These games are one of snapshots in time. There were great moments like watching the team dance during opening ceremonies. There was seeing Silas power though his 100m and the Justin's joy at receiving his medal. I liked seeing Mark and Joe grow together and the nerves Joe had as Mark skated. I enjoyed seeing Daniel ski and the astonishment of his coach/father as Daniel sprinted to the finish. I enjoyed the floor hockey win, but more so the reaction of the parents, fans, coaches and staff who were genuinely overjoyed for the athletes. I will remember our liaison, Marie-Christine Tremblay, who on the first day would barely say a word and by weeks end had a full dance card. I will also remember the trip home and the team just going with the flow as we faced delays and uncertainties.
On the sport side, Team Newfoundland & Labrador proved they didn’t have to take a back seat to anyone. We were more then competitive in all the events we entered and dominate in some. That speaks well to our coaches, and clubs who have put the time effort in the year prior to games to allow our athletes the best possible competitive experience.
Finally, I must thank the staff who did an outstanding job during the week. Living in close quarters for seven days can often lead to frayed nerves and personality conflicts. But any dissatisfaction was quickly put aside for the greater good, which were our athletes. The coaches and staff performed beyond the call of duty, not just with their teams but with the group as a whole. They made this a trip of a lifetime for many of our athletes and I am honored I was allowed to observe it from the middle of the pack. Thank you all.
Nelson White
Chef de Mission
Here’s a riddle for you: How do you reduce 35 to 1 without dividing it in any way? The answer is you make them a cohesive Team by calling them Team Newfoundland and Labrador and uniting them under one flag.
As Team Manager it was a joy to watch twenty-four athletes, six coaches, five mission staff from ten different communities work together to honour sport and make their province proud. Each individual represented a story of hard work and commitment from our Chef de Mission, Nelson White down to our youngest athlete, Justin.
How do you then sum up in a few words what it meant to be part of a life –altering event? To see an athlete from this province reach the podium and have a gold medal hung around his or her neck? To witness the excitement on an athlete’s face who is taking his first flight? Well, those few words for me are excitement, fun and pride.
There was EXCITEMENT - travelling to a new province and meeting Special Olympics athletes and coaches from all over the country, being part of a National opening ceremonies and holding your breath in the last minute of a hockey game with 2 men in the penalty box and Eddie Hynes being pelted with pucks while a gold medal lies in the balance.
There was FUN – there was singing and dancing and laughing and trying to learn a new language. “Wee, Wee” became the rallying cry of a whole floor hockey team.
But, most of all there was PRIDE - Pride in a group of athletes who put their hearts and souls into their sport. Snowshoers who battled the freezing cold and snow, skiers who faced a monster of a course, a lone figure skater who was adopted by Nova Scotia and a floor hockey team that became the darlings of the Quebec City volunteers. They did their province proud not only by their performances but by their behaviour, good manners and friendliness. For some, it was the first time they had lined up behind the Newfoundland and Labrador flag and were paraded in as ambassadors of their province.
Pride in a contingent of coaches who had put their lives on hold for two years while they trained their athletes and now stood on the side lines while their hearts raced around a track or up and down a gym floor. They distinguished themselves by their care for their athletes. Their total focus – the athletes.
Pride in our Chef de Mission, Nelson White. We’ve known for some time that we are blessed to have Nelson as our Program Director but we had reason to give thanks for him in Quebec City. This very capable man did not just go to bat for our athletes; he went to battle. He put their well being first and organized meals, buses and flights. He even took on Air Canada to get our athletes home on their scheduled night.
The 2008 Special Olympics Winter Games may already be just a footnote on some sports page but for those of us who attended it will always be extra special. We were part of something extraordinary. We were witness to the power of Special Olympics in the lives of twenty-four athletes, their families and their province. You cannot put a price on such an experience so when we are asked if the cost and the commitment of a National Games is worth it, we can honestly say, “Wee Wee”.
Mary Holloway Team Manager
In 2005 Special Olympics Newfoundland and Labrador suffered a big loss when three of its strongest members left for Africa. Paul and Paula Bradbury were coordinators for the Exploits region and their daughter Sheila was a dedicated swimming athlete. There time in Africa has been spent as missionaries and working in the school system in Senegal. After three years in Africa the Bradbury’s have once again been impacted by Special Olympics.
