Good afternoon, my name is Sharon Bollenbach. I am the senior vice-president of sport and strategic initiatives for Special Olympics Canada. Joining me today in the observer seating are Special Olympics athlete Jacob Mathews and Special Olympics coach Rachel Mathews, who also happens to be Jacob's mom.
We wish to thank you for inviting us here. We're all so thrilled to be here and to present to you our recommendation for the budget consultations. We've provided a written submission, which is a full description of our recommendation.
As noted, Special Olympics is requesting that the federal government provide graduated incremental funding over a four-year period to support the growth and ongoing delivery of high-impact, cost-effective, community-based programs for athletes with an intellectual disability.
Special Olympics Canada is dedicated to enriching the lives of Canadians with an intellectual disability through active participation in sport. As a national sport organization, we provide year-round community sport training and competitive opportunities for over 35,000 athletes with an intellectual disability, of all ages and ability levels. We are supported by more than 16,000 volunteers, including more than 12,000 trained coaches.
Special Olympics programs reach athletes where they live. Each day of the week from coast to coast to coast in large and small communities, Special Olympics programs provide athletes with an intellectual disability the opportunity to experience the transformative power and joy of sport.
Through Sport Canada, the Government of Canada supports our shared vision of sport for all through its generous and ongoing financial contribution; however, there is still so much more that can and should be done. At present, Special Olympics Canada is reaching only 5% of the potential population of individuals eligible for its programs.
Stories of life-changing experiences for Special Olympics athletes and their families are numerous, like that of Jacob, who is here today. At 25 years of age, Jacob has been involved in Special Olympics since he was nine years old. He trains and competes in four sports. He's been to four Special Olympics national games.
This past winter, he competed in snowshoeing at the 2013 World Winter Games in South Korea. Jacob came home with one gold medal and one silver medal, contributing to Team Canada's total of 109 medals. I know he has them with him today, so if you're interested in seeing a world medal, he has a couple of them.
Success in sport has not always been the case for Jacob. As a little boy he loved being active and part of a team, but by the time he was seven years old, his disabilities were interfering with his participation in regular sport. Although there was no doubt that Jacob was a good athlete, he could no longer keep up on the soccer field. Everyone else could think and respond faster, and Jacob needed more time to learn the skills.
At the age of nine, he enrolled in Special Olympics, and the rest is history. Now, not only is he an accomplished athlete, but he is tremendously confident, has two jobs, and excels in all aspects of his life, both on and off the field of play.
As Special Olympics strives to achieve its five-year strategic growth targets, additional funds are required in the following critical areas.
The first is athlete growth. We've identified six initiatives that will increase the participation of athletes in our programs. One, increased funding is required to reach more athletes in all 12 provincial and territorial chapters. Two, increased funding is required to reach more young athletes ages two to twenty-one. Three, increased funding is required to assess current demographics and develop a diversity strategy that identifies and reduces barriers to participation in sport. Four, increased funding is required to conduct community outreach and get into new communities and cover grassroots program growth. Five, increased funding is required to support the planning and execution of larger national games. Six, increased funding is required to implement Special Olympics healthy athletes programs.
The second critical area of growth is volunteer growth. As we look to have more athletes in our programs, it goes without saying that we need to place equal emphasis on recruiting volunteers.
The third and final area for critical growth is around sustainable capabilities, making us a stronger, smarter, and more efficient organization. We'd like to undertake research to provide quantitative and qualitative facts and figures to confirm our impact. We'd like to make sure that more Canadians are aware of our programs and the role we play, and we'd like to amplify and strengthen our organizational capacity.
There is no doubt that the impact and benefits of sport are multi-dimensional. For athletes with an intellectual disability, the impact is even more far-reaching.
Special Olympics develops healthier athletes with lifelong physical fitness habits, and instills confidence, self-esteem, and other life skills. In order for these benefits to be sustained and extended, additional support is required to ensure both the quality and the growth of sport programs that contribute to personal development and result in building stronger, more inclusive Canadian communities.
We thank you for your time. Both Jacob and I are available to answer questions, should you have any.
Thank you.