The Athlete Leadership training program in Saskatchewan saw a huge increase in the number of athletes being trained this year. We are so pleased to announce that 54 athletes from 13 different communities successfully completed their weekend-long training program. This professional development opportunity is specifically for Special Olympics athletes and is a great way to prepare athletes to effectively share their stories with others. As advocates for themselves and their fellow athletes, they learn a variety of skills to better prepare them for opportunities that may arise, such as encouraging new athletes to join, speaking to sponsors, or simply speaking one-on-one with others about the benefits of Special Olympics programming. 

Each working one-on-one with a mentor, participants chose either Athlete Speaker training or Social Media & Media training. Athlete Speaker training guides athletes through practical exercises resulting in fully completing their own speech, which they all deliver in front of their peers, by the end of the weekend. Social Media & Media training includes a variety of things, including online safety, what makes a great social media post, skill development for speaking to media, complete with a mock interview at the end of the weekend.

The majority of our athletes trained this year are on Team Sask, with some heading to National Bowling Championships in PEI in May or National Summer Games in Antigonish, Nova Scotia in July. Our athletes are still working hard and training in their respective sports but we're pleased that they have also gained some skills necessary to share information about their training and progress with others! 

Great job, Athlete Leaders!

Check out the pictures from all four athlete leadership programs here.