Inspiration took centre stage at the Special Olympics BC Athlete Leadership Conference April 7 to 8 in Richmond, with 59 amazing athletes and more than 57 volunteer speech coaches and facilitators from all over the province coming together to work on skills that fall outside of the sports arena.

Participants spent the weekend working on public speaking and leadership skills in the event’s Athlete Speakers Bureau 1 and 2 courses, Governance workshop, and Health Heroes training. In addition, SOBC added three new courses to the two-day conference, with Peer Mentorship, Anti-Bullying and Athlete Reporter training courses added to the agenda.

“I was really excited to see the new sessions roll out this year,” SOBC Manager of Community Development Michelle Cruickshank said. “It keeps things interesting and relevant."

Cruickshank said the idea for the Athlete Reporter session came from two of its volunteers who have a background in media. She said that kind of first-hand insight offered athletes the opportunity to not only learn reporting and editing skills but also understand how to interact with the media community. Everything from audio, video and photography sessions to athlete interview presentations were part of the session.

“It’s always exciting to see the athlete’s learning and growing at the conference and then go out and put it into practice in their local communities,” said Cruickshank.

SOBC – Victoria athlete Amanda Arnet said her love of technology inspired her to sign up for the course. She said she found the training quite useful, picking up valuable tips on proper video techniques, as well as honing her own interviewing skills. Arnett, who participates in bocce and 10-pin bowling, said she hopes to put the weekend’s session to good use and one day be able to work with CHEK News.

“I would love to continue to do local media,” Arnett said. “I would love to tell stories about how I got involved in Special Olympics and what it means for me to be part of Special Olympics.”

Tess van Straaten, a journalist with CHEK News in Victoria who helped facilitate the media course, said she was extremely impressed with the level of excitement and engagement for the first-ever athlete reporter training. She said the athletes and their coaches had a number of insightful questions and are keen to put their new skills to use raising awareness about Special Olympics.

"I can't wait to see what comes from equipping athletes with the tools to turn their phones into a powerful way to get the word out about all the good Special Olympics BC is doing," van Straaten said.

Athlete Speakers Bureau continues to be one of the most popular courses at the conference. The goal is to help train athletes to write and deliver speeches about their stories and Special Olympics experiences. Athlete Speakers Bureau 1 featured 16 enthusiastic athletes, while Athlete Speakers Bureau 2 involved 10 dedicated speakers. Most of the athletes involved in the second round of speaking training had completed ASB1 the year before and take the course to build their skills to the next level.

SOBC – Surrey’s Ryan Canuel shared with his fellow athletes why he’s part of Special Olympics.

“My job as a volunteer is to uplift, help, and to inspire others to play sports … There is no way I can repay Special Olympics for all they have given me,” Canuel said.

The volunteer speech coaches play a key role over the course of the two-day conference, providing encouragement and support for the athletes to develop their speeches and skills on their own. 

SOBC – Salt Spring Island Local Coordinator Merv Anderson worked on an ASB2 speech with athlete Jason Newport, who was attending his second conference in as many years. Anderson said the intimate setting allows the participants to gain the confidence they need to succeed.

“Jason had the opportunity to get up in front of the group twice, which greatly helped build his confidence,” said Anderson.  “Going to a second conference is a very big deal for any athlete. I am sure that Jason felt pride in being part of the leadership program.”

The Governance track teaches skills to help athletes be part of leadership groups and gives athletes opportunities to share their valuable perspectives on key issues facing Special Olympics. The Governance group included an enthusiastic combination of athletes who serve on Athlete Councils and/or as Athlete Representative with their Local Committee. It also included athletes who are new to the Governance practice. All brought excellent ideas and opinions to the table for valuable conversations in the session.

Lois McNary, Vice President, Sport for SOBC, says they are very excited to be able to train such committed athlete leaders and look forward to seeing the program continue to grow and evolve in the years to come.

“There’s never any shortage of enthusiasm and commitment with our athletes,” says McNary. “It’s inspiring to watch them grow in confidence and know they will develop into community leaders advocating for Special Olympics.”

Health Heroes training continues to be a key component of the SOBC’s Athlete Leadership training, which was first introduced in 2016. The training is presented with the support of Golisano Foundation Special Olympics Healthy Communities grant funding. Part of this year’s conference included a presentation by Sobeys, which focused on helping SOBC athletes eat better, feel better, and do better by providing nutrition and cooking tips through a Better Food Nutrition session.

Gary Davies, Human Resources Manager for Sobeys West, said they were excited for the opportunity to participate in this year’s conference. He said Sobeys is passionate about food and it’s something they celebrate.

“Our mission is to bring better food to Canadians by helping them eat better, feel better and do better,” Davies said. “This is why we are so excited about our partnership with the Special Olympics because this is exactly what we are speaking about during these presentations.”   

Davies said he enjoyed the opportunity and was impressed with the athlete’s engagement.

“Everyone was having fun, learning and laughing at the same time, coaches included.”

Personally, Davies said having this opportunity to talk to athletes about nutrition really resonated with for a few reasons. As an athlete and having and having family members who have competed in cycling at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, Davies said he can fully appreciate the dedication and commitment it takes to be the best athlete you possibly can be, and having the ability to speak to athletes about how fueling their body with proper nutrition and hydration can positively influence their results, seemed like a great fit.

“In fact, being around this group athletes talking about nutrition and competition I found quite inspiring. The benefits of the programs nutritional aspect, coupled with exercise and activity, speak to a healthier more fulfilling life which is something we all strive for,” Davies said.

Sincere thank you also to the fantastic volunteer course facilitators who did an outstanding job helping the athletes build their confidence and abilities! Congratulations to this year’s participants! (full list below)

Athletes Speakers Bureau 1

View speeches in Dropbox

In the words of athletes:

“I had the time of my life. The charge in the atmosphere, the energy, the euphoria – it hooked me. It was like a breath of fresh air. Anytime I feel down, I look back at that moment.”  -Ryan Canuel, SOBC – Surrey

 “Special Olympics has impacted my life because I now find myself more active now than I was when I was in high school.”  -Sarah Brown, SOBC – Vancouver

“I like Special Olympics because it really helps me build confidence and helped me develop my skills as an athlete.” ­ -Kent Plettl, SOBC – Kamloops

“Special Olympics is important to me because it’s a safe place where I can be accepted for who I am and be authentic.” -Christine Magnusson, SOBC – Langley

“I believe having new volunteers makes a difference to a Local and makes our community more inclusive.” -Tamkia Shaw, SOBC – North Shore

Athletes Speakers Bureau 2

View speeches in Dropbox

In the words of athletes:

“I felt really good and wonderful because they believed in me and because it gave me more confidence than I’ve ever had in my life.” -Christian Burton, SOBC – Langley

“My biggest accomplishment is being able to overcome being shy, invisible, and bullied.” -Jake Hooper, SOBC – Comox Valley

“At the Canada Winter Games, I finished in fifth place. Initially, I was really disappointed because I didn’t have the skate I wanted. My emotions got the best of me and there were some tears.  But after, with the support of my coach, he pointed out that if I added the words ‘”In Canada’” after my result, it would probably change my perspective – and he was right.” -Emily Walzak, SOBC – Victoria

“Special Olympics Has made me a better person by helping me set goals and working to achieve them.”  -Simon Phipps, SOBC – Nanaimo

Click here for more information on Athlete Leadership.

Special Olympics BC is extremely grateful to the following sponsors for their generous donations to the Athlete Leadership Conference: Great-West Life, London Life, Canada Life, and the Coca-Cola Foundation.

2018 participants

Athlete Speakers Bureau 1

Name of Athlete	Local	Speech Coach
Ryan Canuel	Surrey	Shelley Canuel
Christine Magnusson	Langley	Liz Wood
Nathan McManamna	Coquitlam	Laurie McManamna
Devon Marsland-Anderson	Coquitlam	Eileen Marsland
Bobbie Bartin	Langley	Marilyn Farquhar
Kent Plettl	Kamloops	Tamara Turner
Marc Theriault	Surrey	Karen Theriault
David Stevenson	Ridge Meadows	Diane Stevenson
Sash Barbour	Nanaimo	Dave Forester
Mark Hamblett	Victoria	Lisa Yaremico
Michael Langridge	Victoria	Kyle Erikson
Priscilla Dickson	Oceanside	Barb McLeod
Kerri Lipsack	Oceanside	Yvonne Newport
Tamika Shaw	North Shore	Tracy Evans
Dominic Iacio	Burnaby	Ron Hammell
Sarah Brown	Vancouver	Maia Brundage

ASB1 – facilitated by Andrea Boyes, Charlotte Taylor, and Samantha Taylor

 

Athlete Speakers Bureau 2

Name of Athlete	Local	Speech Coach
Jason Newport	Salt Spring Island	Merv Anderson
Lorraine Dick	Williams Lake	Sue Means
Simon Phipps	Nanaimo	Angela Behn
Brock Terlesky	Quesnel	Rick Prosk
Kelsey Simpson	Victoria	Micaela Simpson
Emily Walzak	Victoria	Martin Newham
Geoffrey Trimble	Oceanside	Martin DeBarros
Jake Hooper	Comox Valley	Caitlin Hooper
Julie Black	Cowichan Valley	Amy Gibbs
Christian Burton	Langley	Jayne Burton

ASB2 – facilitated by Marilyn McLean and Tess van Straaten

 

Governance

Name of Athlete	Local
Adam Advocaat	Coquitlam
Maria Stamatelakis	Fort St John
Mike Cook	Castlegar
Danny Dodgson	Quesnel
Simone Myers	Port Alberni
Stephanie Button	Oceanside
Shayne Blandin	Oceanside
Billy Peterson	North Shore
Pierce Burns	North Shore
Mathew Schming	Vancouver
Miranda Orth	Vancouver
Justin Sigal	Vernon
Tanya Norman	Powell River
Vincent Li	Richmond

Governance facilitated by Lois McNary

 

Peer Mentor

Name of Athlete	Local	Mentor Coach
Derick Pye	Sunshine Coast	Mike Gojevic
Richard Niesman	Ridge-Meadows	Kevin Gillmore
Travis Burt	Quesnel	Ellen Martz
Mike Brooks	Sunshine Coast	Mike Gojevic
Calen MacLellan	Kelowna	Ken Saunders
Chris Harrington	Kelowna	Melissa Newell
Sheryl Spurr	Vancouver	Camila Piakowski

Peer Mentor facilitated by Charlene Flood

 

Media Training

Name of Athlete	Local	Speech Coaches
Jason Newport	Salt Spring Island	Merv Anderson
Lorraine Dick	Williams Lake	Sue Means
Simon Phipps	Nanaimo	Angela Behn
Brock Terlesky	Quesnel	Rick Prosk
Kelsey Simpson	Victoria	Micaela Simpson
Jake Hooper	Comox Valley	Caitlin Hooper
Julie Black	Cowichan Valley	Amy Gibbs
Geoffrey Trimble	Oceanside	Martin DeBarros
Mike Cook	Castlegar
Danny Dodgson	Quesnel
Simone Myers	Port Alberni
Stephanie Button	Oceanside
Shayne Blandin	Oceanside
Billy Peterson	North Shore
Pierce Burns	North Shore
Justin Sigal	Vernon
Tanya Norman	Powell River
Vincent Li	Richmond
Maria Stamatelakis	Fort St John

Media Training facilitated by Andrea Boyes and Tess van Straaten

 

Anti-bullying

Name of Athlete	Local	Speech Coaches
Derick Pye	Sunshine Coast	Mike Gojevic
Richard Niesman	Ridge-Meadows	Kevin Gillmore
Travis Burt	Quesnel	Ellen Martz
Mike Brooks	Sunshine Coast	Mike Gojevic
Calen MacLellan	Kelowna	Ken Saunders
Chris Harrington	Kelowna	Melissa Newell
Sheryl Spurr	Vancouver	Camila Piakowski
Emily Walzak	Victoria	Martin Newham
Jenn Ferrier	Victoria
Amanda Arnet	Victoria
Samantha Sorenson	Cranbrook
Kristina Tammark	North Shore
Adrian Rosen	Prince George
Kristina Ettema	Surrey
Stacey Kohley	Surrey
Tony Wilkinson	Kelowna
Elizabeth Ishister	Vernon
Adam Advocaat	Coquitlam
Mathew Schming	Vancouver

Anti-bullying facilitated by Melanie Hutt