.jpg)
Stan Butler believes Special Olympics can be a life changing experience for Special athletes.
Stan’s daughter Sara is a fine example of that. She went from a struggling youth soccer goalie to a medallist in hockey, figure skating, baseball and rowing.
“I watched her develop her love for the game and I think a lot of that is when your Dad is in sports and she’s at the rink all the time she’s used to that and I watched her play in an environment that’s extremely safe and she could play and she could compete but in an environment where you didn’t have some nasty parents passing judgement. It’s just been great for her self confidence,” said the North Bay Battalion Head Coach who was named the Special Olympics Ontario 2015 Winter Games Honourary Coach in the fall.
More than 400 Special athletes from across the province will participate in winter sports including Curling, Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Snowshoeing, Alpine & Nordic Skiing on January 29th and 30th at various venues here in North Bay.
Butler says his daughter will participate by reading a speech during the opening ceremonies Thursday night at the Robert Surtees Athletic Centre at Nipissing University.
“I think its a great awareness and I’m hoping everybody in the city here in North Bay get out and see these kids participate and see their love for athletics,” said Butler.
“The one thing I always love about Sara is every day when I get up she’s got a smile on her face, win, lose or draw, I am still her Dad. Some days when you are a hockey coach you don’t have many fans but thank God for her, I’ve always got one.”
