South Coast's Special Olympics athletes are training again

Special Olympics is an international organisation for athletes with an intellectual disability.

The Special Olympics South Coast club is a branch of this international organisation operating from Ulladulla to the Victorian border and offering a range of sports including swimming, T-ball, cricket, ten pin bowling and basketball.

"We are back and training" South Coast club chair Kathy Godwin said.

Her daughter with down syndrome joined Special Olympics when she was 14, and Ms Godwin has been involved ever since.

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"You get so much out of being with these athletes," Ms Godwin said.

There are health benefits to training, but Ms Godwin said the highlight was the friendships that developed between athletes and teammates and family and carers.

"Carers get a community of people who understand where they are coming from," Ms Godwin said.

Before COVID many athletes were training with the club, travelling all around the nation and the world to compete in their sport; several Eurobodalla stars have previously won medals - at local, national and even international level. However, Ms Godwin said many athletes had not returned yet after COVID.

The club has just purchased a Ford Transit bus which Ms Godwin hopes will make training more accessible and attract more athletes to the club.

"It is fun," she said, "but there are pathways so you can achieve the absolute best you can."

Anyone with an intellectual disability can register to join the club here.