Volunteer Reflections on Winter Games

Nihad Basic is a college junior who volunteered at the snowshoe venue during Winter Games. He shared this account of his experience from the Castleton University campus.

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My highlight of the Winter Games weekend was definitely seeing all of the very active participant involvement. I really enjoyed communicating with the genuine people volunteering out of pure kindness, knowing that they are participating in an event that is much bigger than themselves.

Having such an integral role as I did with staging the snowshoeing event and award ceremony really gave me the opportunity to exercise my leadership qualities. I loved talking with the athletes and helping them get comfortable with the environment around them and with myself as a stager.

I think a really important lesson I learned about Special Olympics was that there was a lot of preparation that went into setting up the event and everyone at the event benefited from the effective planning from the SO staff. It was a successful event beyond any doubt.

People should volunteer with Special Olympics Vermont because it honestly does not feel like work. It is a privilege to work with the athletes and both parties benefit from the experience in dozens of ways.

– Nihad Basic, Castleton University student and SOVT volunteer