Welcome Special Olympics West Coast. Abu Dhabi here we come WARRIORS MEET AUCKLAND SCHOOLS ATHLETICS APRIL 2018 ISSUE

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1 APRIL 2018 Welcome Special Olympics West Coast NATIONAL SUMMER GAMES NOMINATED FOR SPORTING AWARD WARRIORS MEET AUCKLAND SCHOOLS ATHLETICS Abu Dhabi here we come READ MORE NEWS ONLINE AT BUMP ER ISSUE

2 FROM: THE CEO S DESK It is great to see that we have had such a positive start to We are thrilled that our 2017 National Summer Games has been selected as a finalist in the Community Impact category in the 2018 New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards. We are so proud that the achievements of our athletes and volunteers will be highlighted publicly through the national Awards process. We wish to acknowledge and congratulate all the finalists this year. With the retirement of a number of long-standing volunteers at the end of last year, we have had a seamless transition with the recruitment of new volunteers in most positions at Club level across NZ. This has meant that there has been no disruption to our regular training and competition pathway. Managing succession planning effectively is part of the core business process of any successful organisation. We are focused on adding greater depth to our sanctioned sports which includes rolling out our coach development programme and ensuring that we are providing expanded opportunities to engage new athletes and their families/caregivers. Additionally we are starting to place more emphasis on engaging new supporters through our Unified Sports Programme. If you have an opportunity to engage new individuals or groups in a Level 1 Unified Sport event then please take this up. I can assure you it will be a very rewarding experience. There is nothing our athletes enjoy more than spontaneously engaging new players in their chosen sports!! Kathy Gibson, Chief Executive Officer #OURCOACHES Special Olympics New Zealand is committed to connecting our volunteer coaches with the training opportunities, tools, resources and information they want and need for their growth and development as coaches. As an organisation, we believe it is important that we offer our coaches a clear and accessible pathway for their own growth and development to the level they aspire to. In 2017 we asked our coaching community for feedback on what they would like from us in terms of Coach Development opportunities. We had a great response and some very definite guidance on what our coaches and Clubs would like. As a result, you will be seeing a couple of new initiatives coming out from Special Olympics New Zealand in the next few months. The first of these will be the launch of the #OurCoaches quarterly newsletter, sharing links to relevant coaching tools and resources and training opportunities around the country and online. Interested in receiving this? coaching@specialolympics.org.nz 2

3 FRESH YOUNG TALENT AT WAIKATO POWERLIFTING New talent was on display at Special Olympics Waikato s powerlifting event on 10 March. We have four new athletes under the age of 20 all showing huge potential, said Special Olympics Regional Sports Coordinator, Colleen Black. There s a real indication that this sport is growing throughout the North Island. The four new athletes were: David Bell, Special Olympics Howick-Pakuranga (18): first in Squat, Deadlift, Benchpress and Combination Lifts. Darryl Lewis, Special Olympics Manawatu (17): fifth in Squat, third in Benchpress, second in Deadlift. Kate Timp, Special Olympics Howick-Pakuranga (15): first in Squat, second in Benchpress, first in Deadlift. Courtney Duncan, Special Olympics Waikato (22): second in Squat, first in Benchpress, third in Deadlift. The event was opened by Special Olympics Waikato competitor and Global Messenger Alex Johnsen. Alex spoke with confidence and enthusiasm, welcoming everyone and wishing them good luck and a great competition. He also thanked all of the very supportive volunteers, Colleen said. VOLUNTEER SUPPORT GETS BOCCE GOING IN AUCKLAND Special Olympics Auckland has now got Bocce up and running, thanks to the involvement of committed volunteers Jenny Collins and Nazrin Samin. The two volunteers have got weekly Club training going with a group of athletes, held at Selwyn College in Kohimarama. The Auckland Club will begin hosting Bocce events in this month, at Bridge Park Bowling Club in Mangere. Both Jenny and Nazrin got involved with Special Olympics Auckland through their children and have grown their volunteer involvement from there. Jenny was interested in Bocce as she was keen to see a new sport being offered to the athletes. I enjoy seeing athletes being able to participate in sports that they love and might not have had the opportunity to participate in ordinarily, Jenny says. Nazrin has been a registered volunteer for about nine months, and originally got involved as an Indoor Bowling coach for the 2017 National Summer Games. I enjoy helping the athletes and teaching them how to play Games like Indoor Bowling and Bocce, Nazrin said. Thanks Jenny and Nazrin for your outstanding commitment! THE TEAM AT TRAINING AT SELWYN COLLEGE 3

4 WELCOME SPECIAL OLYMPICS WEST COAST Last month we were very excited to welcome a new Club to the Special Olympics New Zealand family Special Olympics West Coast! The Club held its first meeting and AGM on 1 March, followed by its first official event on Saturday 3 March a Tier 1 Golf event. The event was followed by an informal launch event, attended by special guest, Mayor Tony Kokshoorn. Special Olympics West Coast is born out of the excitement generated by the Special Olympics schools swimming and basketball events we have been running in Greymouth for the last couple of years, says Special Olympics New Zealand Regional Team Leader, Julia Sanson. The success of the events has brought together a core group of parents who together with support from the local community, want to provide a way for athletes to move into a Club environment, and provide a lifelong sporting pathway. Regional Sports Coordinator Graeme Bain has worked with a strong group of volunteers who form the new Club Committee, and want to develop the Club to provide opportunities for athletes from Westport to Hokitika. In true Coaster style, the community has come together to get behind the new Club with strong support from the Grey District Council, Regional Sports Trust, schools, service providers, community groups, families and mainstream volunteers, as well as funders and sporting venues. The Upper South Island Regional Council (USIRC), has also committed to supporting the West Coast volunteers in the development of the Club. CHAIR JOS STURKENBOOM THANKS SPONSORS AS MAYOR TONY KOKSHOORN LOOKS ON Special Olympics West Coast Chair Jos Sturkenboom said he s excited and privileged to be part of the new Club. As a parent it s such a buzz to see all our athletes out participating together, having fun and making friends, Jos said. A big thank you to Graeme Bain, to our Secretary Jenny Green who has been a real driving force, and to the community, which has really got behind us. Special Olympics West Coast will offer Golf, Basketball, Swimming and Equestrian. The Club will next host a Basketball Tier 1 event in June. SCHOOL SWIMMING SUCCESS The West Coast also played host to a schools swimming event at Hokitika Community Pool on Friday 2 March. 29 students from Westland High, Grey High, Karoro School, St Marys School and Grey Main School took part, and there was great support from the new West Coast Club, with four volunteers and two athletes helping out. Eight Year 12 students from Westland High also volunteered as timekeepers and in the water help and local swim clubs supported the event. The day ran to time and parents and teachers all said it was a great event when can we do it again! said Regional Sports Coordinator Graeme Bain. The water was five degrees warmer than most pools, so it was a job to get them out! They loved the day. WESTLAND HIGH TIMEKEEPERS AT THE READY 4

5 GOLF TEES OFF ON THE WEST COAST Special Olympics West Coast s first Ribbon Day event was held on Saturday 3 March at the Greymouth Golf Club. 29 athletes from Special Olympics Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast took part on a very warm West Coast day. It was great to see the West Coast athletes out there in their first Club competition meeting the athletes from other Clubs and making new friends, said Regional Sports Coordinator Graeme Bain. The Greymouth Golf Club made us very welcome and closed nine holes of the course so we could run the Level 1 event. SOME OF THE WEST COAST TEAM AT THE GOLF DAY The day was sponsored by The Eagles Golfing Society who also supplied three volunteers as scorers for the skills competition. Coast Wide Honda also provided support. The Special Olympics West Coast committee did a huge job catering for everyone. It was brilliant, Graeme said. Some new athletes came along and there was a really good feeling about the whole event. THE MARLBOROUGH TEAM AT THE EVENT NATIONAL SUMMER GAMES FINALIST IN NATIONAL SPORTING AWARDS The 2017 National Summer Games have been made the cut as a finalist in the 2018 New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards, in the Community Impact section! The finalists were selected across six categories: Commercial Partnership, Community Impact, Event Excellence, High Performance Campaign, Innovation Excellence and the Future Leaders Scholarship. The full list of finalists are: COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIP Badminton New Zealand and Massey University Hockey New Zealand and Vantage Windows and Doors Surf Life Saving New Zealand and BP World Masters Games 2017 and Barfoot & Thompson COMMUNITY IMPACT Fiordland Trails Trust Lake2Lake, Te Anau to Manapouri Multi-use Trail The Shift Foundation Shift: Just Shift It Special Olympics New Zealand 2017 National Summer Games EVENT EXCELLENCE The DHL New Zealand Lions Series 2017 NZ Rugby World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships 2017 The NZ Shearing Foundation World Masters Games 2017 HIGH PERFORMANCE CAMPAIGN New Zealand Black Ferns' Women's Rugby World Cup Campaign 2017 NZ Rugby World Championship Gold Medal Men s Shot Put 2017 Athletics New Zealand World Doubles Squash Championships 2017 Gold Medal Mixed Pair Squash New Zealand INNOVATION EXCELLENCE Athletics New Zealand: Vertical Pursuit 2017 & Beyond! Sport Gisborne Tairᾱwhiti: i-coach Waka Ama New Zealand: IT Solutions FUTURE LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP No finalists named winner to be revealed at the New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards. The winners will be announced at an Awards Dinner on 28 May. 5

6 SCHOOLS SPECTACULAR It s been a busy few weeks with schools events happening up and down the country check out some of the highlights. WARRIORS MEET AUCKLAND SCHOOLS ATHLETICS The Warriors win against the Rabbitohs at the start of their season must have been a good omen. That confidence and team spirit was alive as members of the Warriors ascended on the Special Olympics Central Schools Athletics event at Mt Smart Stadium on Thursday 15 March. In total 260 students from nine schools in the Central region took part in the event. The day featured Warriors giveaways and free tickets to attend a live game drawn by captain Simon Mannering, which was won by Mt Roskill Grammar student James Wilson. James uses a wheelchair and Simon Mannering went up into the grandstand to personally present the award. It is really great to see a student win a prize that will allow them to see their heroes in action. What made this even more special is the stadium a few years ago had consent to build a wheelchair ramp at the front gate for easier access for mobility. I think it s great that we can offer free tickets and make it attainable for James to attend this event without the access challenges some stadiums present, says Regional Sports Coordinator Helen Ferguson. GLOBAL MESSENGER MONIQUE IRVINE (LEFT) PICTURED WITH SOMMERVILLE SPECIAL SCHOOL STUDENTS AND WARRIORS TEAM MANAGER DAN FLOYD (BACK MIDDLE) AND CAPTAIN SIMON MANNERING (RIGHT) Fairfax Media came along to film some of the day s events and Warriors photographers stood track side to capture some heart-felt moments as students crossed the finish line. The day also featured fun wheelchair races with the Central Auckland Specialist School challenging the Warriors who were on foot doing antics like playing leap frog in a bid to distract and entertain the audience Global Messenger in training Monique Irvine spoke about her experiences at Club and international level with Special Olympics Howick-Pakuranga at the Opening Ceremony, to help encourage school athletes to transition into Clubs. Thanks to all the schools that attended and left with a smile on their dial, the Warriors and Regional Sports Coordinator Megan Grayson, who worked tirelessly on the field to ensure everyone moved from station to station to complete their events. Wishing Megan the best as she leaves to start her new role at Auckland Rugby. 6

7 HEADING FOR THE FINISH LINE! OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER TURN-OUT IN SOUTH CANTERBURY The South Canterbury schools event was blessed with a sunny day on Tuesday 20 March for the competition at Aorangi Park in Timaru. Five schools from the South Canterbury region took part and were supported by amazing volunteers from Volunteering Mid & South Canterbury, Timaru Boys High, Waitaki Boys High, Mountainview High School and Roncalli College. I was completely blown away with the incredible response to my call for volunteers - what an amazing, supportive community! said Julia Sanson, Regional Team Leader for Special Olympics New Zealand. MANAWATU ATHLETICS FUN More than 150 students from eight schools across Wanganui, Manawatu and Horowhenua took part in the Manawatu Secondary Schools Athletics event on 20 March. The event was supported by 19 student volunteers from Freyberg High School in Palmerston North, who were all part of the Elite Sports Programme and under 16. As well as supporting the athletes, some of the student volunteers also tried their hand at a Unified softball throw! We had almost as many volunteers as athletes competing which was a real luxury as an event manager. The volunteers hadn t had any previous experience with Special Olympics but embraced the event and our student athletes with enthusiasm, sharing in the efforts and achievements of the students. The event also included a Unified Play event. 32 people joined in and had fun in a Unified relay, with teams made up of two mainstream school volunteers and two athletes. There was fun, smiles and enthusiasm and a definite edge of competitiveness! Julia said. DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT GLASSES FOR YOU? Some 360 pairs of glasses have been made for athletes who had their eyes screened at the National Summer Games last year. Grant, Evan and the Essilor team have been working hard to get these made and sent to National Office for distribution. If you have received someone else s glasses by mistake - please send them to: Rachel Clarke, Healthy Communities Coordinator c/- Special Olympics New Zealand Pelorus Trust Sports House 93 Hutt Park Rd Seaview, Lower Hutt, 5010 If you have any questions about your glasses please Rachel at Rachel@specialolympics.org.nz 7

8 HEALTHY COMMUNITIES UPDATE FOR ATHLETES SCREENING AND TREATING KERATOCONUS IN ATHLETES WITH DOWN SYNDROME A team from The University of Auckland* joined the Opening Eyes Screening at the National Summer Games in November 2017 in Wellington. The team consisted of Dr Aki Gokul, Dr Samantha Simkin and Joyce Mathan, who are optometrists and researchers specialising in special needs populations and an eye condition called Keratoconus. Keratoconus is a chronic, potentially blinding disease of the cornea; the transparent, dome-like tissue located at the front of the eye, and is thought to be more common in people with Down Syndrome but this has not specifically been investigated in New Zealand. The goal of the team was to identify Keratoconus in athletes with Down Syndrome but the service was also provided to any athletes in which Keratoconus was suspected. A total of 44 athletes were found to have Keratoconus. The screening also revealed that 38/110 (34.5%) athletes with Down syndrome assessed had Keratoconus. Keratoconus occurs in about 1/2000 (0.05%) of the general population so these results suggest that the condition may be up to 600x more common in people with Down syndrome. These results highlight the fact that keratoconus may be affecting a large proportion of individuals with Down syndrome in New Zealand. The team from The University of Auckland will be conducting research into Keratoconus in individuals with Down syndrome in the very near future to determine exactly how common the condition is in these individuals and what is the best way to manage it. Dr Aki Gokul is following up on all of the athletes in whom Keratoconus was detected himself. When Dr Aki Gokul makes contact with the athletes and/or their families he will provide information about the treatment options and make a referral for treatment to the appropriate health provider. This treatment is free if the athlete needs to see a specialist in the public health system. However, this is often associated with lengthy wait times so the option of seeing a specialist privately is also offered but this does come at a cost if the athlete does not have private health insurance. Furthermore, if the athlete is required to see an optometrist this will also incur a cost. For those athletes out of the Auckland area Aki will refer the athlete to a local health provider in your area. If you have not heard from Dr Aki Gokul or you have any questions, you can contact him on akilesh.gokul@auckland.ac.nz *The Keratoconus team are based in the Dept of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences at The University of Auckland and are led by Professors Dipika Patel and Charles McGhee. HEALTHY EATING: APPLES Apples are a great fast food snack. Give them a wash before eating and cut them into slices or spirals to make them fun to eat. Eating apples regularly is a great way to get one of your 5+ A Day fresh fruit and vegetables. NZ apples are harvested between February and May and are best kept in the refrigerator. FAST FACTS There are more than 7000 varieties of apples grown worldwide Fresh apples float because they contain 25% air Like pears, apples are pome fruit. 8

9 DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE GREEN PRESCRIPTION (GRX) PROGRAMME? These FREE health & wellbeing workshops can support you to get active and improve your health. The focus of the Healthy Communities work in 2018 is to support the wellbeing of athletes through health education and to promote opportunities for athletes to participate in wellness programmes. Did you know that the Green Prescription (GRX) programme is available to anyone who wants to improve their wellbeing e.g. athletes, coaches, family members, support workers? To join you need to: be 18 years and over be ready to make changes to your lifestyle have a stable medical condition that could benefit from regular physical activity, or be at risk of developing a medical condition due to a sedentary (low activity) lifestyle. + Take a look at this video to learn more this free programme vimeo.com/ You can self-refer or be referred by your family doctor or practice nurse + Ring 0800 ACTIVE / to find out where a GRX programme is available near you. Rachel, the Healthy Communities coordinator for Special Olympics New Zealand is working with the GRX team in Auckland to support members of the Special Olympics community to attend a programme. See more information here about the Auckland programme at: health-wellness/green-prescription-grx If you have any questions, please contact Rachel on Rachel@specialolympics.org.nz There is also a Green Prescription Active Families service (available nationwide) for school aged children (ages 5 17) and families who would like support to get active and eat healthier. Check out the Sport Auckland programme at: health-wellness/active-families GIVE IT A GO! Wherever you are in the country, you can attend a GRX programme near you, further to self-referral or referral from your G.P or practice nurse. You will then be booked in for a one-to-one consultation with a Healthy Lifestyle Advisor. Courses run throughout the year. CELEBRATING SUCCESS Please let us know if you graduate from a GRX programme so we can celebrate your success with you. A Special Olympics Certificate will be issued to athletes who complete 6 sessions of a GRX programme. HISTORY It is believed that silk traders first brought the apple to ancient Rome from Kazakhstan where the trees were cultivated and prized for their fruit. Romans took the cultivated fruit with them to England when they conquered the country. Apple-growing then became common in England and many other parts of Europe. Earliest writings by inhabitants from China and Egypt mention that man was budding and grafting fruit trees as early as the first century. Read more at: fruit-vegetable-info/apples/ There is also evidence dating back to the Iron Age that apples were eaten and preserved in prehistoric lake dwellings in Switzerland. 9

10 MIKE SET TO TAKE ON VOLUNTEER ROLE AT ABU DHABI 2019 Mike Ryan, Manager Sports Operations for Special Olympics New Zealand, has again been selected to undertake an important international voluntary role - Technical Delegate for Bocce at next year s 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi. Since starting in the same role in Shanghai, China, at the 2007 World Summer Games, his voluntary work has taken him to Athens in 2011, Los Angeles in 2015 and now Abu Dhabi in Mike first became involved in the sport when as a Special Olympics Manawatu volunteer he was appointed as Head Coach for Bocce for the New Zealand team that attended the 1995 World Summer Games in Connecticut, a role he also did in North Carolina in In 2003 he moved into the officiating side of the game and attended the Dublin 2003 World Games as an International Technical Official. In Abu Dhabi there are expected to be at least 350 Special Olympics athletes and Unified Partners competing in Bocce over the 12 days of competition, playing on 18 courts. I am anticipating more than 750 games will be played during the event, so it will be pretty full on, Mike says. As well as managing the 350+ competitors, Mike also has to oversee the coordination of the 120 local and International Technical Officials (ITO), as well as the Venue Operations personnel. Without having a local sports association to call on to supply match officials etc for major events such as a World Games, we always have to start from scratch and train up our Bocce officials to a World Games standard in the two years lead in time that we have. New Zealand Bocce officials from last year s National Summer Games in Wellington will all be eligible to apply to work at the 2019 Games as ITOs MIKE IN HIS VOLUNTARY BOCCE TD ROLE IN LA, AT THE 2017 SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD SUMMER GAMES and Mike is hopeful that some will apply to continue to the legacy of New Zealand being represented at this level. I am really excited to attend next year s Games as I still get a real buzz from watching the faces of the athletes, coaches, partners and family members. It is truly inspiring. And the legacy we leave behind in the country once the Games is over is also a really great feeling. ABU DHABI HERE WE COME! We are very pleased to announce two key volunteer appointments for the New Zealand team for the 2019 World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi. Al Robson (Special Olympics Canterbury) has accepted the position of Head of Delegation. Dr Jonathan Kok (Special Olympics Manawatu) has accepted the position of Team Doctor. Al attended the World Summer Games in Athens in 2011 and in Los Angeles in 2015 as Head Coach for Basketball. He has more than 15 years experience with Special Olympics in a variety of roles together with a strong business background. Al has been to the Middle East with his work a number of times and has a good understanding of some of the challenges that are unique to this part of the world. Jonathan has been with Special Olympics for six years. He was an outstanding Team Doctor for the New Zealand team for the 2015 Games in Los Angeles. Jonathan also led the medical teams for our 2013 and 2017 National Summer Games in Dunedin and Wellington. Al and Jonathan will now join the Board Selection Panel for the selection of the Assistant Head of Delegation, Head Coaches, Coaches and the Athletes. We look forward to announcing the full team! 10

11 MEET OUR VOLUNTEERS: JILL ALLELY, TREASURER, SPECIAL OLYMPICS ROTORUA Jill Allely has been a mainstay of Special Olympics Rotorua for around ten years. Originally involved as a Mum, Jill s accounting skills quickly became known and she became Treasurer of the Club Committee. Together with the rest of the Committee, Jill has promoted Special Olympics Rotorua to the community and in her time the membership has doubled and the number of sports has increased to five. Jill was Assistant Manager for the Rotorua team for the National Summer Games in Dunedin and was Team Manager for the Wellington Games in As if that wasn t enough, Jill is also heavily involved with GymSports NZ as a volunteer and works fulltime. How did you get involved with Special Olympics Rotorua? I was looking for some sport my son, Conor, could participate in. Mainstream sports had not been successful and my philosophy is that all children should be involved in a sport. At that time I saw an article about Special Olympics Rotorua s participation in the National Summer Games in Palmerston North. So I contacted them and took him along to Ten Pin Bowling, the only sport that had going at the time. My involvement has grown from then. What do you enjoy about volunteering with Special Olympics? I enjoy the whole philosophy of Special Olympics. But I love my involvement with the athletes. Making their successes happen. I love seeing athletes develop not only their sporting skills but their overall independence, social skills, developing friendships. We have some athletes who come along very shy, no social interaction. Some have never been out of Rotorua. To me, when I see them increase in confidence, socialise, make conversation, help others and get out there, experience life, for me means more than them winning at a competition. Not that they might think like that. But that s what the volunteers are there to do, help the athletes do their best. What would you describe as the highlight of your involvement? If I had to pick one it would be the success of our team in Wellington (at the National Summer Games 2017). It started with ensuring that all our athletes qualified for the Games, getting them to competitions beforehand, to raising the funds required. I meet so many lovely people from our community along the way that were willing to help fundraise. Being able to double our team from Dunedin was a challenge especially as half the team had never attended a Summer Games before. I was so proud of every athlete. They all behaved perfectly, helping one another and the bonus was coming home with so many medals. I think to see volunteers with tears down their faces when athletes were presented with medals spoke to me about what Special Olympics is about. That and not losing anyone or anyone having to be hospitalised for the whole week! 11

12 CARL HITS THE WORKFORCE! Special Olympics Manawatu basketball athlete Carl Drylie recently started his first job out of school, and is loving every moment of it. After seeing a stand for disability support provider MASH Trust at a local careers expo, 19 year-old Carl decided to put in an application to work with them. I had a meeting with them when they asked me things like what are you good at, what can you do, what can t you do, Carl says. Then after the National Summer Games they gave me a call and asked how soon I could start. MASH Trust provides a wide range of support services for people with psychiatric, intellectual of physical disability or illness. Carl works at a day programme on Mondays and Thursday supporting people with disabilities. I d been looking for a job for a while so I was happy to get this job. I m really enjoying it so far. The people there are quite similar to people from Special Olympics which is good. I can relate to them. New Zealand FOR MORE UPDATES LIKE US ON FACEBOOK! Well done Carl! 12