Sheer joy when the job is done!

As many of you know, the Special Olympics GB 2009 are being held in Leicester this week. People of all ages with learning difficulties are participating in 21 sports and competing for that coveted place on the podium to collect a medal.

Yesterday was my day to be privileged to be asked to present some of the medals at the gymnastics venue. When I arrived in the morning I was escorted to the sports hall by one of the 1500 volunteers who were helping the wheels turn smoothly of this mammoth organisational challenge that had descended upon Leicester. 2,700 athletes with their coaches, families and friends who needed to be at the right place at the right time, be fed and watered, and made to feel welcome.

I felt very welcome as I was shown to my seat to watch the competitors complete their chosen tasks. There were a variety of disciplines from gymnastics with a hoop, a rope, a ball, and lots more. There were different categories for various ages and for different levels of ability. I felt incredibly inadequate as I tried to imagine how the judges could mark each competitor as each one was unique. Some had cerebral palsy – in various levels of severity – and many had Down syndrome, and again, in greater or lesser degrees. But one thing was the same for every one of them. They gave their performance 100%!

The effort and work that had been invested by these special young people was incredible. When one of them had finished her routine in front of the judges and realised that she had remembered every bit of her routine, she leapt with glee and flung her arms around her coach. I doubt there was a dry eye in the hall.

At the end of the afternoon it was medal time. As each one came forward to receive their medal, they felt really special. The cheers from the balcony from family and friends was electric and I hope they will take away some wonderful memories and feel that all the effort was worthwhile. Every competitor received a medal to reward them for their determination and efforts and those who received a bronze, silver or gold – well, they felt really special.

But my greatest admiration went to the coaches who had given their time to develop their protégés to be the best they could be. No-one can reach their best potential unless they are helped along the way by someone who believes in them. Someone to coax and encourage – a dream catcher. The relationship between athlete and coach is magnetic. I know this from my own experience as I try to learn to ice skate. My coach, Karen, is brilliant at knowing how far to push me and she is amazingly encouraging. Because the relationship is working so well, I am skating better than I could imagine and I love every minute of my one-hour-a-week lesson when I can manage it.

But, back to the Special Olympics. I was chatting to some of the volunteers and they are on duty for the whole seven days for 12 hours a day - and loving every single minute of it. Some had travelled from far away to be here this week and some were local who were happy to give of their time. They said they were having such fantastic fun, making new friends, getting to know the athletes and their families and seeing them succeed. It is at events like this that we can see the very best in folk.

So, well done to all the athletes, the coaches, the families and friends who came along to support. To the volunteers, Thank You! You have all made a big difference to some very special young people and I sincerely hope they will always remember the fun time they had in Leicester in 2009.