Caryl Andre: How the magic of Special Olympics builds community here

To gain more perspective about Special Olympics and the games, I spoke with Caryl Andre, the recreation coordinator for the city of Wenatchee and the individual most responsible for developing our local Special Olympics program and other efforts that help those with developmental delays live full and rich lives as part of our communities. She was the 2014 Volunteer of the Year for Washington Special Olympics.

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A Yakima Valley native, Andre graduated from Central Washington University with a degree in recreation and an emphasis on developmental disabilities, before taking a parks job in Bothell. When Andre was hired as Wenatchee’s recreation coordinator in 1990, city had very little going in terms of programming at that time. The Special Olympics program was very weak.
Year by year, Andre starting building a recreation program to give youngsters in our valley constructive opportunities to learn sports, attend camps and the like. She also began building the foundation of a Special Olympics program that now has more than 300 local individuals training and competing year-round in more than a dozen sports.
Years ago, people with intellectual challenges were warehoused in institutions and disconnected from community. But today, these individuals are in our community living and working as fellow community members.

Special Olympics gives these individuals opportunities to try, fail and succeed. It gives them a sense of purpose, pride and accomplishment. They get physical exercise, regular social interaction with adults and other athletes, and the opportunity to compete and win. They also learn that winning isn’t guaranteed.

But Andre pointed out that what the get from the program is miniscule compared to what these individuals teach us about life — about what is truly important in life. You will not see these athletes calling attention to themselves or denigrating their opponents. You’ll see great competitive fire in many athletes and moments of frustration, but what you will see come shining through is a pure sense of joy. You’ll see them rooting for each other, helping each other and being gracious in defeat. “When you hang around these athletes, there is a sense of joy that is priceless,” Andre said.

The city’s recreation department plays a critical coordinating role for Special Olympics coaches and athletes. They recruit coaches and provide support to help them give the athletes a quality experience. Andre and her colleagues also provide a variety of other programs that give kids throughout the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with caring adults, interact with their friends, and learn new skills.

Some may say that parks and recreation programs are a waste of municipal resources, but I am a firm believer that the city’s recreation program reflects a community commitment to helping develop the next generation. As Andre points out, it costs $50,000 or so a year to incarcerate a youngster. For half that amount, the Wenatchee Parks and Recreation Department can run an entire summer program.

We are incredibly blessed to have Andre and her colleagues providing meaningful mentorship and activities for youngsters in our valley.