Special Olympics BC Local
Penticton
When and how did you get involved with Special Olympics?
1994. I was working a fundraiser at the local golf club and at the wind up banquet the local coordinator at the time mentioned they were looking for volunteers to help with snowshoeing. When I had an opportunity, I spoke to him and said that I had snowshoed and would be willing to help out. Before you could say "Special Olympics," I was in and head coach.
Will this be your first Special Olympics Canada Games? If not, which other National Games were you part of and in what role(s)?
This will be my seventh Special Olympics Canada Games (five winter, two summer). Previous National Games I have attended are:
- 2008: Quebec, assistant coach for snowshoeing
- 2012: St. Albert, assistant coach for cross country skiing
- 2014: Vancouver, assistant coach for bocce
- 2016: Corner Brook, assistant coach for cross country skiing
- 2018: Antigonish, assistant coach for bocce
- 2020: Thunder Bay, assistant coach for cross country
What does it mean to you to be part of Special Olympics Team BC 2024?
Excited to be part of the team and looking forward to our training days leading up to National Games and then being at competition.
What is/are your goal(s) for these National Games?
To have well-trained athletes ready to compete and for them to have personal bests and hopefully win medals.
What is your favourite Special Olympics experience to date?
So many. Probably the honour of being selected to Team Canada 2017 in Austria. Watching the torch ski down the mountain at the opening ceremony.
What does competing at National Games mean to your athletes? (or, if this is your first National Games, competition in general)
Excited to be competing and looking forward to seeing friends from across the country that they haven't seen at National Games in a while.
What storylines are you excited to see develop in your SO Team BC sport team leading up to the National Games?
How their offseason training has improved their on snow performance, and what they did for training in the offseason.
What would you say about Special Olympics to encourage someone to get involved?
Special Olympics is a year round program and once you experience the joy and fun of volunteering with our athletes, you will look forward to every practice.