Cindy Blake

How long have you been involved with Special Olympics?

I have been involved with Special Olympics for 16 years.

How were you first introduced to the movement and what got you hooked?

I was invited by a family that I met in our local ski club to help with their SO Chapter & I was hooked when I recognized how much help they needed and how much fun it was!

How has being involved with Special Olympics impacted your life?

I have grown into a Coach that cares and enables our athletes to achieve their goals and that makes me proud of myself.

What is your favourite part about your role on the team?

Getting to know the athletes and helping them become better skiers. I love that I'm good at helping them achieve whatever it is that they are trying to do, and if I can't do it, I can find someone who can and I make it happen!

What is your proudest moment with Special Olympics?

I was a Special Olympics Canada Winter Games 2024 Coach training our local athlete, Mark Cheek, and I skied with him throughout the fall & winter sessions of Masters Ski Program for his training (and for my own!!). Mark is really fast in Ontario but not near as fast as the athletes he competed against from across Canada. When he came across the finish line in Calgary for the 2.5km Freestyle he said to the fastest guys from BC 'you guys really gave me a run for my money on that race' and he shook their hands. That was one of my proudest moments because I knew I had helped him be a gentleman in sport!  That was the first race Mark had ever not medaled in since he started skiing but in my heart he had achieved a GOLD for that moment at the finish line.

What does being a part of Special Olympics Team Canada mean to you and what is your goal for Turin?

I am an Alternate Coach so I am using this experience of being a member of Team Canada as a learning curve for future Games. This gives me a chance to learn from the experience of the World level Coaches and get to know what is expected of the Team Canada athletes. My goal for Turin (should I get to go) is to personally be as fit as possible and be as much help as I can possibly be to the rest of the coaches. The more fit I am the more positive I can be in dealing with anything that gets thrown at me, and I would be a sponge for knowledge from the other Coaches & the organization itself!

What unique skills or experiences do you bring to your role as a coach, mission staff or team leadership and what drives you to support and inspire the athletes every day?

I bring organizational skills to my Coaching role which helps me accomplish all the tasks that are asked of me. I love seeing these athletes become more self-confident and grow as team members during their training and during the Games. I love when an athlete recognizes me as someone who has been involved in their experience and we can continue that relationship through sport into the next Games circuit. I'm driven in my personal knowledge that I can help them become more for themselves from being able to have these experiences.

What would you say to someone who is considering volunteering with Special Olympics?

The experience of being involved in SO is right up there with the best possible things in life!! The surprises you will get from these athletes as they work towards their goals is enough to fuel whatever personal achievements you set for yourself and it's the best way to accomplish the highs in life that we all need. No matter what disability is presented, the success is unmeasurable. As a Coach, very few things are better than watching an athlete succeed!