Since she was 11 or so, Hagar had been helping out with Special Olympics on a periodic basis. Now, she has taken that involvement to the next level and beyond as the head coach of the Cherry Creek Youth Aquatics, which practices weekly on Sundays at Cherry Creek High School.
“I had so much time on my hands,” she says after she could no longer swim. Her solution: plan a meet for Special Olympic athletes.
On Jan. 23, the second annual Fast and Furious intra-squad meet was held at Cherry Creek High School and more than 35 Special Olympic athletes competed in a variety of events. On hand to help out were nearly 50 swim volunteers, many of them Hagar’s swim friends from various club teams around the area. The meet was once again successful.
“They’re such an inspiration, so amazing and so brave,” says Hagar of the Special Olympic competitors. “We celebrate all accomplishments, no matter how big or how small.
Last week Hagar traveled to Washington D.C. after being selected as one of a handful of delegates to represent Special Olympics Colorado. The delegation met with several members of Congress to encourage continued financial support of the Special Olympics program.
Special Olympics Colorado serves nearly 10,000 children and adults statewide. It’s mission is to “provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, eight years of age and older, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendships with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community."
Hagar says volunteering has filled a huge void. Without that involvement, she says, “It would have been so hard to leave the swim family.”
You can learn more about Special Olympics Colorado, including how you can become a volunteer, by clicking here.
