Mona Hazell
Local / Community
Penticton
When and how did you get involved with Special Olympics?
40 years ago, I saw a Special Olympics track meet on "Wide World of Sports" and thought about how great it would be to participate in something like this. Two years later, there was a notice in our local paper saying that SOBC was wanting to get a Local started in Penticton. I first went to a meeting, then was signed up as a committee member, became a 5-pin bowling volunteer, and finally, if they had had a bus - I would have been the one driving it!
Will this be your first Special Olympics Canada Games? If not, what other National Games were you part of and in what role(s)?
I was a 10-pin bowling coach at the National Games in 2014 in Vancouver.
What does being part of Special Olympics Team BC 2026 mean to you?
How lucky am I to be able to go the next step with some BC 10-pin athletes! I am honored to be picked as one of the many great coaches.
What is/are your goal(s) for National Games?
To work with and encourage our 10 pin athletes to fulfill their goals of attending the National Games. We still have a long road ahead of us, and there will be good and bad days. I want ensure all of the athletes that I and all of the Coaches are there to help them.
What is your favourite Special Olympics experience to date?
My favourite Special Olympics experience was being chosen as BC Coach of the Year in 1996 and attending a Special Olympics Gala in Toronto in December of that year. I had the privilege of travelling with Ken Gabour, one of our figure skating athletes from Vancouver. We met so many coaches and athletes from across Canada that weekend. Ken was such a celebrity that weekend at every event we attended. It was such a great experience!
What does competing at National Games mean to your athletes? (Or, if this is your first National Games, competition in general)
For the athletes attending for the first time - they are going to show their friends and family that they have what it takes! They have worked hard and will continue to work hard to get to this next step (and hopefully the step after that). For those who have been to Nationals before, they will remember and look forward to the great experience it will be.
What developments are you excited to see in your Team BC sport team leading up to National Games?
It will be exciting for the coaches and athletes to meet and learn about each other. This be the start of our team bonding.
What would you say about Special Olympics to encourage someone to get involved?
Join! You will not be sorry and it will become a lifetime volunteer career!