A Mother Writes
In 2016, Daniel qualified for the Ontario Swim Team to compete at the 2018 Special Olympic National Games in Antigonish, N.S., where he won 3 medals. A lot of time, effort and commitment went into training in the year leading up to the National Games.Then the Games were over and Daniel had nothing to do or look forward to. It was hard to see him so disheartened after such a successful year. But after years of searching for a job, there were still no good prospects.
As Sobeys is a major sponsor for the Special Olympic Games, I reached out to the company President and thanked him for his generosity. I also commented on how sad it was that the skills Special Olympic athletes develop in competition, such as determination and hard work, don’t translate into work opportunities for them. Within a few weeks, Sobeys HR Ontario sent Daniel an invitation to be interviewed for a position at the local Sobeys store. Daniel got the job and just celebrated his 1st year anniversary last November!
I wish there were more employers like Sobeys who look beyond a resume and recognize that the skills S.O. athletes bring to their sport, DO translate to the work environment.
Daniel recently qualified again for the swim team to compete in the Special Olympics Ontario 2020 Provincial Spring Games, May 21 – 24 in Waterloo. This will be his 2nd attempt qualifying for the National Games. We wish him the best of luck, but know he’s already “won” by developing the determination, courage & commitment it takes to be a Special Olympic athlete.
This photo is of Daniel in front of the Special Olympics Fundraiser poster at a Sobeys location, June 2019.