners of the globe will converge on Athens to compete in a variety of sports. Greek Games organizers are proudly declaring, “Our nation will host the biggest sporting event worldwide for the year 2011!” Canada is sending 109 athletes to the Games, including 35 from BC. International competition is one of the many opportunities Special Olympics provides to athletes with intellectual disabilities. The organization was founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of American President John F. Kennedy, with the vision of giving people with intellectual disabilities opportunities to build self-confidence, create pride and open doors to a positive future. Special Olympics now operates world-wide with more than 3 million athletes experiencing joy and life-changing skill development through sport. Special Olympics BC is supporting an impressive 3800 athletes. Athletes consistently report on the huge impact Special Olympics has on their lives. Marc Theriault from Surrey will be travelling to Greece as a member of Team Canada to compete in soccer. Marc says, “Special Olympics has improved my life so much. When I was younger I played generic sports and was often at a lower level than others on the team. I wasn’t always given a chance. With Special Olympics there are no favourites. Everybody gets an equal chance.” Bridget Colvin, a confident young athlete from Burnaby laughingly remembers hiding behind her mother the first time she went to a Special Olympics practise. She has since honed her skills in several sports, competed at a high level, travelled and made friends from all over the world. Children as young as two years old can become involved with Special Olympics’ Active Start, a lively program that encourages motor skills, fitness, social aptitude and athletic development. FUNdamentals is a similar program for older kids. Special Olympics BC recently received significant support from a major donor, allowing even greater expansion of their youth programs. When athletes are ready to graduate from the youth programs, Special Olympics offers a full roster of summer and winter sports for athletes of all ages and all ability levels. One key contributor to the success of Special Olympics is the high-quality coaching available to the athletes. Volunteer coaches are provided with extensive training through the National Coaching Certification Program, ensuring a quality experience for coaches and excellent benefits to the athletes.
Heather Young, a Special Olympics BC swim coach from Langley who has been selected to help guide Team Canada’s swimmers in the 2011 World Games, has been involved with Special Olympics for eight years and finds continual inspiration in the achievements of the athletes she coaches. “It is the day-to-day accomplishments of the athletes that keep me motivated. Many of them have overcome so much in their lives, yet they have an amazing capacity to find joy and humour in almost every situation.” But it’s more than that. “As these athletes build skills in sport, they are also changing attitudes, breaking down barriers and empowering themselves to take on the world with confidence and pride.” So, how does a Special Olympics athlete progress to international competition like this summer’s World Games in Athens? Athletes sign up to participate in weekly practises in their communities in one or more sports. While they are opening up new worlds of skills, friendship and fitness for themselves, they will also have opportunities to compete at the local level. From here they can qualify to move up to provincial, national, and eventually, international competition with four-year competitive cycles ongoing in both summer and winter sports. Dedicated athletes like Marc and Bridget love to show you the collection of medals and ribbons they have won at various events. But Special Olympics isn’t all about bringing home hardware. As long-time Special Olympics soccer coach Jerzy Kusmierek points out, “Whether they win a medal or not, I think we’ve demonstrated that it is the abilities rather than the disabilities of these athletes that deserve attention. They are winning at life.” To learn more about Special Olympics BC, log onto www.specialolympics.bc.ca. SFM Follow the excitement in Athens from June 25 to July 4 as Marc Theriault and the Special Olympics BC Surrey soccer team seek to defend the gold medal they won four years ago at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai! Cheer on all of BC’s amazing athletes and check their results on Special Olympics BC’s website (above) and on the World Games site www.athens2011.org/en. SPECIAL FAMILIES MAGAZINE May 2011
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