Special Olympics Sarnia
Special OlympicsIn September of 2016, Tana Manchester and her cousin Paige Price went to a Special Olympics Ontario information night. "At the end of the presentation, I knew that this is what my daughter needed, what I needed as a parent, and what the community needed," she explains. That is when she met Anne Lannan, the current treasurer and key member of the Community Council. Manchester's daughter, Emma, had aged out of some of the community programs that were offered, and mainstream basketball was too fast for her. "Emma loved sports and being around her peers, and I was frustrated that there were so many opportunities for my typically-developed child, but nothing for her." Manchester became the community coordinator for Special Olympics Sarnia, started a Facebook page, and started a basketball program in 2017.
To be eligible for Special Olympics, participants must have an intellectual disability, and be over the age of eight years old. Athletes of all ability levels are encouraged to participate, and every athlete is recognized for his or her performance. "We started off with 20 athletes in one program, and now we offer 14 programs, including powerlifting, floor hockey, swimming, basketball, bowling, soccer, and track and field. We also offer the athletes different fitness classes like Zumba, strength training, and yoga. We have great participation in whatever we start," explains Manchester.
Everyone involved in Special Olympics Sarnia is a volunteer. "Right now we have about 80 registered volunteers who help with coaching, organizing events and tournaments, and fundraising." Special Olympics Sarnia has dedicated coaches who teach weekly and attend tournaments with their athletes. "As parents, we feel lucky to have so many wonderful coaches from the community who also care for our children. It's nice to be able to sit and watch your kid do something they love while chatting with other parents." Registration fees are low to avoid any barriers to participation and
Special Olympics Sarnia covers the cost of transportation and away fees for tournaments through their fundraising efforts.
Special Olympics athletes are not only developing their sports skills, balance, coordination, and body control, but also their self-confidence and social skills. "Emma didn't have a social life. She wanted friends to hang out with like everyone else. Playing basketball has boosted her confidence and now she has friends that she spends time with three or four times a week." Special Olympics Sarnia also organizes social events for the athletes and their families. "Whether it's while playing sports or socializing together, we provide a safe space with no judgment, and everyone accepts you the way you are."
Special Olympics Sarnia has just started Active Start, a program for kids ages two to seven years old. "This is something I have wanted to do since we started Special Olympics. The response from the children and parents has been amazing." Active Start introduces the skills you need to graduate into sports. "It's wonderful to see these young kids learning about sports and fitness. The looks of pure joy and accomplishment on their faces is worth it all."
Related Stories
Great Pretenders
It was never Joyce Keelan's plan to go it alone, and start her own company, but due to gender discrimination in the engineering world of the 1980s, she became a corporate refugee. And consequently, her own boss. Step one on Joyce's road to independence began when she took a job with Magna Internati
DO Gibson - aka Defy the Odds
D.O. (Defy the Odds) Gibson is a rapper, motivational speaker, music producer and anti-bullying advocate. In 2003 he set the Guinness World Record for longest freestyle rap. Although he now calls Toronto home, he grew up in Sarnia and began his musical career here. His love of music came first, and h
Suds Shop Sarnia
It is often said mother is the necessity of invention. That was never truer than a few years ago when Natasha St. Louis decided to go head-to-head with her daughter's skin issues. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, my daughter's hands started to breakdown because of how much handwashing she
KD Exteriors
In 2009, Kevin Downey opened KD Exteriors, located at 140 Russell Street South, specializing in custom windows, doors, siding and shutters. The company started out small with just Downey and his brother selling and installing. "We...
Related Stories
When Bill Lamarche was the sporting goods and seasonal manager at a large retailer in London, he began dreaming about opening his own business. “At first I thought about opening a sporting goods store, but then I realized the hard...
Vision Nursing & Rest Home
In 1974, a group of Sarnia business people came together to establish Vision 74 Inc., a non-profit charitable organization that would be of service to the community. The group built Vision Nursing home in 1974 with 60 long-term care beds at 229 Wellington Street. The long-term care beds increased
Capes Movers
Howard Capes started Capes Movers in 1934 as a messenger service. He did deliveries of groceries for Dominion and A&P, explains his son, Maurice Capes. When the Bluewater Bridge was being built, he delivered the building materials to the site. I have one of his old journals and it shows
Sarnia Chiropractic and Performance Centre
“One day you’re treating a pee-wee hockey player and then ten years later, you’re treating an NHL player,” explains Dr. John Vargo. His clinic, Sarnia Chiropractic and Performance Centre, located at 167 Exmouth Street, has treated...
