TE AWAMUTU NEWS | 1
THURSDAY DECEMBER 22, 2022
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DECEMBER 22, 2022
Thanks to Shelley
“For me, my disability is a part of who I am, not the entire picture. That came about because of Special Olympics.” Those were the words of Te Awamutu retail assistant and Special Olympics global messenger Tegan Crotty when talking to The News in June. One visit to a Special Olympics event underlines her words. Men and woman with all types of
disabilities compete in an environment as competitive as any Olympics, yet equally social and welcoming. An army of people around the globe have made Special Olympics so special, and today The News honours one. Our 2022 person of the year is Te Awamutu Special Olympics swimming head coach and Enrich Plus service manager Shelley Blair.
The Special Olympics movement was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver – sister of American president John F Kennedy - in 1968 to provide training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities. She was inspired by her sister Rosemary, who had an intellectual disability. Shelley Blair was equally inspired. While working for Northern Districts Cricket she was approached by someone
Shelley Blair, pictured at Waterworld, Hamilton, during this month’s Special Olympics National Summer Games.
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who wanted to use the indoor facilities. “I was in awe, I was looking at someone with no legs from the knee down and he’s running the cricket wicket,” she recalled. The former swimmer began teaching children to swim and coaching the sport and found herself gravitating towards people with disabilities. “Swim with Shelley” had as many as 20
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