Posted on August 6, 2018 under Monday Morning Musings with 8 comments

Rachel Boardman. Toronto, Ontario. Silver medallist 50 metre freestyle swimming

(Photo with permisssion)

 

“Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

Special Olympics oath.

The greatest show on earth.

And one of the hottest.

Being a Catholic town, we prayed for good weather last week. Our prayers were answered except we forgot to ask that the temperature not be in the 30s with a high humidex!

With all due respect to the Barnum and Bailey circus, the recently completed National Special Olympics summer games held in Antigonish was the greatest show ever seen in these parts. It was the first time that this competition was held in a small town.

I was a volunteer , one of 1200, and also a spectator at the games. I had a front row seat at many events but also had an opportunity to observe the work being done in the background by the organizing committee. I spent a lot of time at St.F.X. University where all but two of the events were being held. Never have I witnessed so much enthusiasm and excitement with athletes, coaches, family, spectators and volunteers, with thousands crisscrossing the campus at all hours of the day and night. It was also quite a spectacle walking down Main Street and seeing so many new and smiling faces.

Smiles.

I can’t ever recall seeing so many happy faces and this may be the most important legacy of the games and the ultimate lesson learned from sharing time with our special Olympic athletes. These wonderful competitors from coast to coast to coast bring a joy of life that is infectious. Everywhere I went, I saw laughter, friendship and good sportsmanship in abundance.

I spent a few evenings in the grandstands at Oland Stadium watching some races. I sat amongst athletes from many provinces and territories. I listened to their easy banter. Of course, they were cheering for fellow teammates but what is always impressive at these games is that every athlete is urged on by fellow competitors. Runners, who were struggling at the end of a race and far away from the leaders, were cheered as heartily as the winner. “Winning at all cost” is not part of the Special Olympics ethos.

Special Olympic athletes are the real deal. They stand for everything that is good and decent in a fractured world. The athletes are honest, loving and caring and God only knows that society needs folks like these to lead us in troubled times.

Families.

I had an opportunity to chat with several athletes and their families. The pride shown by parents, grandparents, siblings, nieces and nephews towards their participant was overt and unsanitized. The Special Olympics movement has done so much to remove the stigmatism for people with intellectual challenges.

Volunteers.

It is a given that most amateur events cannot take place without volunteers. At times, it felt like every citizen of the town and county of Antigonish (and others from outside the area) had a role to play in these games. I saw very young volunteers, including my 10 year old granddaughter, roll up their sleeves and make a contribution. They came from every walk of life and no task was too menial. When things needed to be done, they got done. We all know well about the ills of social media but for an event like this, it was an indispensable tool to get the word out when help was required. I have never been more proud of my hometown.

The organizing committee deserves our undying gratitude for the thousands of hours spent to put on a first class event. There are always challenges and unexpected and uncontrollable headwinds that affect the running of a competition of this scope and size. Not too many would have predicted a heat wave for the games. Most locals that I talked to can’t remember a hotter week. These remarkable athletes have faced adversity throughout their lives and they accepted the conditions without complaint, another teachable moment for all of us. The organizers made some mid- stream schedule changes to reflect the conditions.

Music and dancing.

I have never seen so many spontaneous outbursts of dancing whenever there was music in the air. It’s too bad that we couldn’t bottle this joy and spread it around the world.

And what will be the legacy of these games?

Too many times, communities focus on the economic spinoffs of a national competition like this. Make no mistake, that happened here and can be quantified. But from my vantage point the intangible spinoffs left by our Special Olympic athletes is much more important. Their athletic prowess was on full display but the biggest legacies they leave our small town are hope, courage, and joy. They represent what is best in mankind.

To the athletes , their families and friends marking the 50^th anniversary of the Special Olympics movement in Canada, thank you for coming to our town. We’ll turn the thermostat down on your next visit!

Please come back again.

The Special Olympics torch has been extinguished but the memories will be an eternal flame.

 

 

 

Posted on July 30, 2018 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

B.C. House on the campus of St.F.X.

It’s time to put out the welcome mat and show Canada that we are the best small town in the country.

Tomorrow evening, the National Special Olympics kick off with a dazzling ceremony at the Keating Millennium Centre. Some 1400 athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers will descend upon Antigonish and we need to show them that a small town is up to the task. Last year, the national games were held in Greater Vancouver, a city and surrounding area comprised of some 2.5 million people. Greater Antigonish (!) has a population of about 18,000.

It has been a daunting task to plan an event of this magnitude. I don’t think most of us have any idea what a big deal this really is. Yes, we are a university town and every September we welcome around 4,500 students to the area. Antigonish has been doing this for decades and the drill is well rehearsed. The transition to a new academic year is almost seamless. We expect more traffic, more energy and a lot more noise in our neighborhoods until students settle into their groove.

But this is different.

There is no doubt that Antigonish has had some experience hosting national competitions but these will be dwarfed in size and complexity by the Special Olympics. Organizers have been preparing for a few years now and the fruits of their labour will be borne out this week. An army of volunteers is in place to handle every possible contingency but let’s not sit idly by. This may be one of the greatest marketing opportunities for the town that we’ve ever had.

So, how can you help?

Undoubtedly there will be some last minute calls for help. No one can predict with certainty how things will unfold. Check your social media platforms a bit more often. If you’re already on Facebook 24 hours a day, please disregard the previous comment!

Be courteous to the many new faces you will meet on the streets of the town. Be helpful with directions. For many visitors, this will be the first time that they have travelled to Nova Scotia and we want to demonstrate our hospitality.

Be patient. Expect more traffic. We sometimes get our knickers in a knot if we have to wait more than 45 seconds trying to make a left turn. Economic spinoffs from a major event come at a cost so prepare to be delayed at some point this week. Restaurants, grocery stores, retail outlets will all be busier than normal. If you happen to be in a lineup and you see a stranger, strike up a conversation and welcome them to our town.

Smile at people. No one is suggesting that we all walk the streets with a perma grin on our face but a smile goes a long way. Take some tips from the Special Olympians. Smiling is something that comes naturally to them.

Be a spectator. While all of the focus and energy has been on the planning of the games, many people forget that this is an athletic competition and Canada’s best will be here strutting their stuff. If you want to see great athletes and great attitudes on display, wander over to the campus of St.F.X, the epicentre of the event.

Be an ambassador. We all know the expression, “you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.” This is a golden opportunity to show the country that we are hospitable and caring people. We want our guests to go back home and rave about “the Antigonish experience”. Tell visitors about our beaches, live theatre, our culture and heritage, our university, our library, our museum. Tell them about the strength of our primary industries of farming, fishing and forestry. Tell them about our world class hospital and the Coady Institute. Invite them to next year’s Highland Games.

Better still, show them. If they have time and you have time, show them around the area. Take them to the Tall and Small for a coffee or buy them an ice cream at the Koala Cone, or a drive around “the Cape”.

In other words, do what you always do.

Show people that Antigonish just may be the best small town in Canada.

 

Posted on July 23, 2018 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

High Sea Highlanders dragon boat members

 

Special. adjective. Better, greater or otherwise different from what is usual. Synonyms: exceptional, noteworthy, remarkable, outstanding, and unique.

There will be a lot of “special” going on starting July 31^st. The National Special Olympics begins in eight days and you can feel the excitement and anticipation mounting in the host town, our own Antigonish. Rarely is a national competition held in such a small community but Antigonish has proven consistently that it punches above its weight. The town has hosted many successful national championships and visitors from across Canada will be treated to a first class event.

The town is justifiably proud that one of our own, Ryan Kearney will carry the flag for the team from Nova Scotia in the opening ceremonies. Ryan is a fine golfer but more importantly he is a fine gentleman. He knows everybody and always has a smile on his face. He has achieved a great deal and a lot of credit goes to his family who have been supportive of Ryan’s endeavours for a long time.

A number of athletes from the Eastern Highland Special Olympics organization will compete with our nation’s finest athletes. I bumped into some of these folks Saturday at the Dragon Boat Races in New Glasgow. Their team, the High Sea Highlanders are regular competitors in the event and they demonstrate camaraderie and competitiveness… and class.

Speaking of special, I really enjoyed an extra special performance on the spoons by Matthew Wright at the Antigonish Art Fair last Friday evening. During a set changeover, Matthew held the large crowd spellbound with several nifty manoeuvers. I have never seen spoons played behind the back or under the armpits. He was definitely a crowd pleaser.

Summer is in full swing. Like many others, we have been entertaining grandchildren this summer. They have boundless energy and stomachs that are bottomless pits. It seems like the sink is perpetually filled with dishes and the wash machine never sleeps. Cook, clean, wash, dry. Repeat over and over again. You don’t notice the chaos in a big house but as apartment dwellers with limited space, it gets pretty crazy. This is not a complaint, just an observation!

I am a former golfer so it’s not surprising that I watched a lot of golf on the weekend. Golf aficionados love the British Open. Many years ago (2003) I was on golf vacation in Ireland when the Open was being contested. Eight of us stopped in a pub after a round of golf and ended up staying for a very long time catching the final round. While the golf was memorable, what sticks in my mind were the crazy bets that were tossed around the pub. Picking a winner was an obvious bet. But betting on which shoe the golfer would clean first after exiting a bunker shows how far things went astray as the hours wore on. Ben Curtis won that Open but it mattered not to our crew who trudged onward to Tralee for the next day of golf.

Ok. Last chance to support the Heart and Stroke Foundation. With one day to go, I am $355 short of my fundraising goal of $1000 in the Big Bike Ride being held tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m. on Main Street. Here’s a link to my page if you would like to make a tax deductible donation. http://support.heartandstroke.ca/site/TR/BigBike2018/BB_General_2018?px=2165881&pg=personal&fr_id=5878

Is it possible to eat ice cream every day of the summer? As long as the grandkids are around, sales of Scotsburn ice cream will remain high!

Have a great week.