Four decades enriching special athletes

“It just makes me very proud that the thing has been so successful, and that the Nelson people have got behind it so much over the years.”

That’s according to the founder and current patron of Special Olympics Nelson, John Towns.

Special Olympics Nelson has provided sporting pathways for locals with disabilities for four decades, including up to 15 people who have represented Aotearoa on the global stage.

Its goal was marked with current and former members, speakers and a soiree at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Richmond on Saturday night.

John says Special Olympics Nelson kicked off when he marvelled at Down’s syndrome Special Olympic athletes at a Wellington work conference in 1984.

“I was so impressed with these young boys on the stage who had Down’s syndrome, and I had never come across anybody who had a mental disability,” he says.

“And, it turned out there were hundreds of them in Nelson.

“In those days, they were sort of just kept tucked away in a home and not allowed out, and the more I saw of it, the more important I thought it was that they got out and did the things that ordinary people did.

“The first 10 years was just a blur, it was a very busy time for me, organising games, organising teams, raising money, and organising volunteers.”

John says the early years only featured swimming and athletics, but had evolved to include golf, football, powerlifting, bocce, indoor bowls, ten pin bowling, and basketball, with around 70 athletes currently taking part.

National tournaments are held every four years, and some notable athletes have included Graeme Porter who represented New Zealand at the 50th Anniversary of the Special Olympics in the USA.

“We’re most proud of the fact that we’ve done this thing for these people, and that we’ve sent people off to the New Zealand and World Games, and we are a recognised sporting organisation in Nelson and Tasman,” John explains.

“There’s people there that I’ve known for the best part of 40 years, and it’s just wonderful to have these people come up and throw your arms around you and give you a hug.”