Athlete Leadership
Mentoring Leadership in our Athletes
Special Olympics wants to create the social space that allows athletes to form a strong and lasting community and feel empowered to speak out on behalf of their peers and themselves. Part of our job is to encourage SOBC athletes to take part in leadership training programs so that they can have a voice within their own communities, and become representatives of Special Olympics in BC, Canada and all over the world.
Through the SOBC Athlete Leadership Program, athletes develop the skills and abilities to take leadership positions in a number of roles including public speaking, sitting on Local Committees, and assisting as fundraising and working as program volunteers. This program is proven to have a lasting benefit for its participants by increasing confidence and self-esteem as well as providing input and insight into athlete issues.
There are many ways that Special Olympics BC athletes can get involved with public speaking and increase their self-confidence. Our Athlete Leadership Program offerings include:
- Athlete Speakers Bureau sessions
- Athlete Representative Workshops
- Athlete as Program Mentors Workshops
- Athlete Congress
To learn more about workshops taking place in your community, please contact the SOBC Provincial Office.
From the Sports Celebrities Festival hosted by the Canucks, keynote speaker & Coquitlam athlete, Adam Advocaat (left) and Canucks player Ryan Kesler.
Ariel Taylor giving a speech to the Law Enforcement Torch Run members.