For about 24 years Debbie Gruter has volunteered with Collingwood and area Special Olympics teams and programs.
Now a coach, she has donned many hats over the years, saying there is “something for everyone.”
“Whether it’s from an administrative point of view to media, to being out with different sports. I think that everyone has a bit of something to give to people and that human connection is the biggest strive,” she said.
Coaching 66 bowlers and organizing them with the 16 volunteers takes some time. Every Sunday, from 4 p.m. -6 p.m. they practice at Georgian Bowl.
“My phone starts ringing at seven o’clock in the morning [on Sunday], which is our bowling day,” she chuckled while noting that there is no tracking her volunteer hours. “I try not to think about it that way because then you think it’s a job."
She coached soccer for eight years, was the liaison for figure skating, and ran hockey tournaments.
“When my children were younger it was based on what they were doing,” she mentioned, noting Special Olympics became a larger part of her life as her children became adults.
Driven by the community connection, Gruter said that many of the athletes she coaches are people she has worked with since they were in pre-school.
“Some of them I’ve worked with since I was at the adult day program, when I was 21,” she noted.
For some athletes, their sport community becomes their family, she said.
Last year she saw two bowlers attend national games in Alberta, and six years ago a number of her athletes attended the provincial bowling competitions.
When asked how it feels to watch these successes, Gruter described a celebratory scene watching a local bowler play at nationals.
“Last year, not only was he one of the bowlers, but also a student here at CCI. We had the TVs on at the school, cheering him on as he competed in Alberta.”
After more than two decades of involvement, Gruter has seen a number of changes, the biggest one being their numbers. When she started there were 12 bowlers, compared to the current 66, and three lanes to oversee as opposed to the 12 lanes in use now.
“It was easy to jump from one lane to another, encourage bowlers and give a few tips,” she said.
“We can never have enough volunteers…. You never turn anyone [athlete] away because you never know who you might meet and who will connect with you, and you might be their biggest cheerleader,” she explained.
Although Gruter now does more planning and organizing, she described volunteering with the Special Olympics as a valuable reminder to enjoy the little things in life.
Little things like presenting an athlete with a new team shirt.
“She was so excited that she had her shirt that it made us all beam,” she said.
“I was practically in tears. Every single adult that was within hearing distance couldn’t help but smile because sometimes it’s the little things that mean so much.”
She said that no matter what you do as a volunteer with the Special Olympics, you’ll walk away feeling like you made a difference.
“It certainly is rewarding,” said Gruter.
Making a difference in the lives of others is what Gruter has been achieving all along.
“She is an individual that newer volunteers, such as myself, look up to and seek advice from,” said Brittany Gill, the community coordinator for the Collingwood and Area Special Olympics.
For more information about the Collingwood and Area Special Olympics, how to become involved and find current events, click here.