Sarah McNeil is a dedicated volunteer and coach from the Toronto region, who has spent the last 20 years working with Special Olympics athletes in Swimming. To Sarah, Special Olympics means promoting a healthy and active lifestyle to her athletes, which is very important to her and her own well-being. She explains that many Special Olympics athletes have been extremely dedicated to participating in a variety of sports over many years, so she wants to make sure that these programs are available to athletes as they desire.
When participating in Special Olympics practices or events, Sarah most looks forward to seeing athletes acquire new skills and be proud of their accomplishments, which she thoroughly enjoys. She wants to share with supporters and donors of Special Olympics that these events provide opportunities for participants to experience sport at all ages, belong to a team, gain confidence, and make lifelong friends. It is such a supportive community for athletes, coaches, and families, that would not be possible without this external support.
Sarah’s best memory from her time with Special Olympics was her participation in the 2018 Antigonish National Games, which was her first time attending a National Special Olympics event. She shares that it was exciting to meet so many athletes from all over Canada, and that the great competition and amazing community led to a wonderful experience for all the athletes and coaches. Sarah will be coaching the Special Olympics Ontario Swimming athletes at the upcoming Canada Summer Games, which you can learn more about at https://niagara2022games.ca/. Thank you for everything Sarah, and good luck at the Canada Summer Games!