100 Mile Special Olympics in need of new coordinator and coaches

Long-time coordinators stepping down

TIMBER MART manager Ralph Myhill-Jones, left, Dylan Sund and Christian Sampson took time out from cooking for a group hug during the 100 Mile Special Olympics fundraiser in 2018. (File photo)

The 100 Mile House Special Olympics Sports Club is in need of a new coordinator and coaches.

The move comes as Ralph Myhill-Jones, the coordinator since 2018, and his wife Gina, the club’s bowling coach, are stepping down due to health reasons.

As Special Olympics BC requires a one-to-one ratio for coaches and athletes, the club doesn’t have enough volunteers to run any of its usual programs.

“We need a local coordinator, a treasurer and a few other organizations to be filled plus we also need some coaches,” Ralph said. “We should have at least eight more people to get things going.”

The club, which has been operating in 100 Mile House for 17 years, offers athletes the chance to train for bowling from October to April and snowshoeing from December to March. They’d like to offer bocce ball and golf again if they can attract more voluneers.

“The athletes love it. They’re a very tight group who have been together for years. They’re very enthusiastic and it’s fun to watch them compete and interact,” Ralph said. “It’s very important to them.”

He said anyone willing to volunteer their time to work with the athletes – such as coaching or driving them around – is welcome. If enough people get involved, he added, it’s not a huge amount of time and training courses are offered to get prospective coaches up to speed.

Anyone looking to get involved can contact Ralph at Timber Mart via 250-395-3835 Tuesday through Saturday.


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100 Mile House Free Press