Mike Ringrose's story
There’s the old adage that not all heroes wear capes. And for the Special Olympics community, our unsung heroes are the volunteers who give up so much of their time to help administer, coach, transport, encourage and support our athletes and their families achieve their potential.
One of these volunteers is Mike Ringrose, and he has kindly agreed to share some of his journey and the decision about leaving a gift in his Will to the Special Olympics NZ Foundation.
Mike talks about being privileged to be formally associated with Special Olympics athletes and volunteers for over 20 years. His journey began when his wife Linda got him involved volunteering at a T2 basketball event in Auckland.
In Mike’s words;
“This was a real eye opener, and I immediately fell in love with the unconditional nature of the organisation. Those interactions with athletes who generally feed back so positively about the support volunteers provide was heart-warming. I saw what it meant to be part of a community where all individuals were not restricted by what they couldn’t do but encouraged to maximise what they could.”
Mike has been on the committee of Special Olympics Auckland and also supported at national and international Games. Linda’s son Martin also competes in summer and winter sports and the family has supported him internationally as well.
“None of this is achieved alone and the supportive community provided a new life for me introducing something powerful, joy. Not just the joy that comes from being included, but the joy that comes from including others. The goal is simple, to help people succeed, not by changing who they are, but by unlocking their strengths.
To achieve this Special Olympics needs the support of everyone, especially if you can afford to provide support financially (bequests, funds, fees-free) or facilities. Special Olympics is fundamentally an opportunity to change how the world sees our athletes. And leaving a bequest is one way I can help that happen”
