Special Olympics BC – Whistler Valley’s Stephen Suckling says helping young athletes develop physical skills and confidence is very rewarding.

As program leader of his Local’s Active Start/FUNdamentals program, Suckling works hard to help young athletes develop motor skills that will help them with sports and in their day-to-day lives. An encouraging and creative leader, Suckling brings a lot of fun activities to his sessions and is good at helping young athletes develop their skills from week to week. Sucking has a strong sport background, and before coming to Special Olympics he volunteered with the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program, where he was an instructor for cross country skiing, kayaking, and swimming.

Sucking wants people to know that there are some great programs in the Whistler Valley area that can help people with intellectual disabilities keep active, develop sport skills, and have a great time.

When did you start with Special Olympics, and how did you get involved?

I started with Special Olympics in October 2016. I was recommended by another instructor to Sarah Wall, who was SOBC’s Manager of Community Development for my area, and she contacted me with a need to fill an empty spot in Whistler Valley.

What has been your most memorable Special Olympics experience?

The most memorable experiences and favourite moments I've had in the program are reoccurring. I run the Active Start/FUNdamentals program in 12-week cycles, so coming back after a long break and seeing old skills that an athlete has worked on and built since we last saw each other is always great to see and rewarding for everyone. Knowing that the lessons and confidence is going beyond the short hour we spend in the gym is a great feeling.

What would you like others to know about SOBC – Whistler Valley?

I'd like people to know about the wide variety of programming offered in the Whistler Valley for this demographic. From the basics like the Active Start program, to working with the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program skiing on the mountains or kayaking on the rivers, there's a lot packed into this small valley.