The Winning Spirit
Carol Wideman | Community Visionary
"When every single athlete stood up on that field and clapped for them...you were just covered in goosebumps...It's about friendship."
Participating in sports teaches us a lot about life. Every home run, gutter ball, high-five, and skinned knee carries with it a lesson. We learn dedication, teamwork, confidence, friendship, and so much more. Carol Wideman knows the positive power of sports, she sees it come alive in Special Olympics athletes year after year. Carol herself is the perfect example of a team player. She knows that small moments have big impacts; that the winning spirit really lives in the experience rather than the outcome.
Carol and her husband coached softball for many years, from their three older daughters’ teams to the Special Olympics team of their youngest child, their son, Preston. That’s how Carol first got started with the organization. She’s now been volunteering with Special Olympics Camrose for about 16 years.
When the former Camrose Chairperson moved away, Carol took up the torch and ignited substantial growth. “It just seemed natural to step in,” she says, “We’ve grown it now to 14 programs. And we’ve gone from about 45-50 athletes to over 130. We have an incredible affiliate. We created that shortly after I took on Chair because there were just so many areas to fill. Any one person can’t do that [alone].”
Since becoming Chairperson, Carol’s won the 2016 Special Olympics Canada Volunteer of the Year Award and the 2018 Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers. She says she accepts these honours on behalf of her team: the volunteers, the affiliate, and the athletes that make it all possible. “I always find awards difficult. There are so many winners here, there really are…to be singled out, it seems a little unfair to me because I think we’ve got so many that are very deserving,” she says.
Teamwork and friendship go hand-in-hand, something Carol’s had the joy of experiencing over the years. Once after coaching a softball game in St. Paul, Carol watched as a lower ranking team went to accept a sportsmanship award and the other athletes reacted with a standing ovation. “When every single athlete stood up on that field and clapped for them…you were just covered in goosebumps. And you saw how they were so closely knit, so closely bonded with one another…It’s about friendship,” she says.
The bonds Special Olympics Camrose are building extend into the community as a whole. “The Camrose community is not only just on board with Special Olympics, but they’re a part of it now. They’re embracing these athletes as their own,” Carol says, “They’re awesome athletes but they’re great people too.” Carol herself goes for coffee with an athlete at least once a week.
Carol is a dedicated volunteer but family always comes first. And it’s all coming full circle with her son Preston. He’s a Special Olympics athlete who also volunteers, assisting young athletes in the Active Start and FUNdamentals program. For Carol, it’s all about supporting those around you. “I believe we all have responsibilities on this earth…Your family and your community, absolutely,” she says.
Special Olympics Camrose:
