Athletes, coaches, admin staff wanted across the Boundary, says Special Olympics BC

Special Olympics BC (Special O) needs volunteers to re-launch sports programs based in Grand Forks.

Like many volunteer organizations in B.C., Special O had to ramp down at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eighteen months later, the organization is hoping its coaches and board administrators will start to come back, Community Development Co-ordinator Melanie Hatt said Friday, Oct. 22.

"We're trying to regroup and regrow, because there are still athletes who want to participate," Hatt said, calling on volunteers and special athletes from Christina Lake through the West Boundary.

There's no barrier to entry when it comes to ability or experience. Whether you want to coach, compete or just learn a sport, Hatt says you're welcome to join.

Special-O already has swimming lanes booked at Grand Forks and District Rec's Aquatic Centre, where head coach Erica McCluney is eager to get back into the water. Speaking to The Gazette Friday, Oct. 15, McCluney fondly recalled taking special athletes Brogan Beliveau and Connor Charlong to 2019 swim meets in Kelowna and Cranbrook.

"They were invited to a skills training camp and, fortunately, they got a chance to compete with other special athletes from around the Kootenays," she said.

McCluney, who attended the University of Hawaii on a swimming scholarship, said she'd never formally coached before she signed on with Special O in 2018. She'd moved to Grand Forks a year earlier, when she was gently volun-told to join a community organization.

"What makes Grand Forks so great is that people are willing to commit," she heard from her friend, Lorraine Dick. "The next time I see you, I wanna know what you signed up for," Dick teased.

McCluney followed through. "I saw on Facebook that Special O was looking for volunteers. They asked me if I could swim. I said, 'yes,' and the rest is history," she told The Gazette.

Special-O is able to run local programs with the help of annual donors like the Grand Forks Knights of Columbus, whose Andy Stefanelli joined special athlete Noah Trainer and Special O Treasurer Kelly Soroka for a joyful cheque presentation in 2019.

"But without people to run our volunteer board, we've got no programs to offer," she said, adding that Special O is hoping to rebuild programs for floor hockey, snowboarding, snowshoeing, golf and bocce.

Anticipating Hatt's point about inclusivity, McCluney pointed out that athletes don't have to compete. There was a broad spectrum of ability on the pre-pandemic swim team, running from Beliveau and Charlong to athletes who just wanted to swim laps. The same goes for volunteer coaches.

Hatt stressed that Special O takes athletes' safety very seriously. Any and all volunteers will be asked to provide a criminal background check before they come on. Next, Hatt said all volunteers and athletes need to be double-vaccinated against COVID-19. Head coaches must be 19 or older, but junior coaches are welcome after they turn 16.

Special O is hoping to have programs back up and running in Grand Forks before Christmas, pending volunteer availability. Volunteers and athletes are welcome to join at any time, year-round, Hatt said.