'Christmas fairy' helps grant wishes

BY TASHA BLACK

It was a strange way to land a job, and maybe not recommended, but dressing up as a Christmas fairy helped Lois Aitkenhead get her job as co-ordinator for Special Olympics Nelson.

"It was quite by chance I got involved. I was dressed as a fairy at their Christmas party," she laughs.

Having retired from a long career in primary school teaching, Mrs Aitkenhead, from Lower Moutere, was "not prepared to sit around and get old", so when the co-ordinator left a short time later, she jumped at the opportunity.

The catch? It's not paid.

For the past eight years, Mrs Aitkenhead has given her time to co-ordinate more than 170 athletes, making sure there are enough sports training and competitions all year round.

It's a big job, but behind a great woman is a great team.

They have 30 volunteers in the Nelson Tasman region and "an excellent bunch of coaches", she says.

They also rely on patrons and businesses for financial support.

"The pressure of finding large amounts of money has been eased for me by these generous people," she says.

But it hasn't always been an easy road. "Young athletes were a dying breed five years ago," Mrs Aitkenhead says.

Since her appointment, she has helped establish junior groups in swimming and track and field for young people aged five to 20.

There are now 68 young athletes in Special Olympics Nelson, competing in swimming, athletics, basketball, indoor bowls, bocce and tenpin bowling.

This has created a roll-on effect, with parents and caregivers of athletes now volunteering their own time to help the cause.

Another positive offshoot is the Nelson athletics committee, which has been mentoring athletes and teaching them skills such as how to run meetings, prepare simple agendas and organise social events.

It has given athletes a huge self-esteem boost.

In an average week, Mrs Aitkenhead devotes five to 10 hours of her time to her role, but before national events it skyrockets up to 30 hours a week.

Last month, a large group of Nelson athletes went to the National Games in Palmerston North.

"To get the athletes to this level required a huge amount of work from everyone," she says.

Before a major event, Mrs Aitkenhead gets snowed under with paperwork. Due to the health issues of many intellectually impaired people, new athlete information forms need to be filled out every time they travel, "so we are aware of any problems that may arise before they happen".

"We also need to have risk management programmes in place for some athletes so that both they and the people around them are safe."

On top of that, they need to have the funding, uniforms need to be fitted, transport and accommodation must be organised and memos and lists of arrangements sent to caregivers and families.

But it's all worth it in the end.

Special Olympics Nelson brought home dozens of medals last year and, more importantly, athletes were beating their personal bests, she says.

"It sounds cheesy, but the many hours of work are rewarded when you see the pleasure on the athlete's face – it gives you a real buzz."

There is another role that is not in her job description – agony aunt.

Mrs Aitkenhead lends a listening ear to athletes, parents and caregivers "who just need someone to share a problem with".

Athletes can get a bit lonely and often have no-one else to talk to, she says.

However, Special Olympics has a knack of bringing families together.

After decades apart, three siblings were recently reunited when a brother and sister in Auckland discovered they had a sister in Nelson.

The woman in Nelson has Down syndrome and was put into care as a baby. Her siblings heard of her existence and contacted Special Olympics Nelson to arrange a meeting with their sister, who thought she had no family.

"It was just amazing; it was an absolute highlight for us," Mrs Aitkenhead says.

This year they are starting the build-up for the 2011 Top of the South Games in Canterbury as well as beginning athlete selection for the 2011 Special Olympics world games in Athens.

Special Olympics Nelson is hoping to send two or three athletes to Athens, at a cost of $20,000 each.

Mrs Aitkenhead thinks everyone should see at least one intellectually disabled sporting event in their lifetime.

"The joy of competing and the wonderful sportsmanship each and every athlete shows could teach many an able-bodied or [able]-minded person a lesson in humility," she says.

Two years ago, Mrs Aitkenhead was invited to the board of trustees for Special Olympics New Zealand.

"Special Olympics has taken over a huge part of my life, but I am lucky that my very patient husband understands that it is a passion that I have become deeply involved in and one that I get a huge amount of pleasure from," she says.

- © Fairfax NZ News