Nelson man picked to spread the word

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SCORE: Graeme Porter notches one up for the Orange Roughies as Nigel Fearn defends for the Bulls.

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Nelson basketball player Graeme Porter has been chosen to participate in Special Olympics New Zealand's first athlete leadership programme.

The programme is designed to help athletes explore opportunities in roles previously considered non-traditional, which, according to Special Olympics New Zealand chief executive Kathy Gibson, might include serving on a board of directors or organising committee, or being a spokesperson, team captain, coach or official.

Special Olympics is launching the "global messenger" part of the programme this year. Global messengers are Special Olympics athletes who help spread the message and vision of the movement as well as the benefits they have gained by participating in Special Olympics.

More than 25 athletes were nominated for the global messenger programme, with Graeme among the 10 selected.

"Graeme is a dedicated athlete who has expanded his own range of interests and networks," said Gibson.

"He is mature beyond his years and has the ability to generate a genuine empathy for others. We looked for a mix in skills in those we selected for the first year and, collectively, we have an outstanding group of global messengers."

Global messengers are the key to increasing awareness and understanding of the Special Olympics movement. They communicate the hope, acceptance, dignity and courage of Special Olympics athletes around the world.

The programme will be officially launched at Parliament on March 29 and is in place in 67 other countries.

Graeme, 22, represented New Zealand at the 2007 Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai, an experience that, he says, encouraged him to step up and be a leader.

He said Special Olympics had been a huge part of his life and he wanted to give something back to the organisation. He also wanted to use this role to encourage young children involved in Special Olympics.

In addition to his activities with Special Olympics, he races and services his ministock speedway car at the Eastern States track in Blenheim and was named the 2009 adult ministock competitor of the year.

"Individuals with intellectual disability are often spoken for or spoken about," said Gibson.

"The global messenger programme provides workshops and training for athletes to learn skills that allow them to speak for themselves and for others with intellectual disability.

Special Olympics New Zealand has partnered with the AUT SHINE Sport Programme to help deliver the programme for the first year. The intention is that, at the end of the year, the athletes will be able to act as spokespeople, address community groups, influence policy makers on issues of concern to the intellectual disability community, and respond proactively to issues important to that community.

The other athletes chosen for the programme are Rebecca Heath, Chris Linnell and Michael Holdsworth (Wellington), Crystal Frethey (Balclutha), Matt Aitken (Dunedin), Fiona Strong (Bombay), Andrew Boyce (North Shore City), Hamish Taverner (Palmerston North) and Dale Smit (Blenheim).

- © Fairfax NZ News