By Andrea Boyes, SOBC – Victoria Public Relations Coordinator

It was the spring of 2017 and Special Olympics BC – Victoria Public Relations Coordinator Andrea Boyes was struggling to find a way to make it to all of the competitions, fundraisers, and social events being put on by her Local so that she could take pictures and spread the news on social media, giving the events the publicity they deserved! It was at an event she was able to make that spring, the Region 6 Softball Tournament at Hyacinth Park in Saanich, when a lightbulb went off. It was there Andrea noticed how many Special Olympics athletes were sitting in the stands. Not there to play softball, but there to cheer on their friends.

“What if…” Boyes thought, “I asked some of the athletes to help me out at these events. Ask them to take pictures with their smartphones and send them to me? Perhaps also write down the scores and other important information, too?” That lightbulb moment was what set in motion the Special Olympics BC – Victoria athlete reporter program. 

It was just an idea and Boyes wanted to get the advice on it from the best person she could possibly think of: CHEK NEWS reporter and longtime Special Olympics BC volunteer Tess van Straaten. van Straaten immediately jumped on board and the two arranged to meet and create a training program for the athletes. Boyes and van Straaten presented the idea to Special Olympics BC who subsequently invited them to facilitate a seminar on media training and news reporting at the 2018 SOBC Athlete Leadership Conference in Richmond.

van Straaten says it has been a real thrill to be part of this pilot project, which has given the athletes a chance to learn new skills, showcase their friends and teammates, and share the amazing stories of Special Olympics BC with the public.

“As a TV news reporter and anchor for the last 20 years, I know first-hand the power of the media and increasingly, social media. Engaging our athletes to help share these stories online, taking pictures and videos and doing interviews, helps us leverage our biggest asset – our athletes and volunteers – to raise awareness about Special Olympics. I’ve been so impressed by the great questions our athlete reporters ask and the interviews they do. They take it very seriously and their enthusiasm is contagious!”

Today, the program has six athletes participating in Victoria, including Sheenagh Morrison who says she is really enjoying the opportunity.

“I love being a reporter because it has helped me with my eye contact and getting to meet new people, and learn about sports I don’t know much about,” says Morrison. 

“I would tell new reporters to try their best and have fun and believe in themselves that they can do it. They don’t need to be scared or nervous to try it, it is natural to feel those things when you are doing something new”.

Morrison has already completed six reporter assignments, including stories on Team BC 2018 athletes, fundraisers, and a variety of sport practices. She has also started mentoring new reporters. 

In Victoria, athlete reporters work in pairs. One person is responsible for taking pictures and video on their smartphone and the other athlete is responsible for interviewing athletes and coaches on camera. The footage is then sent to Boyes who edits the video clips and pictures together into a news story, which is then published on their social media pages. The response has been fantastic and the reporter stories have increased the amount of engagement the Local’s social pages have received. In fact, SOBC – Victoria even received an inquiry about the program all the way from Special Olympics in Oklahoma.

Boyes says she is so grateful her idea got both the support and expertise from van Straaten and also that Special Olympics BC gave them a chance to bring their pilot project to other athletes and coaches in B.C. at the 2018 SOBC Athlete Leadership Conference. 

“It’s a chance for our athletes to gain new skills and for more of Special Olympics’ incredible and inspiring stories to be told. I call that a win-win,” she says.

To see some of the SOBC – Victoria athlete reporter stories visit SOBC – Victoria’s Facebook Page.

If you would like more information on athlete reporters, please contact Michael Obendoerfer at michaelo@specialolympics.bc.ca.